Flames Rumors

Ottawa Sends Curtis Lazar To Calgary

March 1, 2017 at 1:58 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The Ottawa Senators were hoping to get a better return for Curtis Lazar than a second-round pick, but it seems that offer never came. The Calgary Flames have acquired Lazar and Mike Kostka for their 2017 second-rounder and defenseman Jyrki Jokipakka.

After months of speculation due to an inferred poor fit and a drop-off in production, the Senators have finally moved on from their promising 21-year-old forward. Lazar was the 17th overall pick in 2013 and Ottawa had high hopes for his career. Lazar broke into the NHL in 2014-15 and over the past two seasons he accumulated 35 points in 141 games. However, 2016-17 has been a different story, as Lazar has hit a wall in his development and has struggled to fit in with the team’s system. He has just one assist in 33 games and Ottawa has been frustrated over his lack of production.

In a new location, especially with the speedy Flames, Lazar can still be a great player. Lazar has mostly played right wing in Ottawa, but prefers to play center, and Calgary has all lefties down the middle. Lazar, even if it’s not until 2017-18, should eventually slot in nicely as a right-handed center for the Flames who can keep up with their fast, skilled forwards. To give a talented young player a fresh start, an investment of a second-round pick and a young defenseman who has not worked out is certainly a good deal for Calgary and GM Brad Treliving. For Ottawa, they simply took the best offer they could get for a player who clearly needed to move on.

The Latest On Radim Vrbata

March 1, 2017 at 10:01 am CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

At least five teams have expressed an interest in Arizona right winger Radim Vrbata according to ESPN’s Craig Custance (Twitter link). The Bruins, Flames, Islanders, Panthers, and Penguins are all interested in the services of the 35 year old, who is expected to be one of the more prominent forwards dealt today. TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (via Twitter) that the Canadiens are among the teams that have the most interest in him as well.

Vrbata is in the middle of a strong bounce back season in his third stint with the Coyotes. Through 62 games this year, he has 15 goals and 32 assists to lead the team in scoring. That type of production would fit in well on just about any contender so GM John Chayka should be able to line up a nice return for the veteran.

Part of the allure for Vrbata is his contract which carries a cap hit of just $1MM and he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. However, it’s worth noting that he has playoff-based incentives in his deal as well: $250K if his team makes the postseason plus an additional $250K for each round that team wins and the acquiring team will be responsible for absorbing those onto their cap either this year or next season as a bonus overage penalty.

Predicting The Next “Bartkowski Deal”

February 24, 2017 at 6:17 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment

The genius that was the Matt Bartkowski signing should not be understated. By now, the extension for the purpose of Expansion Draft exposure has become commonplace, but what GM Brad Treliving and the Calgary Flames did was unique. They went outside the organization to sign a player to a multi-year deal who fulfilled the criteria of having played in 40 games this season or 70 games over the past two years. Except Bartkowski hadn’t played a single NHL game this season; he had been on a minor league contract with the AHL’s Providence Bruins. What that means is Bartkowski had to have played in over 70 games last season alone, and indeed he had skated in 80 games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2015-16. In fact, Bartkowksi was the only defenseman on the planet who played in over 70 games last season yet was not signed to an NHL contract this season. Therein lies the genius that was the unassuming signing of Bartkowski. The Flames picked up the only player on the market who could automatically fill their need for an exposure-eligible defenseman.

With a reportedly quiet trade market this season, there are bound to be teams facing expansion protection problems after the March 1^st Trade Deadline comes and goes, whether it’s on the blue line or up front. Will someone follow in Treliving’s footsteps and scoop up a player who played in 70 or so games last season but remains unsigned as of now? The short answer is probably not.

Looking at the short list of players who meet the games played criteria, it very well could be that Bartkowski stands alone as an unsigned player looking to continue playing hockey, even if that means signing a two-year, two-way contract and likely logging major AHL minutes. Especially on defense, a team like the Carolina Hurricanes is likely out of luck if they want to replicate the Bartkowksi maneuver. The only unsigned player who qualifies for exposure is Matt Carle, who played in 64 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last year and six earlier this year with the Nashville Predators. However, Carle announced his retirement in November when he cleared waivers and was likely going to be moved to the AHL. Carle seems content with collecting buyout checks from the Lightning and almost certainly would have no interest is returning to hockey with a two-year, two-way deal. There are really no other defensemen that even have a reasonable chance of meeting the 40/70 criteria. Bartkowski was essentially it.

