2013-14 NHL Trade Deadline Feature: Calgary Flames

Submitted by Thomas Anderson, on twitter at @Flumple19

As the March 5th trade deadline coming up quick, NHL teams will have a short window to improve their rosters for the big playoff push. This bodes well for GM Brian Burke and the Calgary Flames. They have some solid players that could potentially improve many teams depth charts. Players like Mike Cammalleri can help with some solid secondary scoring, or even a guy like Shane O’Brien for injury insurance. The bottom line is that Burke has some players that he will need to make some decisions on, which most likely have already been made.

When it comes to certain players on the Flames squad, there are a few names that fit higher then others. I will start with the player most talked about on the trade block, Mike Cammalleri. Consensus on the return for his services seems to be a 1st round pick and a B+ level prospect, as long as Burke retains some salary on the trade. His return may change depending on GMs getting outbid by other teams, injuries and scoring droughts that may come around before deadline day. If teams like the Kings miss out on players, such as Matt Moulson or Thomas Vanek, I can see Cammy’s return increasing. This is the deal most Flames fans hope that Burke gets a good return on; Especially considering the Jarome Iginla fiasco that transpired last year with everybody’s favorite GM, Jay Feaster.

Others garnering interest on the Flames squad would be Lee Stempniak and Curtis Glencross. Both of these players can be counted on for logging solid minutes and providing secondary scoring for the remaining games of the season. Glencross, having been injured this year on two seperate occasions, could be a tough sell if Burke decides to go down that road. Presumably back in the line-up after the Olympics, Glencross should have a viable chance at raising his stock. Stemper has been solid this season for the Flames, but also missed a few games earlier this season with an injury. Having played on Calgary’s “Star Studded” top line- yes that was sarcasm- Stempniak did see some very important minutes and even added a couple of shootout goals this season. He is a tough player that can be used in a variety of situations and never gives up on a play, which is key for a playoff team. Known as being a streaky scorer, if Stempniak is put with the right players, he can be a solid 3rd line contributor or fill in on the second line barring injury.

On defense there are a few different players that may stir up some interest for depth, and in Dennis Wideman’s case, power play scoring. Wideman is another guy that will most likely require some salary retention. This is a defenseman who can net a couple from the blue line on the power play for sure. He has not been the most dependent in all areas of the ice this year but still remains a solid 2nd pairing defender. Players like Chris Butler and O’Brien can be added to the list of defenseman that may get shipped out. Both of these guys are easily replaceable come free agency. Butler will probably get a bit of a higher return being younger and a bit more dependable. Personally don’t see anymore then one defenseman being shipped out, but that’s just me.

In goal, I don’t see any movement unless something blows Burke out of the water. With guys like Ryan Miller, Jaroslav Halak and Jonas Hiller rumoured to be on the trading block, we will most likely see the same tandem in goal come March 6th. Reto Berra has had flashes of brilliance followed by soft goals on many occasions, and seems to need more playing time at the NHL level along with development before anyone comes calling for his services. Karri Ramo has been quite solid for the team since the start of December, he is no Kipper by any stretch of the imagination, but a very solid option for a rebuilding Flames squad. Joni Ortio with Abbotsford this year has been pretty solid as well and hopefully Burke and Hartley give him at least a game or two this year so we can see what he’s got. With all that being said, having Gillies doing a fantastic job in his first couple seasons with Providence there may be some solid goaltending down the pipe for the Flames.

With many big decisions in the near future, Burke has his work cut out for him. I will say this though: With the track record he has left behind with his previous teams, I can honestly say that he is the perfect guy to be running the show for the Flames from this point forward. I trust his judgement and will be anxiously waiting to see what he has in store for this rebuild. Bring on March 5th!