Calgary is gaining strength on defense.
The Flames have traded defenseman Jake Middleton and three draft picks from the Minnesota Wild for forward Blake Coleman and defenseman Olli Maatta, according to Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman.
As part of the deal, Calgary will receive a second-round draft pick in 2029, a third-round draft pick in 2027 and a fourth-round draft pick in 2028. Calgary will also retain 50 per cent of Coleman’s $4.9 million salary.
Middleton spent the last four and a half years in Minnesota, scoring two goals and adding 14 assists last season. His best season came in 2023-24, when he scored 25 points (seven goals, 18 assists).
The 30-year-old was a seventh-round draft pick in 2014 and spent his first few NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks. In 29 career playoff games, Middleton has no goals and six assists.
In Coleman, the Wild are getting a strong veteran who served as an alternate captain in Calgary. Coleman had 20 goals and 15 assists last season. His career year came in the 2023-24 season, when he scored 30 goals and added 24 assists.
Maatta played just 21 games in Calgary after being traded from the Utah Mammoth mid-season. Between Calgary and Utah, Maatta had two goals and 13 assists in 43 games. He also played for the Red Wings, Kings, Blackhawks and Penguins.