For forwards, the situation is a little different. 36-year-old David Legwand played in 79 games with the Buffalo Sabres in 2015-16, but it’s hard to imagine that he would want to come back for not only this season, but next as well. Jarret Stoll played in 80 games last season between the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild, but the 34-year-old grinder has some off-the-ice issues he’s dealing with. Mike Santorelli is just 30 years old and fresh off of a 70-game season with the Anaheim Ducks, but he retired mid-season from the NLA late in 2016, citing injury concerns as the reason. However, other options remain. 34-year-old center Paul Gaustad was unable to find a home in the NHL this season and instead called it quits on his career. A team may be able to entice Gaustad to sign on for another few years if he has remained in game condition. However, Gaustad played in only 63 games with the Nashville Predators last season and would need to play in at least seven contests before the end of the season. Luckily, Gaustad played with a toughness and tenacity that could help some clubs down the stretch and in the postseason this year and could be a useful mentor in the AHL next season. Gregory Campbell is definitely in game shape, having played in all 82 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2015-16 and was with the team as recently as mid-December, but Campbell asked for his release and subsequently cleared unconditional waivers when the Jackets announced their plan to send him to the minors. Campbell is a good two-way energy line player that could help out quite a few NHL teams, but his dismissal of the idea of playing in the AHL may make inking him to a two-year deal difficult. The fact that no teams have reached out to Campbell thus far makes a signing seem unlikely, but enough desperation could change that. Kyle Chipchura is not only in game shape, he’s actively playing. Chipchura signed with HC Slovan Bratislava this summer after skating in 70 contests with the Arizona Coyotes last year. Whether or not Chipchura could, or would want to, find a way out of his KHL contract is unknown, but if that won’t stop teams from inquiring. The big 31-year-old forward has 13 goals and 13 assists in 59 games this year.

While Chipchura, Campbell, and Gaustad are all options, perhaps the best possible choice and most likely the next “Bartkowski” is winger David Jones. Jones had a down year in 2015-16, scoring just 15 points in 59 games with the Calgary Flames before a deadline deal sent him to the Minnesota Wild, where he put up only three points in 16 games. After some initial interest from NHL teams this summer, the market for Jones’ services dried up and he was unable to find a contract. He joined the Anaheim Ducks on a PTO this fall, but was cut prior to the season. Interestingly, Jones has not signed a deal anywhere this season, but it’s hard to believe that the 32-year-old has given up completely on his career. Jones is just two years removed from a 30-point season and has never had recorded less than 30 points in a full season, including back-to-back 20-goal campaigns not that long ago. Much like Bartkowski, Jones has been written off and forgotten, but has a willingness to keep playing. Whether or not Jones can contribute is irrelevant; he meets the games played quota and, if approached, will probably take any deal offered, including the two-year, two-way deal that the Flames offered Batrkowski to make him Expansion Draft exposure-eligible. If any GM finds themselves struggling to find a solution to their expansion issues following the upcoming trade deadline, expect the next “Bartkowski deal”, if any, to go to David Jones.

Minor Transactions: 02/24/17

February 24, 2017 at 9:39 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Just like always, we’ll keep you up to date with all the minor moves around the league in one thread. The NHL has just four games on tap for this Friday night, as teams get ready for the last weekend before the trade deadline.

It was a fleeting call up for Cory Conacher, who has been sent back to the Syracuse Crunch of the AHL this morning. Brought up to replace Jonathan Drouin last night in the Tampa lineup against the Calgary Flames, he will head back to the minors now. The diminutive forward has again shown his scoring ability at the lower level, with 44 points in 42 games this season.
Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch tells us that the Blue Jackets have brought Markus Hannikainen and Joonas Korpisalo back up from the Cleveland Monsters, and assigned Anton Forsberg to the AHL. Korpisalo and Forsberg have been ping-ponging back and forth between the two leagues since the team let Curtis McElhinney hit waivers, but Hannikainen hasn’t played with the NHL club since the beginning of the month.
The Jackets have also placed Lukas Sedlak on injured reserve retroactive to February 17th. They add that Hannikainen is on an emergency recall.
The Buffalo Sabres recalled Justin Bailey and Evan Rodrigues from the AHL and flipped Derek Grant back down. Mike Harrington of the Buffalo News wonders what that means for Zemgus Girgensons on the health front.
The Anaheim Ducks have sent Nicolas Kerdiles back down to the AHL after making his NHL debut on Wednesday night. The acquisition of Patrick Eaves likely leaves no room for him on the wing.
Arizona has recalled goaltender Adin Hill on an emergency basis from the AHL, and will have him back up Louis Domingue tonight in Dallas. Mike Smith will be not be dressed for the Coyotes as he battles an illness.

