The frustration is building in Calgary, where the Flames just can’t score.

After Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, the Flames were dead last among the 32 NHL teams in goals per game — which is a continuation of an issue from last season, when they were 29th in offense despite nearly making the playoffs.

All of which has Flames general manager Craig Conroy concerned, to be sure, and my understanding is that he’s started to make calls and explore the market to see if there’s anything out there that would help his team offensively.

That’s easier said than done this early in the season, when teams are generally not yet ready to engage fully in trade talks. If nothing else, though, the Flames want to get an early read on things around the league. Which is to say, Conroy isn’t sitting on his hands watching this unfold for his 1-6-1 team.

But ask the Vancouver Canucks (looking for center help) or Toronto Maple Leafs (looking for a top-six forward upgrade): these moves don’t grow on trees early in the season.

In the meantime, what Calgary’s tough early-season schedule and sluggish start have done is plant the seed of where the front office’s focus will go come December or January if things don’t turn around. The Flames will likely be sellers unless they get going soon.

Their top asset will be top-four defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who is a pending unrestricted free agent.

I believe veteran center Nazem Kadri would be in demand, too, if he were ever actually available. He just turned 35 and has three more years on his deal after this season, at a $7 million cap hit, so maybe that scares some people. But with the rising salary cap, Kadri’s 2022 playoff performance on the Cup-winning Avalanche still a relatively fresh memory and the fact that he remains a very effective player and respected leader, I think contenders would come calling.

Kadri has a modified no-trade clause, so he is mostly in control of if and when he would even want the Flames to go down that road. And there’s been zero evidence to date that Kadri is interested in leaving. Perhaps that’s a discussion point closer to the March 6 trade deadline if Calgary doesn’t steady its season.

Teams kicking tires on Chinakhov

Several teams have recently kicked the tires on Yegor Chinakhov, 24, who still wants out of Columbus, including the Buffalo Sabres, Florida Panthers and Detroit Red Wings. I could see the Flames also inquiring if they haven’t already. It would make sense that the Leafs, seeking a forward boost, would have inquired, too.

My understanding is that the player’s new agent, Rick Komarow, has permission from the Blue Jackets to talk directly to teams.

Chinakhov changed agents last month, but that hasn’t lessened his desire to get traded out of Columbus. The original trade request came after last season, when he was scratched several games down the stretch. He’s a 2020 first-round pick and the Jackets aren’t just going to dump him. They’re one injury away in their top nine from needing him to play a more meaningful role. After being scratched in the first few games, he’s now played in three straight and played a season-high 10:16 Tuesday night, picking up an assist, but again in a fourth-line role.

There were 26 NHL scouts present for his first game of the season last week against the Colorado Avalanche. If the Jackets do decide to move him, they’ve told inquiring teams they’re not just looking for draft picks, as they are hoping to be in the playoff chase again this season. It would be more of a hockey trade if they find a fit.

Between 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann of the New York Rangers also having his name out there and the eternal situation with Nick Robertson and the Maple Leafs, it stands to reason the Blue Jackets, Rangers and Leafs could help each other out at some point.

Yegor Chinakhov was the No. 21 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft. (Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)

Who’s officiating in Milan?

First off, you can forget about the Milan Olympics seeing a repeat of what happened in the 4 Nations when Team USA and Team Canada had three fights in nine seconds to open their round-robin game. There’s no fighting in the Olympics.

But beyond that, what kind of officiating are we in store for come Milan?

The IIHF is officially in charge of officiating for the Olympics, but my understanding is that it will be a joint IIHF-NHL on-ice officials crew for the men’s tournament. There will be 13 on-ice officials from each of the IIHF and NHL involved, seven refs and six linesmen apiece.

The on-ice officials are expected to be chosen and announced closer to the February Olympics.

NHL on-ice officials have traditionally been involved in past NHL-player populated Olympics, but what I will find interesting to watch is how some of the rules are interpreted. The IIHF, for example, has a zero-tolerance approach to head contact for penalties — a more stringent version of the NHL’s Rule 48 penalty. My sense is that the combined IIHF-NHL officiating crew will likely err more on the NHL side of things in that judgment, but we’ll see. Technically, after all, it’s an IIHF event.

I do know that how games are going to be called in Milan has been brought up within both Team USA’s and Team Canada’s management groups and may affect some player roster decisions.

What’s next for the Hurricanes?

The Carolina Hurricanes were the last team to taste defeat in the NHL this season, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this week. They’re all-in again this season.

Per league sources, they reached out to the Minnesota Wild last month expressing interest in Kirill Kaprizov after he turned down the Wild’s first contract offer. They would have swung big for him — just like they swung for Mikko Rantanen last year and tried for Mitch Marner in the offseason.

So what’s next? At this point, I don’t believe there’s a big-game target on the horizon for them. They viewed Kaprizov as a unique target, but with all the big names around the league having now extended, there’s nothing on the market that makes sense. And they feel they have a very deep lineup already.

The question is whether their goaltending is good enough. If there’s one area rival clubs point out to me as Carolina’s potential downfall, it’s in goal. But internally, they believe in what they have. They think a healthy Frederik Andersen can lead them to a deep playoff run. And they feel there’s nothing out there that is a tangible upgrade and going to be available. So barring injuries, they’re going to run with Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov.

Treliving on Stolarz’s comments

I would venture to guess the Maple Leafs are somewhat relieved the Toronto market’s focus is on the Blue Jays these days and not as much the hockey team that’s come out flat so far this season. Not to mention certain postgame comments Saturday.

For his part, Leafs GM Brad Treliving had zero issue with Anthony Stolarz calling out his team. He liked the emotion from his goalie, who sounded the early-season alarm (even if the Leafs lost again Tuesday night against New Jersey).

“He was frustrated after a loss,” Treliving told The Athletic. “Emotion is good. He talked to his teammates, and we have competitive guys so it’s really not a big deal. It gets play in the media that gets blown out of proportion. It’s nothing more than, ‘Let’s get going.’ I like that our guys are competitive.”

But you certainly sense the frustration rising throughout the organization.

NHL fallout from NBA gambling scandal

Just a stunning bombshell in the NBA on Thursday, and a reminder to all sports and leagues about what’s at stake with legalized gambling.

“Obviously, today’s events provide a good reminder to all of us in the sports industry regarding the importance of maintaining the integrity of competition in our respective leagues,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told The Athletic via email Thursday. “Fortunately, enhanced education and fulsome oversight practices have been priorities for us, especially in recent years, and we are confident that the safeguards we have in place are and will continue to be effective in meeting their objectives.”

The NHL further educated clubs via the new collective bargaining agreement extension this past summer about its rules and regulations regarding gambling. And I suspect it will be a topic in some form or another come the next Board of Governors meeting in Colorado Springs in December.

Meanwhile, as colleague Chris Johnston pointed out during our “Insider Trading” segment on TSN Thursday, the NHL Players’ Association is currently on its fall tour, meeting with players from team to team. There’s no question this would be a good opportunity to discuss the dos and don’ts, which the NHLPA has tried to reinforce ever since the Shane Pinto suspension two years ago.