Rds Transaction: Flames Face Surge of Offers for Coleman and Whitecloud
rds transaction: The Calgary Flames are receiving intensified interest in winger Blake Coleman and defenseman Zach Whitecloud as the NHL trade deadline approaches on Friday. Craig Conroy, general manager of the Flames, has been fielding a steady stream of calls as teams press for moves. Darren Dreger, NHL insider, places Coleman’s chances of being dealt before the 3: 00 p. m. ET deadline at 40% and says offers for the player exist but are not yet compelling enough to force a deal.
Rds Transaction: Coleman and Whitecloud at the center
Blake Coleman, 34, is the higher-profile name drawing interest. This season he has 13 goals and nine assists in 48 games and carries a plus-9 differential; he remains under contract for the next season with a $4. 9 million average annual value. Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has shown past interest in Coleman, and multiple teams continue to place offers on Calgary’s table—offers the Flames have received but have not judged sufficient to move the forward at this stage.
Zach Whitecloud, 29, is also attracting attention while embedded under a longer-term commitment. Whitecloud is in the second season of a six-year contract valued at $16. 5 million, with a $2. 75 million cap hit counted this year; he has two goals and 11 points in 59 games in the 2025–2026 campaign. Whitecloud joined Calgary as part of the package that brought him, two draft picks and defenseman Abram Wiebe from another club in the transaction that sent Rasmus Andersson away last month.
Calgary’s roster posture has been active: the Flames moved defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Mammoth of Utah in exchange for three second-round picks in 2026, prospect Jonathan Castagna and defenseman Olli Maata. The team sits near the bottom of the Pacific Division with a 24-29-7 record, 12 points out of a playoff position, a standing that helps explain why general manager Craig Conroy’s phone has been nonstop as the deadline nears.
Immediate reactions and market odds
Darren Dreger, NHL insider, assesses that offers for Coleman exist but so far have not met Calgary’s asking price; he puts Coleman’s chance of moving before the 3: 00 p. m. ET deadline at 40%. Craig Conroy, general manager of the Flames, remains the point person managing the calls and evaluating returns. Kent Hughes, general manager of the Canadiens, has previously demonstrated interest in Coleman, a detail that keeps Montreal in the mix for any late discussions.
For Whitecloud, contract structure and remaining term are clear factors in trade calculus: two seasons remain under his six-year deal and the cap hit and term are explicit elements teams must weigh. The recent Weegar trade demonstrates Calgary’s willingness to convert an established defenseman into picks and prospects as it balances present performance with future assets.
What’s next
All decisions must be finalized by the trade deadline at 3: 00 p. m. ET on Friday, and activity is expected to intensify as that hour approaches. With Calgary receiving offers on Coleman and interest centered on Whitecloud’s contract profile, the coming hours will determine whether the Flames hold or move key pieces; Darren Dreger’s 40% estimate for Coleman’s departure frames the uncertainty. Expect the rds transaction narrative to sharpen as teams finalize their bids before the deadline.
