Calgary Flames

Wednesday night's game between the Los Angeles Kings and visiting Calgary Flames has been postponed due to ongoing wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

Puck drop at Crypto.com arena was scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET.

"The thoughts of the entire NHL family are with the Kings, hockey fans and the people of the Los Angeles area during this difficult time," the NHL said in a statement.

Sportsnet's Eric Francis reported that the air quality inside the arena had been impacted as of Wednesday morning.

The Kings are scheduled to play their next five games on the road, starting Friday against the Winnipeg Jets and followed by a Saturday game in Calgary.

Their next home game is currently scheduled to take place against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday, Jan. 20.

The NFL schedule could also be impacted by the wildfires ahead of the Wild Card game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams scheduled for Monday night in Inglewood.

The NFL said in a statement on Wednesday the league "continues to closely monitor developments in the area and will remain in contact with both clubs and the NFLPA."

At least two people have died in the ongoing wildfires, which were caused by "dry conditions and powerful winds," according to NBC News.

The fires had forced 70,000 people to evacuate and destroyed at least 1,000 structures as of Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Nazem Kadri has only played two seasons for the Calgary Flames, but he's signed to a long-term deal with the team. The 33-year-old center is under contract through the end of the 2028-29 campaign.

Not only that, but Kadri has a no-movement clause, meaning he has to approve any potential trade. So it sure feels like he'll be in Calgary for quite some time.

Or will he?

There's been some buzz this offseason about the possibility of the Flames considering a trade involving Kadri. According to TSN's Darren Dreger, other NHL teams have been calling Calgary to express interest in Kadri.

But Dreger also noted the Flames aren't in a "full teardown," despite having missed the playoffs three of the past four seasons, and they're "trying to reset their roster," with Kadri still being a part of it. He is also a fan of Calgary, per Dreger.

Earlier this month, however, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that Kadri would be willing to waive his no-move clause for the "right situation." Pagnotta said during an appearance on Edmonton Sports Talk that Kadri "would welcome" a return to the Colorado Avalanche.

Kadri previously played three seasons in Colorado from 2019-22.

Pagnotta shared as well that the Flames could be open to exploring the possibility of a trade involving Kadri.

So there's a bit of smoke out there regarding Kadri's status with Calgary. It isn't completely clear whether he and/or the team would like a trade to happen, or if anything has been close in recent weeks.

The Flames would be wise to keep Kadri as a core player, though.

Kadri is coming off a 2023-24 campaign in which he tallied 75 points, the second-highest total among his 15 NHL seasons. He recorded 29 goals and 46 assists while playing in all 82 games.

Even though Kadri is a veteran at this point in his career, he likely still has plenty of productive years ahead of him. He's notched at least 56 points in each of the past three seasons.

It makes sense for the Flames to retool some things to try to get back into the playoffs and get closer to being a Stanley Cup contender. But Kadri could help them do that, while also serving as a mentor to some of the younger players in the organization.

Although Calgary should likely listen to offers (as any team should do), it shouldn't give away Kadri just to move him. The best bet could be to turn down negotiations, keep Kadri and build around him moving forward.

The Calgary Flames continue the offloading of talent ahead of the NHL's March 8 trade deadline.

Calgary is trading defenseman Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars in exchange for defenseman Artem Grushnikov, a 2024 second-round pick and a 2026 conditional third-round pick, the franchise announced Wednesday.

Tanev is the second Flames player to be traded this season as the franchise presses the reset button on its roster, joining Elias Lindholm, who was traded to the Vancouver Canucks earlier this month.

Tanev was among one of the hottest names on the trade market as he's on an expiring contract and is a reliable veteran defenseman with 14 NHL seasons under his belt. He's in the final season of a four-year, $18 million deal with a $4.5 million cap hit.

The 34-year-old has notched one goal and 13 assists in 56 games this season and boasts a plus-16 rating.

Tanev joins a Dallas defense highlighted by Miro Heiskanen, Esa Lindell, Thomas Harley and Ryan Suter. The Stars had an opening to fill on the blue line with recent injuries to Jani Hakanpää and Nils Lundkvist.

The Toronto native is going from a team in Calgary that could miss the playoffs to a team in Dallas that is fighting for the top spot in the Central Division with the Winnipeg Jets. The Stars sit second in the division with a 35-17-9 record.

As for the Flames, they're getting a talented young defenseman in Grushnikov, who was selected by the Stars in the second round of the 2021 draft. He has appeared in 44 games for the AHL's Texas Stars this season, notching one goal and five assists to go along with a plus-three rating.

Flames general manager Craig Conroy said in a statement:

Artem is a player our organization has identified, for some time now, as being a strong addition to our prospects pool. As a 20-year-old he is having a solid season in the American Hockey League. He is best described as a young defensive defenceman, a good penalty killer who understands the importance of this role and plays to his identity. We are excited to acquire a player with Artem's qualities and look forward to his contributions to the Flames success for a long time. We have also been able to secure another second round draft pick in 2024, and the potential for a third round selection in 2026.

With Tanev and Lindholm offloaded, it's possible the Flames will continue to make deals before the trade deadline. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom and defenseman Noah Hanifin have been rumored as top trade candidates in Calgary.