Calgary, Edmonton Looking For Top-Six Forward

Both NHL teams based out of Alberta, Canada are on the lookout for help in their top-six, according to the recent edition of TSN’s Insider Trading. Pierre LeBrun and Darren Dreger report that the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers are both in the trade market for a forward, with the former pursuing only those of the right-handed variety.

The Flames have been looking for right-handed shots up front for some time, which was part of the excitement when they landed Elias Lindholm in 2018. The former Carolina Hurricanes forward is one of only two right-handed regulars up front for Calgary, with depth center Derek Ryan the other.  LeBrun suggests that Tyler Toffoli from the Los Angeles Kings could be a potential target.

After trading away Michael Frolik recently, the team also has a bit of flexibility when it comes to the salary cap. If they do decide to go after some offense, it will be interesting to see what they do with some of their own pending free agents. Travis Hamonic and T.J. Brodie will both be unrestricted at the end of the season, leading to obvious speculation with the team in Toronto to face the defense-starved Maple Leafs tonight.

Edmonton has specifically been linked to Toronto by Dreger, who says that they will pay close attention to the Maple Leafs’ situation and lists Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson and Alexander Kerfoot as names to keep an eye on.

The Oilers have been desperate for more scoring on the wings for years now, and the Maple Leafs do have a glut of forwards with enough speed to keep up with the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. There’s no direct report that the two sides have discussed anything or even considered a trade however, so we’ll have to wait and see what Ken Holland decides to do in Edmonton.