Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on Saturday Headlines on the Calgary Flames, Tampa Bay Lightning, and the New Jersey Devils.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Ron MacLean: “In Calgary it’s interesting what Craig Conroy is doing he gets (Yegor) Sharangovich for (Tyler) Toffoli. Then he gets (Andrei) Kuzmenko in his second deal, and now it’s Artem Grushnikov coming over in the (Chris) Tanev deal. So he’s building a bit of a Belarusian, Russian Fab Five there in Calgary, and he’s got a couple of more dominoes to go.”
Friedman: “Yes. And while the ceremony is going on, I think this was tough for the Flames just around the ceremony. They didn’t want to talk today for obvious reasons. They want (Miikka) Kiprusoff to be the focus. When it comes to (Noah) Hanafin, he’s focusing on places and they’re focusing on places where he wants to sign with an extension.
NHL Rumors: Is Noah Hanifin trying to direct himself to a team of his choosing?
And the belief is that Tampa Bay is his number one choice. Now. I think if this was so easy to do, it would be done already. So everybody continues to work at it. We’ll see how this goes over the next week. I believe they’re his preferred destination, but if they can’t make it work with the Lightning, we’ll see how that develops and how Calgary and Hanifin proceed.
Jacob Markstrom yesterday was in his scrum. Eric Francis asked him about how everything had been going and Markstram was critical of the process and some of the decisions made by the Flames.
This is what I think he’s upset about. I believe he’s upset that the Flames went to him and told him about the possibility of a deal with New Jersey. He indicated he would be willing to consider going there. And then the plans changed. That deal obviously never happened. Then at some point Markstrom was informed that the Flames preferred to keep him because he was playing great and the team was going well.
I think that bothered him. I think his feelings were kind of, and I’m not speaking for him, but I’m under the impression that because he was told he could go he kind of wished he never been told he could go if the plan was going to be not to trade him.
Now another part of this is I believe the Devils have identified Markstrom as their number one target. And if it doesn’t happen before the deadline, I’ve heard, and they won’t come and either, it’s not their player, but I have heard they’re prepared to wait into the summer, the draft whenever to revisit a potential Markstrom trade.
So if the Devils don’t acquire another goalie with turn next week, I think you’re going to understand why.
NHL Rumors: Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames
MacLean: “It was interesting. You mentioned Tanev. They made a last-ditch effort to get him to stay.”
Friedman: “Signed.”
MacLean: “Yeah.”