Calgary Flames Might Not Be Done Making Additions
Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving offset the departures of core forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk by acquiring Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri. Recent reports suggest he might not be done tinkering with his roster.
Calgary Flames GM Brad Treliving offset the departures of core forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk by acquiring Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri. Recent reports suggest he might not be done tinkering with his roster.
On the “32 Thoughts” podcast, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman believes Treliving could bring in another forward, suggesting Evan Rodrigues as a name to watch. Rodrigues, 29, is a two-way forward who can play center or on the wing. He's coming off a career-best 43-point performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins on a one-year, $1-million contract.
Calgary Hockey Now's Steve Macfarlane wonders if Treliving will go the trade route after observing most preseason projections have prospect Jakob Pelletier among their top-six forwards. He suggested the Flames GM could draw upon his depth on the blueline for trade bait.
Juuso Valimaki has come up as a trade candidate but Macfarlane felt Oliver Kylington might draw more interest. He noted there are several big names floating around the summer rumor mill, such as the Chicago Blackhawks' Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, the St. Louis Blues' Vladimir Tarasenko and the Detroit Red Wings' Tyler Bertuzzi.
Given what is bound to be expensive asking prices for those players, Treliving might prefer more affordable options. Macfarlane also mentioned the Philadelphia Flyers' Cam Atkinson or Victor Olofsson from the rebuilding Buffalo Sabres.
Cap space, however, is an issue. Cap Friendly indicates the Flames have just $2.1 million in cap space left. If Treliving were to dangle Kylington and his $2.5-million salary-cap hit in the trade market, it would still leave little room to pursue a significant acquisition and leave sufficient wiggle room for the coming season.
Given those limitations, Treliving's next addition could be a cost-effective free agent such as Rodrigues.
