Updates on the Flames, Lightning, Devils and Sharks in your NHL Rumor Mill.
Flames GM trying to shake up his club.
Could the Flames shop Jiri Hudler later this season?
TSN (via TODAY’S SLAPSHOT): Bob McKenzie reports there’s no question Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving is trying to shake up his struggling roster, believing he’s spoken to a number of teams. He also doesn’t doubt Treliving contacted the Tampa Bay Lightning, but currently doesn’t believe they’ve spoken about Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. While acknowledging hearing rumors of the Flames’ interest in Stamkos this summer but claimed he didn’t see any evidence of it.
McKenzie also doubts Sean Monahan or Johnny Gaudreau are available, but doesn’t rule out the possibility of Sam Bennett being moved, though he doesn’t believe they’re trying to get rid of him now. McKenzie’s colleague, Darren Dreger, recalls speaking to Treliving months ago regarding Stamkos and he vehemently denied pursuing the Lightning captain.
CALGARY SUN (via SLAM! HOCKEY): Eric Francis also commented on the recent rumors regarding the Flames. He believes speculation suggesting the Flames could trade defenseman Dennis Wideman to free up cap space to re-sign blueliner Kris Russell could persist, as will rumors about pending UFA winger Jiri Hudler, who Francis feels could be dealt before the Feb. 29 trade deadline if the Flames fail to improve. He also noted the recent Sportsnet piece claiming Treliving had interest in Stamkos has prompted many folks to put together fantasy trades involving”Wideman, Hudler, Sam Bennett or even Sean Monahan.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I listed all the reasons why “Stamkos to the Flames” won’t happen yesterday, so I’m not going to chew my cabbage twice over this. I concur with McKenzie’s take that Treliving is calling around and the Lightning could’ve been among the clubs he spoke to. If the Flames don’t pull out of this tailspin soon, however, trade speculation will only increase, likely involving pending UFAs like Hudler and Russell, or perhaps Wideman if he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause.
Devils GM denies Larsson and Zajac rumors.
TSN 1200 (via TODAY’S SLAPSHOT): New Jersey Devils GM Ray Shero denied reports claiming defenseman Adam Larsson could be dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Cam Atkinson or that Travis Zajac could be dealt to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Shero insists he has no intention of trading Larsson and claims he hasn’t really spoken with Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello since he left the Devils in July.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larsson has really improved since the midpoint of last season, while Zajac’s declining stats and expensive contract (with a full no-movement clause) significantly dampens his trade value. Neither guy is leaving the Devils via trade anytime soon.
No deals coming yet for the Sharks.
CSNBAYAREA.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Kevin Kurz expressed doubt the San Jose Sharks will make any trades to shore up the club’s depth. Kurz notes the team’s recent rash of injuries and their ongoing adjustment to their new coaching staff.
Just seems like a case of the Flames having a fairytale year of outperformance and now making the mistake that they need to build the roster from here instead of completing a proper rebuild… Very Burke-like.
Stamkos will resign in Tampa.
That is where I’d place money but it is funnier to speculate where he might go.
I guess “funner” isn’t a word haha.
Why hasn’t he already? What are they waiting for?
“I totally understand it, And obviously that’s why it’s a process.” —Stamkos—
The GMs #1 priority is to make his team better not to 1 specific guy, dont be fooled by Stevie Y saying otherwise. Ask Marty St.Louis about team canada. Yzerman will do whats best for the Bolts not Stamkos. If he decides to sign him that is what he decides is best. Simple as that.
You see the difference in St. Louis and Stamkos? St. Louis didn’t belong on Team Canada. And at 38 years old, along with emerging younger cheaper talent coming up. So he became expendable for Tampa. He wasn’t 25 in his prime and one of the best players on the planet.
Actually I dont in that case StLouis had a great year and the Olympics is a short tournament. Played on a big ice surfae where he probably would have been effective….thing is there was more effective options and Yzerman went with them for the good of the team…whats to say thats not the case here aswell? An effective good player replaced by a better option? 3 very good pieces that are cheaper than one? The resulting depth that the bolts could have could keep them competitive for years. Not saying thats what is going to happen but its something he would think about.