Evening Snapshots: Radulov, Fleury, Oilers

February 23, 2017 at 9:50 pm CDT | by Brett Barrett Leave a Comment

If not for a certain one-for-one swap in late June, Alexander Radulov would have been the most fascinating move of the summer for the Montreal Canadiens.

Radulov spent the better part of eight seasons in the KHL, with two controversial stints in Nashville, before signing a one-year, $5.75MM contract with the Canadiens. The term suggested this was very much a “show-me” contract, and show them he has. Radulov has been one of the Canadiens best players, with 42 points in 59 games thus far. Now, the Canadiens will have to lock up their Russian star long-term.

They won’t be the only team with interest in the big winger. TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reported that Radulov is a “strong position” to negotiate with the Canadiens (link in French). Radulov and T.J. Oshie are the only big names under the age of 35 set to hit unrestricted free agency. The KHL is also an outside option for Radulov, but staying in the NHL with Montreal appears to be his first choice.

This advantage give Radulov “every reason” to wait until July 1st, according Lavoie. Even though he’s expressed interest in staying in Montreal, this summer is likely his last chance to hit a home run in free agency. His former coach and friend Barry Trotz suggested he would be “shocked” if Radulov didn’t end up signing long-term in Montreal. Last Saturday, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported that Radulov wants to sign long-term, perhaps even looking for a six-year pact. That would take him to age 37, which might make the Canadiens uncomfortable. Power forwards tend to drop off a cliff sometime in their mid-thirties, so GM Marc Bergevin would be taking a risk to sign Radulov for that kind of term.

Kypreos suggested the Canadiens could offer Radulov a five or six year contract worth somewhere around $4.5 or $5MM per season, but would need to go to the $7MM neighbourhood to keep the term to three years. The Canadiens have some money coming off their cap this summer, but have Radulov, franchise goaltender Carey Price, and captain Max Pacioretty due for new contracts in each of the next three summers. With those big money signings on the horizon, it’s no wonder that Bergevin is considered “all-in” on this playoff run.

Despite needing to address his goaltending situation before this June’s expansion draft, Penguins GM Jim Rutherford would prefer to keep both Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury for the remainder of this campaign, according to Adam Gretz of NBC Sports. Murray has been significantly better this season, and with Fleury’s no-move clause (NMC), the Penguins need to make a move to avoid losing their young starter. If Rutherford doesn’t trade Fleury before next Wednesday, then the wily GM will have to convince him to waive his NMC in the spring for either the Golden Knights or a trading partner. Two teams to watch are the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. Bob McKenzie of TSN reported on Thursday that the Flames are looking to improve their current goaltending duo of Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson; while there hasn’t been any reports of interest on the part of Winnipeg, they’re currently two points out of a wildcard spot while only one of their three goaltenders have a SV% above 0.900 (Connor Hellebuyck). Should the Jets get stable netminding, then they could be a darkhorse candidate in the Western Conference.
Speaking of goaltenders, an interesting tidbit came out of Edmonton today regarding their 2015 acquisition of Cam Talbot. The Oilers acquired Talbot at the 2015 NHL Draft, trading three picks (2nd, 3rd, and 7th) for the then-unproven goalie and a seventh round pick. While discussing the Oilers’ interest in trading for Kevin Shattenkirk, TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported that Talbot “told the Oilers point-blank ’don’t trade for me because I’m not going to re-sign here.'” Just six months later, Talbot signed a three-year extension to stay with the rising Oilers. Talbot has been the Oilers’ MVP (non-Connor McDavid category) with 30 wins and a 0.921 SV% in 54 games so far this season. Seravalli’s anecdote is notable as Talbot and Shattenkirk share an agent, and it shows GM Peter Chiarelli has previously been able to pitch Edmonton to players who were originally not interested in staying long-term.

Poll: Who Will Be The Next Player To Be Dealt?

February 23, 2017 at 4:17 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 7 Comments

The trade deadline festivities are kicking off, with a couple of moves for rental defensemen already being completed. Calgary sent a couple of picks to the Arizona Coyotes on Monday for Michael Stone, a player that jumped in to fire with 17 minutes in his first game and will move up to the second pairing tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Flames scratched Dennis Wideman, who is now open to a trade if it means he’ll be “wanted” in his new locale.

Then today, the Pittsburgh Penguins showed the league how much a second-round pick is really worth in this “weak” draft class, acquiring 35-year old Ron Hainsey from Carolina. Hainsey couldn’t be happier about the deal, as reported by Jason Mackay of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

If you could pick a place, this would be the place. The group that they have coming off last year, there’s a lot of excitement when you hear you’re going to Pittsburgh. Not having a great opportunity like this for so long, it’s something to get pretty excited about.

