Report: Flames open to offers on pending UFAs Lindholm, Hanifin, Tanev
In the midst of a lacklustre 5-8-2 start to the 2023-24 campaign, it sounds as though the Calgary Flames are ready to cut some deals.
General manager Craig Conroy is open to offers on most of his pending unrestricted free agents, including center Elias Lindholm and blue-liners Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, as well as defenseman Nikita Zadorov, reports The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.
Here's a look at the average annual value of each player's current deal:
| Player | Age | AAV |
|---|---|---|
| Elias Lindholm | 28 | $4.85M |
| Noah Hanifin | 26 | $4.95M |
| Chris Tanev | 33 | $4.5M |
| Nikita Zadorov | 28 | $3.75M |
Zadorov essentially opened the floodgates by reportedly requesting a trade out of Calgary on Friday after the Flames' 5-4 shootout loss in Toronto. TSN's Darren Dreger singled out the Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils, and Vancouver Canucks as having strong interest in the 6-foot-6 rearguard on Saturday.
Lindholm and Hanifin, meanwhile, each expressed in September that they'd be willing to sign an extension. Hanifin said he wanted to see how this season played out before putting pen to paper. LeBrun added that the American was close to signing a sizeable extension that was believed to be in the ballpark of $60 million, but the Flames reportedly halted all extension talks with their pending free agents in late October as the team's early tailspin continued.
LeBrun also noted that Conroy opted not to comment on his plans for the Flames on Tuesday.
Heading into Tuesday's action, Lindholm was tied for the team lead with eight points (two goals, six helpers) through 14 contests. Hanifin and Tanev have also suited up for all of Calgary's games this campaign, collecting six and two points, respectively. Zadorov has five points in 13 outings while leading Calgary with 26 hits.
The Flames underperformed last season, missing the playoffs by two points after finishing in first place in the Pacific Division in 2021-22. In an attempt to right the ship, Calgary parted ways with head coach Darryl Sutter and general manager Brad Treliving in the offseason, replacing them with Ryan Huska and Conroy.
The 2024 trade deadline is March 8 at 3 p.m. ET.