Trade Buzz: Coleman activated from IR, 'I'm a Flame until I'm told I'm not'

Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are 12 days remaining until the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET; March 6). Here's a look around the League at the latest Deadline doings:

Calgary Flames

Blake Coleman was activated from injured reserve Friday, and the 34-year-old forward understands that he could be traded with the Flames 11 points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't aware of everything and keeping up with it," Coleman said. "It's a lot of moving pieces at this stage of my life with family and kids. It's not just me anymore.

"The dialogue's been open and pretty clear. I always looked at it the same. From Day 1, I'm a Flame until I'm told I'm not and I'm going to bring my best every day here."

Coleman practiced without a noncontact jersey Wednesday for the first time since sustaining an upper-body injury in a 4-1 loss at the Boston Bruins on Jan. 8. He has 21 points (13 goals, eight assists) in 44 games and is second on the Flames in goals behind Matt Coronato (14).

He's had conversations with Flames general manager Craig Conroy.

"That's the good thing about 'Conny,' he's lived it," he said. "He's been in my shoes and guys in the room's shoes. There's a lot of mutual respect and understanding the situation on both sides. I don't think it's a lack of appreciation for anyone here, I think it's just the situation we're in."

The Flames (23-27-6) play their first game after the Olympic break on Thursday at the San Jose Sharks.

Buffalo Sabres

Alex Tuch can become an unrestricted free agent July 1, which might make the 29-year-old forward a leading candidate to be moved before the Deadline, but he's not thinking about whether he'll be traded with the Sabres (32-19-6) holding the first wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference and trying to secure their first postseason berth since 2011.

"I haven't focused on that," Tuch told the Buffalo News on Friday. "Honestly, like I said, I'm just focused on playing the next game. I'm focused on being a Buffalo Sabre and doing whatever I can to help our team win."

Tuch signed a seven-year, $33.25 million contract (average annual value of $4.75 million) with the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 19, 2018. He was traded to Buffalo in the deal that sent Jack Eichel to Vegas on Nov. 4, 2021.

The Sabres have been in discussions with Tuch about a long-term contract since before Jarmo Kekalainen replaced Kevyn Adams as general manager Dec. 15, but have yet to reach an agreement with the Deadline looming. Tuch is second on Buffalo in goals (22) and points (48) in 56 games behind Tage Thompson (30 goals, 59 points).

Buffalo visits the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Blue Jackets are in a good position coming out of the break for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, four points out of a playoff spot, so does that impact how they approach the Deadline?

"If we're in the playoff mix, I don't know if that changes our thinking or my thinking," general manager Don Waddell said in an interview with the team website Wednesday. "Because you look at it, the one thing we probably won't do is go out and try to add (unrestricted free agents) at the Deadline. You might go around the edges a little bit, but having in particular three forwards that play good roles on our team, to add another (UFA) and give up assets probably doesn't make sense.

"If we could trade for somebody that has term, that we like going forward, that's a different value that we look at. We'll see. All the UFAs right now on our team play a good role for our team, so if you take anybody off, you're going to have to replace them because of the positions that they play."

The Blue Jackets (29-20-7) are 10-1-0 under Rick Bowness, who was named coach after Dean Evason was fired Jan. 13, and four points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild card in the East. They visit the Bruins on Thursday.