After years of simply pushing to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs to give themselves a chance, it appears as though the 2025/26 season was a major reset for the Calgary Flames. The play on the ice pushed them towards a rebuild, and with Craig Conroy at the helm, the franchise finally gave in and started moving off some of their veterans this past season.
We've already seen a glimpse into the future with Dustin Wolf, Zayne Parekh and Matvei Gridin among others leading the play down the stretch in 2025/26, and with 14 draft picks in rounds one and two between the 2026, 2027 and 2028 NHL Draft, the future could get even brighter. Most fans will want the Flames to use those picks to add to a considerably improved prospect group in Calgary, but, there's also other ways to add young talent to a team.
While the organization certainly shouldn't be pursuing big name veterans via trade, they should be looking at any player in the league under 24 years of age as a potential target this summer. With that in mind, let's take a look at three young players that the Flames could target this summer via trade as they look to improve their roster for the long haul.