Everything Leading Up to the Trade Deadline Starts with the Calgary Flames
Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period was Sirius XM NHL Network Radio the Power Play last Thursday and when asked about when we could see trade activity pickup, everything starts with the Calgary Flames.
NHL Rumors: Ottawa Senators, and the Calgary Flames
** NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Steve Kouleas: “There’s rumors out there right now and we talked about getting into January and getting in a cap space and what may or may not happen. You talked about Nylander and the contract that’s one thing but the trades are another. Is anything imminent or no one likes the P word as in patience especially in this society if I texted you have an answer in five seconds. I’m losing it.
So where are we on when things start to happen? I know it’s not March yet but to what realistic here. The Flames think that they’re good. They’ve got a lot of UFS and one year deals and, and all that stuff. So does it start with them or somebody else?”
NHL Rumors: Noah Hanifin Could Be Best Fit for the New Jersey Devils
Dave Pagnotta: “Well, they’ve certainly been engaged in some escalated talks recently and New Jersey being one of the teams and I get the sense that Noah is the guy that they’ve been zeroing in on, although there is some interest in Canada as well, but it seems like they want more of a puck mover and offensive type guy. Hanifin fits that certainly over Tanev.
The thing with Calgary, they’re both in buying and selling mode so they’re open not just with those couple of guys that I mentioned they have some others on the blue line that are on expiring deals Elias Lindholm as well expiring contracts and they’ve yet to make progress on a contract to this point. So the guys that are on expiring deals with Craig Conway and the staff may end up doing is kind of swapping out some of those guys and taking those assets to fill holes that are either created by them or elsewhere in the roster.
NHL Rumors: Noah Hanifin Could Solve the New Jersey Devils Defensive Issues
So if they can package up some pieces and get players that are locked in or are controllable, then that would be certainly something that they would like to do and it wouldn’t shock me at all if we see multiple moves from Calgary over the next two months leading up to the deadline so it could very well start Kools with, with the Flames and Craig Conway in terms of moving out some bodies but there are other teams that have other pieces that they can move.
Anaheim has a few guys that are certainly up for grabs in the rental market. With Adam Henrique, Ilya Lyubushkin leading the way. Frank Vatrano is going to get some more attention from a team looking for secondary scoring with another year left on his contract. San Jose, we know they’ve got forwards as well and a goalie so they’re options and I think things are gonna start to pick up here in the next little bit.”