And let’s not kid ourselves Stamkos will be 26 when that contract kicks in 8 years 34 making 11 mil not that that’s old but if you look Around the league now players who re 30 +have or are slowing down significant my..he has maybe 3 or 4 prime type years left for that 90 million
I’ve seen you defend the Phaneuf and Kessel deals emphatically, they are both signed to 33 or beyond. Ditto, Crosby, Malkin, Giordano, Ovechkin, Kane, Toews, Seabrook,etc. …..So why is this only a concern for Stamkos being that age?
lol why you mad bro…I’m just being objective I’m not defending or promoting anything they might sign him they might not he might be worth it he might not all as I am saying is I wouldn’t dismiss the notion of Stamkos leaving…or staying there are plenty of good reasons for either to happen…I’m about 80% sure he stays but could understand it either way and wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t.
And I have agreed Phaneuf is overpaid for sometime now…I just don’t agree on how much some seem to think he is overpaid by…
Not mad at all. … Maybe a little defensive because I am somewhat of a Tampa fan. LOL. We are usually on the same page for the most part. I just don’t agree here. I don’t think Johnson is a legitimate replacement for the face of the franchise. I think Tampa has no choice but to pay this man his money, and maybe move some of the other assets to make up for it. These guys are stacked!!! So giving up a Drouin, Kucherov etc, isn’t exactly going to kill their future. And Moving Bishop, Callahan, Filppula, Coburn , Carle is less gut wrenching moves imo….We are still friends right?
But part of me would like to get in on the insanity trade talks. Stamkos to NY for Brassard, Glass and Boyle? LMAO!!!!
@Shticky, I tried to respond, but was beaten by the spam alert….it will show up eventually.
lol Spector buddies till the end my friend! Ya I like the bolts too but the reason for that is their crazy depth. They are a good team with or without Stamkos Johnson or others don’t need to replace him as the franchise….the franchise is fine would be with him would be without depending on the return they could possibly even be better.
Does anybody else think that Stamkos and Kopitar are each waiting for the other to sign?
Nope! Stamkos might make his way to the Habs! Look he would be the final piece mtl needs to make a run at cup for years to come. Stammer will go to Ufa and Habs have made room to sign a great player this year be it Kopintar(he is more likely to resign) or stamp.
Here is why stamp signs with Habs… best chance to win cup and help bring it back to Canada while making it the 25th for Habs, subban is one of his best friends playing together at young age, has price subban patches as other franchise players
Louie Erickson to Calgary – Dougie Hamilton to Boston. (insert smiley face here.)
I think people are seeing Hamilton isn’t a top defenseman just yet.
We seen it it here in Boston and now everybody else is seeing it too.
why would tampa trade stamkos? that ain’t happenin
They can’t resign him, He priced himself out of the market, they don’t value him as much as the handful of other players combined that need new contacts in the next couple years …
Because they dont want to pay 1 player 10 mill plus a year?
If you were Yzerman you wouldnt think aboit it? The roster isvery good even when Stamkos isnt (see last years playoffs) now add to that roster first rou d picks and more high end prospects (say it was to the Leafs) Rielly Nylander and a lottery pick or a guylike Bennett or Monahan Brodie and a first? Thats the type of package that it would likely take to get his ear….he would be dumb not to atleast think about it imo.
I agree. The chief thing is that TB is ready to win a Cup now, so that trade would need to address the present as well as the future.
Other issue? Stamkos sells a LOT of tickets & jerseys. Yzerman would need to look at the bottom line of whether TB could afford *not* to sign him.
i.e. They might be a better team over 5 years with Rielly, Nylander, etc, but they might lose money as a franchise. Delicate balancing act!
I would love it if somehow Yzerman got Stamkos to take a bit of a “hometown discount” and re-sign long term for something like $9 million per, giving him just a liiiiittle bit extra to work with to keep some of their depth. While I realize 1.5 million doesn’t sound like much, that could be the difference between keeping someone like Tyler Johnson, or having to sign a reclamation project in Free Agency
Short of a kidnapping I can’t see the team at New Port even letting the words hometown discount enter a conversation judging by the other contracts around the league they are responsible for.
See there is something that’s interesting. Everyone is talking about Calgary trying to trade for Stamkos and giving up one of Monahan, Gaudreau, or Bennett in the process, but nobody has discussed the fact that Calgary has something that very few NHL teams do, a log jam on the blueline.
