The Calgary Flames have not yet reached their destination.

There’s still a ways for the Flames to go before they get back into contention, and so they shouldn’t be shy about trades or other roster moves that can make their team better in the long run.

Short-term losses aren’t as relevant in Calgary right now as potential long-term gains.

That brings up a player like Joel Farabee, who was recently floated as a trade candidate.

He’s not particularly old, but he also seems unlikely to be prominent when the Flames finally return to relevance.

So as the season goes along, Farabee will be another name to watch as contenders look to add forward talent.

Joel Farabee Trade Rumors

The Athletic recently shared an article in which one player from each team was named as an under-the-radar trade candidate.

Farabee was the guy chosen for the Flames.

“Technically, everyone who isn’t under 24 should be a trade candidate for the Flames,” The Athletic’s Julian McKenzie writes. “But if Farabee continues to rack up points, he could fetch a return at the deadline.”

That sentiment won’t be shocking to Flames fans, who realize that Calgary will have to continue to trade their more experienced players to build up a youth movement that can hopefully blossom into something better.

Farabee is interesting because he sort of falls right on the fence of whether he should stay or go.

Joel Farabee Age

Farabee, unlike some of the Flames’ other trade candidates in recent years, isn’t particularly old. He’s 26, and will turn 27 in February.

That’s a guy who you’d generally consider to be in his prime.

He’s also playing pretty well so far even in a bumpy start to the season for Calgary, putting up five assists in eight games.

Farabee is seeing a career-high in ice time, averaging 18 minutes and 25 seconds per game. He has also fired 20 shots on goal and is due to find the back of the net at some point, and Farabee has blocked six shots.

But because Farabee isn’t just an obviously on-the-rise talent, he certainly makes some sense to trade away if the opportunity presents itself.

He’s also in the fifth year of a six-year contract that pays him $5 million per year. So if the Flames don’t want to extend him beyond that, he becomes an even more logical trade candidate.

That $5 million cap hit is decently friendly to an acquiring team, though, especially if the Flames retain a bit of it — so don’t be shocked if Farabee is on the move at some point this season.