Hainsey hasn’t seen the playoffs once in his entire 15-year career, but now is set to hit the postseason as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference. The team will need him too, they announced that Trevor Daley would be out for six weeks just a few moments after the deal.

So now we ask you, the reader, who you think will be the next on the move in the NHL. Will we see another Arizona rental head to a contender, or will Colorado start selling off their whole team? Vote now, and make sure you let us know where you think they’re headed in the comments below.

(Mobile users click here to vote)

Dennis Wideman Willing To Waive No-Movement Clause

February 23, 2017 at 2:21 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Since the Calgary Flames acquired Michael Stone on Monday afternoon, much of the chatter around the team has been whether they will be able to find a taker for Dennis Wideman since the veteran defenseman is now basically out of a job. Wideman was scratched yesterday and told Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald today that he would definitely be open” to waiving his NMC to facilitate a deal of some sort. Wideman wants to go somewhere he’s “wanted”, though that may be difficult given his declining play and hefty cap hit.

Wideman has played 810 games in the NHL and was once considered a premiere puck-moving defenseman capable of racking up points in bunches. He has four 40+ point seasons under his belt but the game seems to have slipped just out of his grasp this season. Calgary seems determined to give Matt Bartkowski a chance at locking down the third pairing, meaning Wideman will be sitting in the press box more often than not.

It will be interesting to see if Calgary can find a taker for Wideman, who carries a $5.25MM cap hit but $6MM in real salary. The team could retain some of his salary, but are already tight against the cap and using the relief granted from Ladislav Smid’s LTIR status. Perhaps they’ll include Wideman in another move they make and overpay elsewhere, but it seems like he’s stuck in Calgary for the time being. Don’t forget that the playoffs are a grind though, and one injury—perhaps to a surgically repaired knee of a recent acquisition—could force Wideman right back into a big-minute role for the Flames.

Friedman’s Latest: Vermette, Smith, Oduya, Eaves, Flames

February 22, 2017 at 7:30 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Although Antoine Vermette’s suspension was a CBA-mandated 10 games, there is a growing suggestion that it could be cut in half via the appeal process, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman writes in his latest 30 Thoughts column. He believes that this could be something that the league and the Players’ Association were working on which could explain the delay in the suspension being announced in the first place (not to mention how quickly it was announced that an appeal had been launched).

However, this doesn’t appear to be something that the NHL officials would be too happy with so this is far from a sure bet. Many officials are still unhappy with Gary Bettman’s decision to reduce the ban on Dennis Wideman last year and Friedman could see the officials pushing back on this one.

As always, the full 30 Thoughts are well worth the read but here are a handful of the highlights:

The Red Wings are telling teams that they are “open for business” when it comes to the trade market. However, they’re unwilling to move any key youngsters unless a young, top pairing defenseman is involved in the discussions. He notes that Detroit will talk to defenseman Brendan Smith about a possible contract extension in the coming days before committing to moving him as a rental by March 1st. We took a closer look at Smith’s case recently in our Trade Candidates series.
While Dallas blueliner Johnny Oduya would be an ideal target for many contenders, there is concern over the shape of his ankle, which has caused him to miss time twice already this season (he currently is out of the lineup as a result of it). If he’s able to return in the coming days (or is at least close), there should still be some interest but if not, the Stars may be in tough to get the type of return they’re hoping for. Still with the Stars, there are no talks on an extension with pending UFA winger Patrick Eaves. With 21 goals and a cap hit of just $1MM, there will be plenty of teams interested in him over the next week.
Friedman expects that the Flames haven’t finished making moves yet after their acquisition of defenseman Michael Stone earlier this week. He notes that they’re looking for some grit on the wing and also wouldn’t be surprised if they look at the goaltending market. Calgary sits 24th in team save percentage this season and both Brian Elliott and Chad Johnson are slated to be unrestricted free agents in July. There are more notable goalies available than usual this season so the time might be right for GM Brad Treliving to try to upgrade that position.

Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames

February 21, 2017 at 10:10 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

With the trade deadline now just over a week away, we continue to take a closer look at each team. Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?

The Calgary Flames kicked off their trade deadline a bit early this season, acquiring right-handed defenseman Michael Stone from the Arizona Coyotes on February 20th, before many other teams have even decided whether they’re true buyers or sellers. With Stone, Calgary is getting one of the top rental defenseman on the market, whether you believe in his underlying numbers or not. Depth on the blueline is no longer much of an issue for the Flames, who are still currently in a playoff spot.

