It’s been a newsy past few weeks for the Calgary Flames with far too many topics to cover.
From their losing streak being extended, and then subsequently ended in stylish fashion, to the reports of organizational confusion and lack of direction, there is simply no downtime when it comes to being a Flames fan.
On the most recent episode of Sportsnet’s 32 Thoughts the Podcast, most of Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek’s time was spent discussing the temperature around the teams in Canada; mainly the Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. Nestled in were some pretty interesting news bits about the Flames and some of their defensive free agents.
Quotes on Dnb
When discussing the Edmonton Oilers and the decision to either fire Jay Woodcroft or change up the roster, Friedman threw in this nugget:
“I’m looking at Calgary right now, Calgary could have three defensemen on the market. Three good defensemen on the market: Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov. It would be hilarious to see Calgary bailing out Toronto and Edmonton on one level.”
Jeff Marek pushed back hard on this point asking if it was possible for the two teams to consummate a deal, to which Friedman replied with:
“I’m just saying this, I think they have begun to make their phone calls just to see what the market is. I don’t necessarily think anything is happening soon, but I think they are making their calls. If I’m Edmonton, I’m looking to make a deal that addresses my two problems. We are not getting enough saves and everybody that plays against us is going where they want to go”
The biggest piece of the puzzle is why a new GM in Craig Conroy would want to do this deal:
“For me to do that in Craig Conroy’s shoes, not just a premium, a premium is nice, I’m talking about a deal that would get a banner hung up in the new building whenever. It can’t just be a premium, if you are going to do that and I agree with you it’s incredibly unlikely, you have to make a deal that everyone of your fans will look at and say “alright, I can deal with that” and then Edmonton straightens themselves out because of that deal they still have gotta say “alright, I can deal with that. I agree with you it’s unlikely, but they have the type of players that Edmonton can use.”
After discussing the Edmonton situation, the duo shifted to the Maple Leafs where the Flames came up yet again:
“I think they are looking for a defenseman…I think they have been looking for a defenseman all summer. I just think they haven’t found the right mix. You know the one I can see is Zadorov and I bet if they can find a way to get Zadorov and Tanev I bet you they would do it. I bet they would do both of them if Calgary was willing to do that. I really believe it…I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but if you showed me a path where that could occur I could see it.”
These reports were further confirmed on the Donnie and Dhali radio show this afternoon:
Could the Flames be involved in a three-way trade that lands a defenseman in Toronto or Edmonton and a fistful of futures in Calgary? It’s a possibility.
Let the games begin!
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
