TSN: Darren Dreger and Ray Ferraro on their Ray&Dregs Podcast talking about the Calgary Flames and pending UFA forward Elias Lindholm.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Dreger: “You mentioned this on Wednesday and you just alluded to it here, you know that Colorado is going to add something. And you connected the dots to Elias Lindholm, which by the way Pierre LeBrun obviously copycatted you on Insider Trading on Thursday because he talked about Colorado and Elias Lindholm and Boston should have interest because he’s a quality two center.
Maybe Lindholm was paying attention to us this week, of course tongue in cheek I say that. He has a goal and a couple of assists, as Calgary wins their third straight. In this case 3-0 over the Ducks. Good sign Markstrom was, was solid in that hockey game. But if Calgary is going to recognize and realize what they need to, out of the blue chip piece like Lindholm, need to see more of what we saw last night, right?
Like just he’s kind of had a slower start to the year and if to get through the numbers that he wants contractually from anyone. He’s got to provide the offense that he did last night and leadership that he did.”
Ferraro: “Yeah, but you know what? That’s, there’s two parts to this equation. If Calgary is going to realize a great return, I don’t think it really matters how Lincoln plays. I think you have two teams, three teams that are really interested. They already know that he’s a really good player. They probably all suspect that when he gets to a new destination, tt’s going to be a bit of a springboard for him. There’ll be more energy. It’ll be new. It’ll be fresh.
The contractual stuff. Yeah, better numbers are going to put more dimes in your pocket. And eight goals on the year for him, it’s not enough. He’s, I think he’s an excellent player. I really do. I think he is, I think he’s the type of player that can help turn a team’s fortunes he’s miscast as a number one center. But as a two, oh boy, I think he’s, he’s terrific.
Now, so say you’re now you’re Craig Conroy. I’m going to stick in Craig’s chair. And (Nikita) Zadorov asks to be moved. He gets traded. There’s all kinds of talk about (Noah) Hanifin and (Chris) Tanev and Lindholm. Craig Conroy went through the Johnny Gaudreau stuff a couple years ago and said that will not happen to him again, because of how devastating it was when they lost Goudreau for nothing.
But now the flames are three points out of the wildcard.”
Dreger: “What do you do?:
Ferarro: “What do you do?”
Dreger: “You know again, it’s too early I think. If you get into late January, early February, you go to Newport Sports who represents Lindholm and you, you put your best deal on the table.”
Ferarro: “And say this is it either sign it or we got to move you.
Dreger: “That’s it. Yeah.
Because when you move a piece like this, you know this I mean, as soon as Lindholm leaves Calgary, Calgary is looking for something.”
Ferraro: “Lindholm.”
Dreger: “It happens all the time. But you can’t blow your brains out on a player that maybe doesn’t want to be there and is making clear he doesn’t want to be there just by not being fair in the negotiation. But he’s earned what he’s earned as an unrestricted free agent. So we’ll see how it plays out.
Ferraro: “The other guy into that conversation I’ll throw is Hanifin, more than anybody. More than Tanev because he, he turned down eight years and the $60 million.
Dreger: “That’d be enough for me. I’d be, I’d be, we’re not putting $60 mill back on the table in Calgary.”
Ferraro: “Right and yet the longer they hang on to Hanafin, his trade price is not going down.”
Dreger: “No, I agree with that.”
