On the Calgary Flames, Arizona Coyotes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks …
Rory Boylen of Sportsnet: On last night’s Hockey Night in Canada’s Headlines, Nick Kypreos said that two teams have inquired about Calgary Flames defenseman Dougie Hamilton – the Arizona Coyotes and Pittsburgh Penguins.
“As far as trade talks are concerned you hear Dougie Hamilton’s name out there,” Kypreos said, before downplaying Calgary’s interest in moving him right now. “I don’t suggest for one second that Calgary’s shopping this guy, but there are teams inquiring. The two teams I’m hearing that are kicking tires are Arizona and Pittsburgh.”
Hamilton hasn’t developed as they had hoped, and so far this season he has six points in 15 games while playing 18:49 per game.
Kypreos says the Flames need to get him playing better before they should consider trading him. You need to trade someone when their stock his high.
Elliotte Friedman thinks teams are calling the Arizona Coyotes about center Martin Hanzal. Hanzal will be a free agent at the end of the season. The Coyotes would only move Hanzal if they could get a young player that could help them now. They’d prefer a young centerman.
There had been some talk out in Vancouver that team president Trevor Linden could step down, but Friedman reports that Linden will stay on.
On the Calgary Flames …
Eric Francis of the Calgary Herald: The city of Calgary and the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corp. have made some significant progress with regards to two potential sites for a new arena. The CalgaryNEXT project could include an arena, field house and football stadium. The Flames have estimated it could cost around $890 million of public/private funding, but there is a report that it could cost up to $1.8 billion.
“We are encouraged about the notion we will get a building and we will be able to partner with the city,” said CSEC CEO Ken King, indicating the acrimonious start to the process has given way to a more productive tone.
“We have different views about where it should be and what should be involved in it in terms of a stadium and a field house and an event centre, or just an event centre. But I think it seems clear the city of Calgary and the political leaders — all of them — feel that we need to have one. I don’t think they woke up one day and said ‘look at Edmonton, us too!’