While they likely won’t catch the leaders in the Pacific, they are right in the thick of the wildcard hunt with 62 points and a good young team. It’ll be an interesting deadline to be sure, as the team doesn’t seem like it is finished just yet.

Record

29-26-4, 4th in Pacific Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$2.67MM – full-season cap hit due to LTIR space, 47/50 contracts per CapFriendly.

Draft Picks

2017: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th
2018: CGY 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 4th, FLA 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th

Trade Chips

The Flames used a couple of picks to grab Stone, and it looks like if they want to do anything else it would be more of the same. The Flames don’t have much off their roster that they would be willing to move outside of Dennis Wideman who is making too much money for too little performance for anyone to want him. The team could trade Micheal Ferland or Matt Stajan if they thought they could upgrade in the bottom-six, but it would be tough to find a deal that makes sense for either one.

The most talked about name going into the deadline will be Sam Bennett, but without much cause. The team doesn’t seem like it is anywhere close to accepting the idea that they need to move on from the former 4th-overall pick, despite his down season. Bennett is only 20, and if teams gave up on their top picks that early they’d find themselves in the lottery more often than not.

In terms of prospect capital, the Flames could waive Hunter Shinkaruk or Tyler Wotherspoon around hoping for a bite, though neither would get the return that the team would jump at. There system is filled with former top prospects who are almost getting to the point where they need to be tested in the NHL, and perhaps a rebuilding squad would take a chance on one or two of them.

Five Players To Watch: G Brian Elliott, D Dennis Wideman, F Micheal Ferland, D Jyrki Jokipakka, F Kris Versteeg

Team Needs

1) Goaltending – It almost stops here (no pun intended) for the Flames after they addressed their second defense pairing with Stone. Their goaltending has simply not been good enough for a team that wants to make a splash in the playoffs. Elliott hasn’t been anything close to what the team had thought they were getting, and Chad Johnson has been admirable but average in his takeover. If the Flames could find a legitimate number 1 goaltender it would be a big help, but even a capable 1A guy that can split the rest of the season with Johnson could be helpful. If Mike Smith hadn’t been told he’s staying in Arizona it would be a perfect fit.

2) Third-Line Center – Though the team shouldn’t give up long-term on Bennett, they need to find a capable leader for their third line that isn’t him. Stajan is no longer capable of that kind of role, and the bouncing ball of wingers isn’t helping. If the Flames could find a legitimate shutdown center capable of driving that line, their forward group would get a lot more dangerous as a whole.

3) Top-Six Right Winger – If they can’t find the center, then adding a better option than Versteeg or Troy Brouwer on the top line is a must. Though both are capable of 20+ goal seasons at their best, they haven’t shown that ability this season. Replacing Versteeg with a more dangerous scoring threat would take some of the pressure off the kids up front and allow Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan to show what they can do offensively.

Arizona Coyotes Trade Michael Stone To Calgary Flames

February 20, 2017 at 3:16 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment

The Arizona Coyotes have broken open the trade gates, dealing defenseman Michael Stone to the Calgary Flames. The Flames will send a 2017 third and conditional 2018 fifth-round pick back and that Arizona will retain 50% of his salary for the remainder of the season. The condition will kick in should Calgary be able to re-sign him.

The Flames will only be on the hook for $544K for the rest of the season, a small number for a team that is still trying to make the playoffs this season. This won’t stop them from being active at the deadline, as they still have almost $3MM of further LTIR relief should Ladislav Smid remain out for the rest of the season.

Stone is a 26-year old defenseman who before this season had been a solid contributor at both ends of the rink. Last year he registered 36 points in 75 games but just hasn’t been able to stay healthy throughout his career. A right-handed defender, we ranked him 15th among our Midseason Free Agent rankings, despite a disaster 2016-17.

For just a third-round pick, Stone is an excellent gamble for the Flames who know him quite well. Brad Treliving worked for Arizona before becoming the Calgary GM, and should understand what he can bring to the table when he is healthy. At very worst, they’ll get a few months with him to try and get him under a longer-term contract.

As written previously on PHR, right-handed defensemen are one of the hardest commodities to acquire in the NHL, and if Stone can get back to the form he showed last season (even without the inflated point totals from his powerplay time) he is worth much more than a third-round pick.

This might signal the beginning of the fire-sale in Arizona, who are expected to deal all of their expiring contracts before the March 1st deadline. Martin Hanzal, Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata have all been rumored for the last few weeks, but it is now Stone that has moved first. Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets after the deal was completed that Arizona may not even be finished today, as they continue to work on other deals.

Bob McKenzie of TSN was first to break the news on Twitter that the two sides had agreed to a deal, with Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet providing the details.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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