The 2 most interested teams in Flames’ Blake Coleman

The Calgary Flames are struggling through another difficult season. This has led to rumors of the Flames selling players, such as Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson. Kadri and Andersson are likely to cost a lot to acquire, but another solid option, at a potentially lower cost, is Blake Coleman.

According to James Murphy of RG, the Dallas Stars and the Toronto Maple Leafs have both shown interest in acquiring the Flames winger, who could be less expensive but has winning experience.

“He’s a guy I think teams believe they could acquire for a lesser price than Kadri and Andersson, but a guy that also knows how to win,” one NHL executive told RG. “He’s got two Stanley Cup rings and was part of that Tampa run and a team that had plenty of winners and leaders. There’s a reason he’s got an A on his jersey now in Calgary, and by all accounts, he’s part of the reason this team may be losing more than they want, but they’re also competing.”

Coleman is in his fifth season with the Calgary Flames. He signed with the Flames as a free agent after his time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Coleman originally broke into the league in 2016-17 with the New Jersey Devils. He signed a six-year deal with the Flames when Brad Treliving was the general manager. Treliving is now the GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“Brad is a big fan of Blake, and he definitely has interest,” the same NHL source informed RG. “The Leafs want some Cup winners and experience that knows how to win the Cup on their roster right now. Brad knows him well, and you put him with some of that high-end offensive talent, and Coleman can still contribute there, too.”

It makes sense for the Stars to also be interested. They have long been rumored to be interested in adding to their roster. Meanwhile, Coleman is a native of Plano, Texas, and played for the Dallas Stars 18U AAA Program before moving to the USHL and into college hockey.

Calgary will continue to shop current players in the hopes of building for the future. Currently, the Flames are 10-15-4 on the season, good for seventh in the Pacific Division. They return to the ice on Saturday night to host the Utah Mammoth.