NHL Trade Rumors: 3 Most Likely Flames to be Dealt

Are the Calgary Flames going full-on tear-it-down rebuild, or will some of their top players be sticking around? We've heard rumors circulating about the likes of Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau and even MacKenzie Weegar, but according to Eric Duhatschek in The Athletic, those names could be tough to trade due to contract considerations, and he feels that the two players most likely to be dealt are as follows:

From Calgary, the two likeliest players to move — assuming they have decent seasons — are Andrei Kuzmenko (one year left at $5.5 million) and Anthony Mantha (signed for one year at $3.5 million). They’ll get an opportunity in Calgary to play premium minutes and plump up their trade value at the deadline.

The 28-year-old Kuzmenko was acquired by the Flames last season after his dreadful start in Vancouver forced the Canucks to move on from the Russian forward. He picked it up big-time in Calgary upon his arrival, and finished the season with 14 goals and 25 points in 29 games.

But as Duhatschek notes, Kuzmenko is on an expiring contract, and as an unrestricted free agent at the age of 29, he wouldn't likely be in the Flames' future plans.

Mantha just crossed the age-30 barrier, and he, too, would not be in the long-term plans for the Flames. His one-year, $3.5 million deal could be easily absorbed at the trade deadline, presuming he has a good first half in Cow Town.

The other Flames veteran that Duhatschek sees as being a top trade candidate is Blake Coleman, who has three years still remaining on his deal at $4.9 million. The 32-year-old had a career year with 30 goals and 54 points last season, and the Flames would be well-advised to hit while the iron is hot on Coleman. Duhatschek writes that Coleman "probably has the most value. I can absolutely see a contender asking after him at the trade deadline".