NHL trade rumors: Top insider reports Calgary Flames' interest in centers after unexpected 4-0 start

The Calgary Flames have started their season with a surprising 4-0 record. They have beaten some big names like Edmonton Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks.

The Flames have been good on all fronts. They have allowed few goals in their last three wins against the Philadelphia Flyers (three goals), Oilers (one goal) and Chicago Blackhawks (one goal). And their offense has been promising, scoring 19 goals in four games, averaging almost five goals.

Despite the early success, general manager Craig Conroy is looking to improve the team further. The Flames are hoping to find a right-handed player who fits the roster's age and style.

"General manager Craig Conroy has been talking to teams in recent days in search of a middle-six center," according to Frank Seravalli from Daily Faceoff.

In their 3-1 win over the Blackhawks, the Flames used four left-handed centers: Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, Martin Pospisil and Justin Kirkland. While the lineup worked well, the team is looking for a right-handed option.

The Flames were not expected to perform well this season, especially after trading several key players, including Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane. They also moved defensemen Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov, as well as goaltender Jacob Markstrom. Despite these changes, the Flames have exceeded expectations, getting quick leads and converting them to wins.

Calgary is the only team in the NHL with a perfect 4-0 record. The Tampa Bay Lightning and Winnipeg Jets are also undefeated but with three wins each. However, the Flames face challenges, including an injury to rookie forward Samuel Honzek, who's out week-to-week with an upper body issue.

The Calgary Flames have almost $19 million in cap space, according to PuckPedia. This financial flexibility gives them room to make key additions and strengthen their roster for the rest of the season.

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Calgary Flames match their record from 1993 and 2009

The Calgary Flames beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Tuesday, maintaining their perfect start to the season. Matt Coronato scored twice, including an empty-net goal late on. Dustin Wolf made 31 saves to help Calgary win. Andrei Kuzmenko added a power-play goal, his first of the season.

This win ties Calgary’s best season start, matching their 4-0 records from 1993-94 and 2009-10.

Nick Foligno scored for the Blackhawks, who couldn’t break through in key moments. Chicago had several good chances early in the second period but couldn’t score, despite outshooting Calgary 7-1. Wolf made critical saves, including a shorthanded breakaway stop on Joey Anderson.

Coronato’s first goal came off an assist from Justin Kirkland, who was filling in for the injured Kevin Rooney. The Calgary Flames took the lead for good after a penalty to Connor Bedard, with Kuzmenko scoring on the power play. Calgary’s next game is against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.