Cup winner is one of NHL's hottest trade targets as Flames receive calls from over 15 teams
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Calgary's blue line logjam has made Zach Whitecloud one of the most talked about trade chips in the league right now, with over 15 teams reportedly circling him.
The Calgary Flames have a roster problem most teams would love to have, too many good defensemen.
Nine blueliners are currently fighting for six regular spots, and Zach Whitecloud has emerged as the name most likely to get moved because of it.
Why he's such a hot commodity
Whitecloud checks almost every box a contender could want.
He's 29, he's a right shot, he's got a Stanley Cup ring from Vegas's 2023 run, and he's locked up through 2027-28 at a cap hit of just 2.75 million dollars.
That kind of term and price tag for a proven, physical rearguard with nearly 400 career games doesn't come around often on the trade market.
That combination is reportedly why interest has ballooned well past what you'd expect for a depth defenseman swap.
Multiple pitches have already surfaced.
One had Whitecloud heading to Toronto for Philippe Myers, a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2028 fourth-rounder, giving the Leafs insurance behind an injury-prone Chris Tanev.
Another framed a Montreal package built around Arber Xhekaj and a second-rounder, with the Canadiens possibly tossing in Morgan Frost to sweeten things.
Calgary isn't in any rush
The Flames aren't strapped for cash either, sitting on roughly 14.88 million dollars in projected cap space.
This is purely about roster fit, not finances, and that gives Calgary leverage to wait for the right offer instead of dumping him for pennies on the dollar.
Whitecloud posted 17 points in 78 games last season split between Vegas and Calgary, adding 124 hits and 140 blocked shots along the way.
He also has playoff pedigree, with eight points and a plus-14 rating across 22 games during Vegas's championship run.
With a reported fifteen or more teams showing interest, this one feels far from over.
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Previously on House Of Hockey