Flames GM Craig Conroy should stay the course with the unloading of players with expiring contracts or high relative value

A five-game winning streak has the Calgary Flames back in playoff contention. Great if you’re a player — nobody likes losing. Not so good for those hoping the team most positioned to be a power broker at the NHL trade deadline will stay the course on selling its top expiring assets (or more).

Indeed, it might be tempting for an NHL executive to see the surge in offence and energy the Flames have exhibited in four straight road victories since the all-star break and wonder what might be possible.

That shouldn’t happen with the Calgary Flames. And I don’t believe it will change GM Craig Conroy’s mind when it comes to defencemen Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin. 

Tanev is likely the next to go based on what the pending unrestricted free agent can bring back in a trade, given his age and the risk of injury based on the way he plays the game. Hanifin may still be considering an extension. But the longer that draws out, the more likely Conroy will pull that trigger, too. They have the market cornered on top-four defenceman ahead of the NHL trade deadline.

But this sudden performance surge on the Eastern swing also puts Conroy in a powerful position when it comes to other assets, too.

The most popular is goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who is desired by the New Jersey Devils, but has a $6-million salary and a no-trade clause to deal with. That and the fact the NHL’s first star of the week is the biggest reason the Calgary Flames are even close to the playoffs right now.

There are others.

Andrei Kuzmenko is a big part of the new energy being displayed since the Elias Lindholm trade, but he’s 28 with one year left on his current deal and he might be desirable to a contender in the trade market if he keeps scoring goals over the next few weeks.

Andrew Mangiapane is a year younger with a slightly higher salary cap hit and just one more year on his contract. He’s had a tough year statistically with just 10 goals and 29 points in 51 games this season but did hit 35 two seasons ago. He also showed he could be a strong secondary performer in the 2021-22 playoffs with three goals and six points in 12 games.

Yes, you have to keep some players in Calgary — it’s tough to imagine a scenario where Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman move — but the Flames should be listening seriously to any calls that come in between now and the March 8 trade deadline.