Could the Flames get a first-round pick for Blake Coleman?

Friends, there are a few things we think we know about the Calgary Flames.

They’re a hard-working team. But they’re a team that’s low on offence and they’re far from a playoff spot right now. They have two players in Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman that can provide strong minutes with pretty much anybody. But with one more season after this one left on Coleman’s contract, he’s probably a luxury that the Flames can no longer afford.

Or, rather, he’s a luxury that other teams would pay handsomely to have on their teams.

The Flames own two first-round picks in the 2026 NHL Draft. They own two in the 2027 NHL Draft, too. And if Vegas wins the Stanley Cup this season, they could have two first-rounders in 2028, too.

Could they get another one in a potential Coleman swap?

So here’s the thing about Coleman: he’s kind of a unicorn. He’s a 34-year-old left shot winger that can play either wing and play in every game situation, including both sides of special teams. He was part of two Stanley Cup championship teams with Tampa Bay, then came to Calgary where he’s been, well, excellent at being Blake Coleman. With a paltry $4.9 million cap hit, he’s a player that could fit within the salary cap structure of pretty much any contender and provide an upgrade to their group.

Simply put, players like Coleman don’t hit the trade market very often.

We’ve found four somewhat similar examples of trades, but beware: they’re not exactly apples to apples comparisons because of Coleman’s uniqueness.

• As part of a three-team trade, Columbus traded Nick Foligno to Toronto in exchange for a 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 fourth-round pick on Apr. 11, 2021. Foligno was a pending UFA on an expiring deal.
• Montreal traded Tyler Toffoli to the Flames in exchange for Tyler Pitlick, Emil Heineman, a 2022 first-round pick and a 2023 fifth-round pick on Feb. 14, 2022. Toffoli had a season and change left on his contract.
• The Predators traded Tanner Jeannot to Tampa Bay in exchange for Cal Foote, a 2025 first-round pick, a 2024 second-round pick, a 2023 third-round pick, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2023 fifth-round pick on Feb. 26, 2023. Jeannot was a pending RFA on an expiring deal.
• Tampa Bay traded Ross Colton to Colorado in exchange for a 2023 second-round pick on Jun. 28, 2023 as a pending RFA; then signed him to a new contract a couple days later.

We would point to Toffoli as perhaps the closest direct comparable, in the sense that the Flames had a monster team in 2021-22 and viewed a goal-scorer like Toffoli as perhaps the last piece to complete a potential championship team. A team acquiring Coleman would probably have similar visions of championship glory in their heads and be prepared to pony up some hefty assets.

In other words: it seems probable that the Flames could get a first-round pick in exchange for Coleman. Heck, if Columbus got a first and a fourth for Nick Foligno, perhaps the Flames could squeeze a seller’s market to get a little bit more than that.

The NHL’s trade freeze lifts at 9:59 p.m. MT on Feb. 22. The NHL’s trade deadline is 1 p.m. MT on Mar. 6.