Calgary Flames Keep Things Status Quo Ahead of Trade Deadline
Dave Pagnotta of the Fourth Period joined the Sirius XM NHL Network Radio Power Play segment with Steve Kouleas and Martin Biron and was asked what the plan is for the Calgary Flames as they remain in the hunt for the playoffs. especially a player like Rasmus Andersson.
NHLRumors.com Transcriptions
Martin Biron: “What’s the plan for the Calgary Flames moving forward? They’re in a playoff spot right now. And, you know, I believe some insiders have talked about how they’re getting calls on Rasmus Andersson, but they’re saying, No, we don’t want to move them. But there’s got to be a plan in place for the Flames moving ahead to this trade deadline coming up.”
NHL Rumors: Calgary Flames, and the Vancouver Canucks
Dave Pagnotta: “As long as they’re in the race, they’re going to hang tight in terms of potentially moving out significant assets on their club. I mean, this time last year and going into the summer, a lot of people around the league were under the belief that a Rasmus Andersson trade was likely at some point this year. But because they’re in the mix, because they’re right there, they got the last wild card spot right now in the West, and the way they’ve been playing, the consistent level of their performance suggests they’re probably going to stay in that race going into March and likely down the stretch as well.
So as long as they’re in that, the likelihood of them making an Andersson move, a (Nazem) Kadri move, even a (MacKenzie) Weegar move, diminishes quite significantly as long as they’re in that race. I think they’re going to maintain this pace of play. Its no secret they also want to add a center to their mix, somebody who can be on that second line and pivot that unit. But they want someone that fits their core, and it is early to mid-20s, and that’s something that’s more likely to occur in the off-season versus now, given where they’re at.
So I think Calgary is status quo. And if they’re in this position at the beginning of March in a wild card spot, then maybe they look to make some strategic cosmetic adds, depth adds to maybe enhance their chances. Because certainly, you want to reward your team for playing at this level and maintaining this potential playoff performance by adding a reinforcement or two to the mix.
But I don’t see them overpaying for a short-term asset. If something falls in their favor, they’ll take it. Otherwise, it might be status quo for Calgary, for the remainder of the season, for so long as they’re in this race.
NHL Rumors: St. Louis Blues, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Nashville Predators
NHLRumors.com Note: The Calgary Flames, like most teams, are right in the playoff mix. So, the teams everyone thought were sellers could be buyers at the trade deadline. With action expected to pick up heading into the Four Nations tournament, the Flames like where they are at. GM Craig Conroy continues to retool on the fly and hopes to sign his big defenseman Rasmus Andersson long-term.
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