With the addition of Dougie Hamilton and Mark Giordano locked up long term, that now leaves Dennis Wideman, Kris Russell, TJ Brodie, and Ladislav Smid to complete the Top 4. Only two of those guys will get the jobs. Do you know how many team lack quality blueliners and Calgary just happens to be sitting on a surplus of them? Calgary could fetch a good return depending on who they move. Wideman and is the first and obvious choice; now if they go to Columbus, someone like Cam Atkinson could be beneficial to Calgary’s Top 6. If Treliving could also convince Kekkalainen to throw someone in like Kerby Rychel, then Calgary could walk away from this in good shape.
The only obstacle is that they can’t trade any of their defenders until Brodie and Smid return from injury.
You are so right. What Calgary needs to do is move widmen and Russell. I know how nuts that is to say but they can try and move weidmen to Columbus. They need someone who can make a first pass and lord know despite all of his faults he can score. Maybe bad news bourque can come back with a pick to make the salaries balance a bit.
Russell is great don’t get me wrong but they have smid coming back from injury. They could get a nice pick for Russell. The flames are still building their team, no need to get stale (again).
Hudler needs to get traded. I have nothing against him or how good he is, and he is very good but they don’t want to pay him what he wants and they have enough small players. If they can, again, get picks and prospects with size they can’t say no. Unless they claw their way back into the mix then they should move him out
Except the Calgary D is showing itself to be anything but “stellar” right now. In fact, it’s been downright porous. So who would give up anything substantial for a D who may be showing his true colours after a Cinderella season where EVERYTHING went right?
Thank you George, was turning into a Flames love-in there.
The reality is that the Flames have improved in terms of team D, but they have improved from terrible to just average last year and that was a career/contract year from their #1 D.
The early returns this year suggest even that may not last.
2014-15 – 216 Goals Against (16th highest)
2013-14 – 241 GA (8th)
2012-13 – (3rd)
I stand behind that signing GIO to that deal was a mistake for the Flames and he should have been moved this summer for a crazy return with a year left at a cap hit of $4mill.
It’s a fair point Dino, but old Burke is set in his pre-salary cap world thinking and isn’t capable of either recognizing or executing a proper rebuild.
Ummmm. Bobby Ryan for Stamkos. Oh wait that was a dream. hahahahahaha. I think Greening was tossed in there to.
Stamkos is being over-valued in these discussions. Stamkos is a great player, possibly one of the top 5 centers in the game. But there are two problems drastically affecting his value:
1. He’s a UFA next year.
2. He wants (apparently) a huge sum of money in a salary cap system.
Almost any contender is out on Stamkos. They already have the roster to be a contender and they don’t have the salary cap.
No bottom-dweller is going to give up valuable assets to get Stamkos just to have him walk in July.
The only team that should want Stamkos is a team that:
1. Has a real shot to win the cup THIS YEAR by adding Stamkos
2. Has the salary cap available to take on Stamkos
3. Doesn’t have to tear up their existing roster to get Stamkos.
There is no team in the NHL that meets that Criteria. If Stamkos is traded this year, it will likely be at the deadline for a first round pick and some prospects. By that point it will be abundantly clear that Stamkos will not be returning to Tampa.
I agree with you to some extent, but if the decision has been made that Stamkos is on his way out of Tampa Bay there are only 2 scenarios in my mind that makes sense.
He is traded before Dec trade freeze to maximize his value, they will get more if they allow the trading team to speak with him before a deal is made.
He stays with the team and his rights are traded at the draft,
There is no way they trade him at the deadline especially if they have as good as a shot as many think to win the cup.
I agree, and that’s why GMs are fools to let themselves get in this position. GMs who put themselves in this position often get burned. The longer the season goes on, the more leverage the player has, especially if the team he’s on is in a playoff spot. They should be signed or on the block by August 15th.
Nobody thought Chicago could sign Kane and Towes and keith at the same time and they did. Stamkos is clearly an elite player, yes he didn’t light it up in the playoffs last year but the guy is the only one to outscore Ovechkin when he potted 60+ goals, and is probably any teams number one centre by a long shot (except Pittsburgh). I cant see Yzerman letting this guy walk to another team either via trade or FA, I think he will be signed and guys like garrison, carle and Callahan will be moved. What everyone is saying about not keeping Stamkos makes sense, I just don’t see Yzerman letting him go. also I seem to remember the Candian’s and their fans wanting to maybe deal Price because he had a down year. How would that have worked out for them?
I just realized the similarities here. Tell me if this sounds similar to what has happened in Calgary.
Toronto trades 2 first round and a second round draft picks to Boston for Kessel?
Now the flames are looking another for a big trade? Isn’t that something re-building teams don’t do with their young players and draft picks?