Coleman's contract goes through 2027 and carries a $4.9 million cap hit. Sergei Belski / Imagn ImagesJuly 2, 2026 11:39 am EDT Updated ST. PAUL, Minn. – One day after the Minnesota Wild came up empty-handed in free agency, they traded Jake Middleton to the Calgary Flames on Thursday for veteran winger Blake Coleman and veteran defenseman Olli Maatta, according to league sources, speaking under the condition of anonymity to address negotiations that are not public.Middleton is entering the second year of a four-year deal worth $4.35 million per year. Minnesota is sending picks in the trade, and Calgary is retaining salary.Coleman, 34, whose contract goes through 2027 with a $4.9 million cap hit, won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. He has 13 goals and 22 points in 49 games during the 2025-26 season.
The forward spent the past five seasons of his career with the Flames, joining the franchise as a free agent ahead of the 2021-22 season after signing a six-year, $29.4 million contract. The 2021-22 campaign was the only one in which Coleman made the playoffs while on the team.Coleman scored 99 goals and 199 career points in 392 games with the Flames, the most games he’s ever played for one franchise. Most of those games were alongside defensive center and Flames captain Mikael Backlund, where the two contributed offensively and defensively in a middle-six role. The Texas native has also played for the Lightning, with whom he won the Cup twice, and the New Jersey Devils.Maatta, 31, was a first-round pick in 2012 and has played 804 NHL games over 13 seasons. The left-shot defenseman had two goals and 14 points in 21 games for the Flames last season after a trade from the Utah Mammoth. He’s on a three-year, $3.5 million contract that runs through the 2027-28 season.This story will be updated.Jul 2, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
