Rumors persist over trade candidates for the Calgary Flames, while Mason Lohrei could remain with the Boston Bruins following an off-season of trade speculation.
The rebuilding Calgary Flames continue to draw attention in the NHL rumor mill.
Earlier this month, Daniel Austin and Kent Wilson of the Calgary Sun noted the Flames will have nine defensemen jockeying for six spots on their blueline heading into training camp in September.
Wilson felt Zach Whitecloud would fetch a solid return if the Flames make him available in the trade market. However, he believed that they’ll retain the 29-year-old rearguard because they’ll need his experience and leadership on their young defense corps.
Austin also reminded us that young winger Connor Zary was the subject of trade chatter last season. Meanwhile, The Hockey News’ Michael DeRosa suggested Flames center Morgan Frost might be a good fit on the Montreal Canadiens’ second line.
Speculation about the Flames trade candidates continues in Calgary.
The Flames were sellers over the past two seasons as management rebuilt the roster by trading veterans for younger players, draft picks and prospects. Wilson believes they’ll likely continue that trend this season if they’re out of the playoff picture by the March 1 trade deadline, if not sooner.
Wilson recently looked at which players the Flames have left to trade. He mentioned Whitecloud again and considers him their most valuable trade chip. Nevertheless, Wilson thinks they’ll keep him around unless young defensemen Simon Nemec and Zayne Parekh step up this season.
Other candidates included Frost, winger Joel Farabee, and promising defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz.
Frost can become an unrestricted free agent next July. Wilson believes a strong performance by the 27-year-old center could make him an enticing trade chip. As for Farabee and Brzustewicz, the former could be re-signed while the latter could be kept in the minors for another season.
Lohrei's Future With The Boston Bruins
Turning to the Boston Bruins, Mason Lohrei was the subject of frequent trade conjecture last season.
In January, it was rumored the Bruins included the 25-year-old defenseman in their offer to the Flames for Rasmus Andersson, who was subsequently dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights. Speculation about his future in Boston continued into this off-season after he appeared in only three of the Bruins’ six playoff games last spring.
However, it appears Lohrei won’t be going anywhere for the time being. He told The Boston Globe that he’s looking forward to the challenge of earning a full-time roster spot this season.
Lohrei’s determination and his off-season efforts to improve his game could help him achieve his goal. Nevertheless, he will be a player to monitor if the Bruins go shopping for help at center this season.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
See more of The Hockey News on Google and save us as a preferred source. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
