With the trade deadline looming, there’s been a lot of buzz surrounding the Calgary Flames. Last night, MacKenzie Weegar was traded to the Utah Mammoth, which could kick off a busy end of the week for the Flames. The Flames have quite a few moves they could make to build off this trade. From depth options in Joel Hanley and Brayden Pachal, to higher up the lineup names such as Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri. To add to the noise, members of the Colorado Avalanche front office, including general manager Chris MacFarland, attended the Flames’ Sunday matchup against the Anaheim Ducks.
Certainly, this could’ve just been because the Avalanche played the Ducks on Tuesday and were viewing this upcoming opponent. However, it is set for a possible precursor trade that sees Nazem Kadri return to Denver. That type of move has been a rumoured possibility for what feels like the whole season. So, let’s take a look at what the Avs may cough up in a deal for the Flames’ best forward.
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Draft picks
The Avalanche have a surprising amount of draft picks available for trade. When it comes to this year’s draft, the cupboard is pretty empty with zero picks in the first three rounds. In the later rounds, they somehow have accumulated nine total picks, including four seventh-round picks. However, when you jump to the next draft, the Avalanche have held onto their earlier picks and have even added a second. That’s a little shocking considering the calibre of their team. Typically, contenders have already traded future picks.
The Avalanche hold their own first and second-round picks. Additionally, they have the Minnesota Wild’s second-round pick. They acquired the pick in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets for Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood. When it comes to a trade for Kadri, the Flames are likely targeting the early picks the Avs hold in the 2027 draft. Whether it be the highest value in the first, or a conditional second, it would not be surprising to see at least one of these picks come the Flames’ way in a Kadri deal.
Prospects
In terms of prospect pools, it’s not like the Avalanche are flourishing. However, they pose a few solid options that the Flames may go after.
Gavin Brindley
The first name that sticks out to me is winger Gavin Brindley. Brindley was drafted 34th overall in the 2023 draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 21-year-old was sent to Colorado in the previously mentioned deal for Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood. Brindley isn’t some team-changing asset, but I have been a fan of his since his draft year.
He’s not big at all, standing at 5’8 and 173 lbs, he is a complete workhorse. Constantly hunting the puck, moving his feet, trying to stay engaged in the play. Brindley isn’t shy of skill either, with a good hockey sense and solid puck control. He has six goals and 12 points in 47 games this year, playing in the Avalanche’s bottom-six. Again, Brindley won’t change the trajectory of the franchise, but could become a good role player. I think you can look at him maybe becoming a ~40 point, two-way, middle-sixer that fans love. It’s not a super pretty asset, and the Flames seem to have a lot of them currently, but you still need your middle-sixers in for the future.
Max Curran
Max Curran may be a name that Canadian fans remember. I’m not too sure if it was all that memorable, but he was a big reason why Canada was upset yet again by Czechia at World Juniors, as he put up three points in that game. Curran was selected 161st overall in the fifth round of the 2024 draft by the Avalanche. Before the season began, Curran was sent from the Tri-City Americans to the Edmonton Oil Kings in a massive deal within the WHL. In terms of production, he sits with 14 goals and 41 points in 31 games for the Oil Kings. This is good enough for him to place fourth in points per game team-wise.
If there’s one thing that Curran has over the other options, it’s positional need. Curran plays centre, which has been a position of focus for the Flames over the past few years. Shining as a passer, Curran plays with patience and intelligence, often attacking open space. Only improving since his draft year, Curran would be a decent pickup in a trade. His smarts and passing abilities are good bets to place him as a depth option.
Mikhail Gulyayev
The only former first-rounder on this list is Mikhail Gulyayev. Gulyayev was drafted 31st overall in the 2023 draft by the Avalanche after acquiring the pick in a trade for Alex Newhook. The post-draft career for Gulyayev hasn’t necessarily been the prettiest. He jumped to the KHL the year after getting drafted, and just hasn’t really progressed in production. The first year saw 12 points in 64 games, then 15 in 67, and now only three in 47. Gulyayev’s ice time has dropped significantly and has been facing odd deployment, even getting moved to forward at points. The drop in production isn’t attractive for an offensive defenceman, but you have to consider it may not all be his fault.
The intrigue to Gulyayev would be his untapped potential. He certainly still has some talent in the offensive ends of the game. A strong and fluid skater with good puck-moving habits. The defensive game definitely needs some work, but you start by making sure the offensive side has value. I think if you can get Gulyayev to North America, you might start to see some positive progression. He still has some years of development left, considering he is only 20-years-old.
Francesco Dell’Elce
Another left-handed defenceman option is Francesco Dell’Elce out of UMass. Dell’Elce was drafted with the 77th overall pick by the Avalanche as a double overager this past draft. At UMass, Dell’Elce has posted respectable production over the past two years. In his freshman season, he totalled seven goals and 24 points in 40 games. This year, he has seen a slight improvement in his points per game with five goals and 21 points in 32 games.
Dell’Elce shines as another offensive defenceman with great skating ability. It allows him to move zone and position himself in proper situations. However, the main draw to Dell’Elce would be his shooting volume. Dell’Elce takes lots and lots of shots. He loves to attempt rebounds and provides a projectable and accurate shot. Dell’Elce is eligible to play in the AHL, and if the Flames were to acquire him, he could perhaps become one of the offensive options for the Wranglers on the backend.
Cap dumps
Although the Sam Girard for Brett Kulak deal allowed the Avalanche to have enough money to acquire Kadri at the deadline, they won’t exactly be swimming in cash come the offseason. If a trade for Kadri surfaces between the Flames and Avalanche, it wouldn’t surprise me if a cap dump comes to Calgary.
Ross Colton
Looking at the Avalanche’s roster, there’s only one name that makes a ton of sense for the Avs to dump. That name would be Ross Colton. Colton is making four million dollars for the remainder of this year and next year. By no means is four million an overpayment for a player of Colton’s calibre. He is usually good for about 30–40 points a year, which is about what you expect for that money in today’s NHL. However, Colton would just draw as the odd-man out with a more hefty cap hit. He currently sits as the Avs’ 3rd line left wing. If Kadri were acquired, he’d likely move down to the fourth.
Nothing super attractive
If you want the best trade partner for a Nazem Kadri deal, the Colorado Avalanche probably are not who you should be dealing with. They have the most noise around them and are likely Kadri’s top choice, but they don’t present anything too appealing in a possible deal.
A first or second in 2027 is a fine value; you’d likely get a pick in the first two rounds from this year or next from any contending team that would trade for Kadri. However, the possible prospects aren’t too attractive. Gavin Brindley is likely the best option, but he doesn’t have the craziest ceiling. I can also see concerns about acquiring another undersized winger. Mikhail Gulyayev is being screwed over in Russia, and his development is taking a hit. He’s also always been a high-risk, high-reward type of player. Then you have Max Curran and Franseco Dell’Elce, who are good depth options in a trade but don’t really wow you.
To be fair, it’s not like Kadri is getting any younger. In addition, he is getting paid seven million dollars until he is nearly 39 years old. Personally, I’ve never expected a massive haul for Kadri. I’ve always considered that even a first-round pick would make me happy. Yes, he’s still performing at a high 2C level, but the threat of regression brings his value down, even though Kadri has beaten Father Time so far.
If I were to give my best guess on what a package would look like from the Avalanche, I would say their 2027 first-round pick, Ross Colton for money, and Max Curran as a prospect.