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Craig Conroy reportedly open to trading (almost) anyone

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Craig Conroy reportedly open to trading (almost) anyone

Originally posted on The Win Column | By Kate Jackson | Last updated May 16, 2026 12:26 PM ET

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With the NHL draft just a few weeks away, the Calgary Flames are continuing their push into the future. According to various reports, Craig Conroy is open to trading most players on the roster this summer.

Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin, Dustin Wolf, and Matt Coronato are believed to be the only players safe from Conroy’s intended cull. Coronato led the Flames in points last season, and Gridin posted a very respectable 20 in his debut season. Wolf was arguably outshone by Devin Cooley in 2025-26, but he’s still viewed as the comfortable first choice and clear future in net.

With more young talent waiting in their wings for a chance, the continuing exodus of the experienced part of the locker room seems set to continue. The issue with this, though, is the law of diminishing returns.

The most likely to get traded – Blake Coleman

Coleman is arguably the most valuable of those that the Flames are known to be open to trading. Whilst his numbers aren’t noteworthy, who wouldn’t want a two-time Stanley Cup winner on their roster? His $4.9m AAV is cheap for someone of his experience, but he also has a twenty-one-team-strong no-trade list.

Whilst there are no public listings for his ten-team trade list, the Dallas Stars are likely on there. They’d also be a team he’s likely to go to. Coleman has expressed a desire to be near family, and many sources have said Dallas is his destination of choice.

The Stars are on the lookout for bottom-sixth depth, and they have shown a willingness to take on older players recently.

Realistically, the haul wouldn’t be anything large. At 34, Coleman’s next deal is likely his last in the NHL. A likely package would be a prospect and a second-round pick. Anything more would be a win for the Flames.

The least likely to get traded – Jonathan Huberdeau

It’s fair to say that Huberdeau hasn’t had a strong tenure at the Saddledome. Earning $10.5m AAV, Huberdeau’s wage is by far the largest on the team, and he’s not halfway through his eight-year term.

Huberdeau joined the Flames in the summer of 2022 as part of the blockbuster trade that saw Matthew Tkachuk end up in Florida. Since then, Huberdeau has struggled to justify his huge contract. He started with just 55 points in 79 games, before 52 in 81 the year after. His high was 62 points in 2024-25, and he was only projected for 41 points before surgery ended his 2025-26.

The difficulty that the Flames will have in trading Huberdeau is not only convincing another franchise to take that wage for an underwhelming return, but he also has a no-move clause. At 32, Huberdeau also isn’t getting younger, and this contract could very well be his last in the NHL.

Is anyone actually worth a high-value trade, outside of the young four?

The main issue facing the Flames going forward, in terms of being willing to trade away all but four players, is the returns. Realistically, other than those four, no Flames player is worth a first in the market. The Flames have a lot of players that could easily fetch a second-round pick, but beyond that, all of the big-value veterans are gone.

Whilst the Flames got solid returns for most of the big names that left for assets since the days of Daryl Sutter, the cupboards are effectively dry.

It’s also worth considering that for everyone you trade, someone else has to take that place. If the Flames don’t have a good enough prospect in that position, then what? Regardless, the Craig Conroy trading spree is likely too continue.

This article first appeared on The Win Column and was syndicated with permission.

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