Calgary Flames' 2023 Trade Deadline Needs

The Calgary Flames have needed one thing all season and are finally looking to address it at the 2023 trade deadline, and it's a top-six winger who can score. The Flames' scoring is down this season as they were one of the top teams in the league in 2021-22 in that regard. This is due to their top two scorers, Johnny Gaudreau (115 points) and Matthew Tkachuk (104 points) both left to new teams while the Flames somewhat recovered to acquire Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri.

Both Huberdeau and Kadri were bound to regress from career seasons in 2021-22, but it has been a hard drop. As the Flames addressed losing two top line wingers with acquiring a winger and a centerman, this is why they are looking to add on the wing. There is also no need to add another body down the middle with Elias Lindholm, Kadri, and Mikael Backlund centering the top three lines.

Cap space isn't much of an issue this season for the Flames as Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar's big extensions don't kick in until next season. This does mean that the Flames are looking for a rental only and there are some big names available to add this season. The Flames can and likely will open up even more cap space soon by moving Oliver Kylington over to long-term injured reserve, thus freeing up an extra $2.5 million to work with. They need scoring and they need speed. Milan Lucic slotting in on the second line isn't a recipe for success and the Flames are in a dogfight for a playoff spot without the advantage.

On top of a top-six winger, it wouldn't hurt the Flames if they were to acquire some defensive depth. Without Kylington and the uncertainty of Chris Tanev and his injuries, the team could use a bit more help on the back-end. With the cap space they have, they can squeeze in a depth defenceman on their wish list.

Photo credit: © Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports