3 Players for the Calgary Flames to Target at the NHL Trade Deadline

No. 1 – LW Brandon Hagel (Chicago Blackhawks)

Brandon Hagel of the Chicago Blackhawks is putting together a rather impressive campaign this season as he’s put together 17 goals and 14 assists in 51-games as he’s worked his way towards earning top minutes playing with Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat throughout the year.

Hagel is your typical swiss army knife, similar to Mangiapane. He loves to go in the dirty areas, he can make crisp tape-to-tape passes, and he can score. He’s the type of player who can thrive on any line you put him on and he’ll make an immediate impact. For a Blackhawks team that has incredibly underperformed this year, Brandon Hagel has been one of the only bright spots for them as he’s worked his way from being a 6th-round draft pick (169th overall) in 2016 to be a solid middle of the lineup forward.

Though Hagel seems to be the perfect target for the Calgary Flames ahead of the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline, he may come at a steep price due to his performance this year. Much like Rickard Rakell’s asking price, the small buzzsaw may require a 2nd-round pick and an average prospect in exchange due to the inflation from his production.

The Calgary Flames are on the cusp of making a genuine push for the Stanley Cup and with this, comes the daunting task of whether or not they’re satisfied with the group they have or if they need to make an aggressive push to go for it all. Because the contenders in the Eastern Conference such as the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Carolina Hurricanes are incredibly stacked with talent, the Flames may not have any other choice but to go for it all. By targeting these three players ahead of the trade deadline, the Flames will assert themselves above the rest of the teams in the NHL.