The Calgary Flames are building for the future but also fighting for a playoff invite this spring.
These two dudes should be able to help with both quests.
The Flames landed forwards Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost — both in their mid-20s, and both drafted as first-rounders — in a jaw-dropper of a deal Thursday with the Philadelphia Flyers, reportedly sending Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier and a pair of future picks to the City of Brotherly Love. Word is, Craig Conroy agreed to part with a second-rounder in 2025 and seventh-rounder in 2028.
The blockbuster trade was rumoured throughout Thursday’s clash between the Flames and Anaheim Ducks at the Saddledome and had still yet to be made official at 10 p.m. MT.
Frost is likely the focal point of this swap, since it’s no secret that the Flames have been shopping for help at centre. The 25-year-old has notched 50 goals and 135 points in his 278 career contests with the Flyers. That includes 11 tallies and 14 helpers this season.
Farabee, 24, is a physical winger with even more impressive offensive stats. He’s scored 90 times and totalled 201 career points in 384 appearances in Philadelphia. His numbers are down slightly in 2024-25, a mix of eight markers and 11 assists so far.
With the Flames playing host Thursday to the Anaheim Ducks, Kuzmenko was a surprise scratch and Pelletier logged only six shifts before being pulled from the contest.
Frost, meanwhile, was yanked midway through a game in Philadelphia. Farabee finished the tilt before getting word of his change of address.
Calgary’s new guys, both left-handed shots and both logging just over 15 minutes of average ice time this season, are intriguing additions.
The Flames are desperate to win more faceoffs, and Frost has successfully swiped 51.6 per cent of his draws this season.
The Flames are looking to bolster their cast of 20-somethings, and these guys should just be entering their primes.
The Flames always stress the importance of a responsible two-way game, and you know John Tortorella has been harping on the same in Philly.
Farabee, who is listed at 6-foot and 186 pounds, is signed through the end of the 2027-28 campaign at an annual cap hit of US$5 million.
Frost, who stands 6-foot and weighs 193 pounds, is currently collecting a salary of US$2.1 million. The creative centre will require a new deal this summer — or sooner — as a restricted free agent.
Pelletier, who was the Flames’ first-round selection in 2019, was making the most of his latest NHL opportunity. In 24 games since being recalled from the AHL’s Wranglers, the energetic winger had registered four goals and 11 points and become an important piece on the penalty kill. The 23-year-old was both a fan favourite and popular teammate.
As a pending unrestricted free agent, Kuzmenko’s days at the Saddledome were numbered. The 28-year-old has oodles of offensive talent, but he’s hardly known for his defensive handiwork and that made him an awkward fit for the relentless, check-first style that has the Flames in the fight for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
During a 28-game goal-scoring drought, which spanned from mid-October to mid-January, the Russian right-winger was frequently healthy-scratched or stapled to the bench in the key moments.
Kuzmenko’s season stat sheet shows four goals and 11 assists in 37 games. He was finally heating up over the past two weeks, putting up five points in what would be his final five outings in the Flaming C logo.
Part of the appeal for the Flyers is that Kuzmenko has a bit of history with their Calder Trophy candidate Matvei Michkov. They overlapped with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL in 2021-22.