The Anaheim Ducks have traded forward Ryan Strome to the Calgary Flames for a 2027 seventh-round pick, according to Pierre LeBrun. The Ducks get some much-needed cap relief and move off of a bad contract, while the Flames get a veteran to mentor potential young guys in the core.
Ducks Part Ways With a Big Contract
The Ducks signed Strome to a five-year, $25 million contract on July 13, 2022. This contract, along with deals for Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn, and Radko Gudas, was meant to set the tone for the culture. With intriguing forward prospects like Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier, Strome was meant to be a mentor.
He was still a decent contributor with Anaheim, averaging 41 points between the 2022-23 and 2024-25 seasons. However, his production has fallen off a cliff. This season, he’s scored just three goals and notched three assists through 33 games.
Part of that has to do with injury. He sustained an upper-body injury in the preseason that sidelined him for the first 16 games of the season, and he’s been dealing with illnesses in March.
However, he’s still under a contract worth $5 million per season until 2027. Considering Carlsson and McTavish have developed into franchise players, and the team signed Mikael Granlund to a three-year, $21 million deal in 2025, Strome’s role was diminishing with the Ducks.
Related: 2026 NHL Trade Deadline Tracker
Strangely, Anaheim was only able to get a seventh-round pick for the deal, but the Ducks get some cap relief too. They have over $49 million in cap space this season, but they need to hash out deals with pending restricted free agents Carlsson, Gauthier, Oren Zellweger, and Pavel Mintyukov.
Flames Get Veteran Leadership for the Future
The Flames, meanwhile, are in rebuild mode, so they were looking for veteran leadership with this deal. They didn’t sell off completely at the deadline, with Blake Coleman staying put.
However, with just 55 points, they’re doing fine enough to get a top draft pick in the upcoming 2026 NHL Draft. They’re tied for the second-highest lottery odds with the St. Louis Blues. They’re behind the Pacific Division rival Vancouver Canucks, although anything can happen in the draft lottery. They also traded center Nazem Kadri, along with defensemen Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar for good returns.
Strome could also bounce back with the Flames. He’ll be in an elevated role with the team, and he also has positional flexibility, playing wing and center in his career. He still has some playmaking abilities, too, so he could help guys like Matthew Coronato or Connor Zary in the future.
Calgary didn’t give up that much to get him, and the Flames still have an absurd amount of draft capital, with two first-round picks and four second-round picks. It’s an interesting trade, and it could be a confusing one to look back on, but it could work if Strome reaches the form he had in the past couple of seasons with Anaheim.
Schedule and Standings
The Ducks are currently at 71 points, just one behind the Vegas Golden Knights. With the acquisition of Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson, they’re gunning for the top spot in the Pacific Division at minimum. They close out the week with a home matchup vs. the Montreal Canadiens on Friday, March 3rd. They end their five-game homestead on Sunday, March 8, against the St. Louis Blues.
The Flames, meanwhile, sit at 55 points, which is second-to-last in the Western Conference. They end this week with a home matchup vs. the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, March 7 before heading on the road to play the Washington Capitals on Monday, March 9.
