FLAMES SETTLE IN FOR QUIET DEADLINE DAY
There's something about this time of year that raises a sense of uneasiness.
Rumours swirl. Deals are made. Teams improve for today or sell assets for tomorrow.
But whether Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving's phone is buzzing or not during Wednesday's NHL trade deadline, the noise is not filtering into the Calgary dressing room.
Truth be told, there are many anticipating a quiet day in Calgary.
“I think with the acquisitions of Bart (Matt Bartkowski) and Stoney (Michael Stone), our room is feeling like we've had our trade deadline,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “It gave us a boost, for sure. We brought in two quality people and that solidified our depth on defence. I don't think the trade deadline is affecting our guys. When you're in that room, they feel pretty focused at the task at hand on the next (18) games.”
Treliving made an early move on Feb. 20 and struck a deal with the Arizona Coyotes for Stone, adding a top-four defenceman to the blue-line. He inked Bartkowski on Feb. 15.
Both moves basically sealed the fate of Dennis Wideman, who is Calgary's seventh defenceman after the Flames put Jyrki Jokipakka on waivers Tuesday morning. The 33-year-old Wideman admitted he would waive his no-move clause to find employment elsewhere. But it is highly unlikely the Flames will find suitors for the veteran in the final year of his contract, which comes with a hefty $5.25-million cap hit.
Otherwise, it's clear the Flames might be quiet Wednesday.
Given where they are in the standings — prior to Tuesday's clash against the Los Angeles Kings, their 33-26-4 record had them situated in the first wildcard position — and the way they've been playing, it appears there are no glaring needs for this club. There is also no apparent need for a fire sale like Treliving had in 2015-16, when he off-loaded Markus Granlund to Vancouver for Hunter Shinkaruk; Jiri Hudler to Florida for a second-round pick in 2016 and a fourth-rounder in 2018; Kris Russell to Dallas for Jokipakka, prospect Brett Pollock and a conditional second-round pick in 2016; and David Jones to Minnesota for Niklas Backstrom and a sixth-round pick in 2016.
It feels that way in the dressing room, too.
“I don't know if this year's (trade deadline) is really all that strange for this team,” Bartkowski said Tuesday. “We're obviously looking to add more than subtract. There's a lot of guys on the market that'll probably go. So it's not that out of the ordinary.”
That being said …
“You never really know exactly what's going to happen,” said Bartkowski. “But I just think it's more certain this year. We're not going to be dealing five or six guys away. We're in a good spot. We're pushing.
“It's just a little more certain here.”
Unlike some newcomers to the Flames, there was no need for Stone to plug the Scotiabank Saddledome into his GPS Tuesday.
“I knew exactly where I was going,” Stone said with a chuckle. No kidding. The 26-year-old blue-liner spent four winters commuting to the 'Dome playing with the Calgary Hitmen, whose dressing room is literally a stone's throw away from the Flames' quarters.
Having been traded from the Arizona Coyotes to the Flames while the team was on the road last week, this week is his first in his new/old hometown and Tuesday's clash against the Los Angeles Kings was his first game as a Flame at the Dome.
“It's already been a good thing for me,” Stone said following the team's morning skate. “My wife (Michelle) and kids are here already. We already have a place to live. Just being familiar with everything, it's going to be awesome.”