Tanev’s departure disappoints Flames vets
Club has won four straight and remains in contention for playoff spot in the West
Losing Chris Tanev is going to have an effect on the Calgary Flames.
It’s going to affect them on the ice, where the veteran defenceman’s toughness and smarts made them a better team.
And the Flames are going to miss him off the ice, too, where he was a cherished teammate and friend.
And for a group of players who have been fighting tooth and nail to stay in the playoff race and have won four games in a row, it isn’t easy to see management trade away an important part of your team and get a prospect and draft picks in return.
That’s a blow, plain and simple, even if Flames general manager Craig Conroy’s decision to move Tanev was understandable and necessary.
“Yeah, it’s disappointing obviously, for an older player who is signed here long-term, you never want to be part of a selling team,” said Flames defenceman Mackenzie Weegar. “You want to be on a buying team and you know, a team and an organization that I still believe in to make the playoffs and ultimately a Stanley Cup.
“I know we’re not in the best spot, guys obviously have different feelings, but I still have a lot of time here. Patience is obviously key but just a bit disappointing to be part of a selling team, for sure. I want to win, so I want to be part of a buying team.”
The reality for the Flames is that while they’re still in the playoff hunt, they’re not in a post-season position with the NHL trade deadline only a week away. And as the Flames are all too aware, when your team is on the outside looking in at the playoff picture, soonto-be unrestricted free agents are almost always going to be on the trade market.
“It’s how the league works. If you’re on an expiring deal and you’re out of the playoffs, it’s most likely you’re going to be traded,” said Flames blueliner Rasmus Andersson. “You’ve been in the business long enough, it was similar when (Mark Giordano) left. You’ve just got to move on and stay in the present.
“We’ve got to have a big night tomorrow with the (Miikka Kiprusoff) retirement and Pittsburgh coming in, a team that’s as desperate as us. You’ve got to keep the morale up and everybody’s got to pick it up.”
That’s something the Flames have done a pretty good job with this season. They certainly didn’t bottom out when Nikita Zadorov was dealt to the Canucks and have gone 7-3 since Elias Lindholm, who was ostensibly their first-line centre, was also moved to Vancouver.
It’s entirely possible that there’s a point of no return here. You pull out enough Jenga blocks and the tower is going to collapse.
Perhaps that was Tanev. Perhaps it will be Noah Hanifin, who is sure to be moved in the next week, too.
But the Flames have to believe they can still make a playoff push and can respond to losing Tanev the way they did to the trades earlier in the season.
And they’ll approach their game the same way, with everybody trying to do a little bit more.
“It’s opportunity for people, let’s be quite honest,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “There’s certain guys that (would) die for more ice time and certain guys to get themselves in the lineup. Whether it be an injury or somebody is removed from your team because of a trade, this is an opportunity for people.
“This is their chance to show ‘I deserve more minutes than what I’ve been getting’ or ‘I deserve to be in the lineup on a regular basis’ so that’s what it becomes.”
MARKSTROM SPEAKS ON TRADE RUMOURS
Asked directly about whether he’d moved on from rumours he might be traded, Jacob Markstrom responded by making it clear that he wasn’t happy with the way his status had been dealt with.
While rumours have quieted down during the past week and a half, there was persistent chatter throughout early February that the Calgary Flames might move their star goaltender.
The New Jersey Devils were heavily linked with a move for Markstrom, though the veracity of those rumours was never confirmed.
Things have quieted down recently, though.
So has Markstrom accepted that he’ll be spending at least the rest of the season with the Flames?
“I think everyone in here, every player in here, I really respect everything that’s been going on and not going on and how everyone in this room has handled everything,” Markstrom said from the Flames’ locker-room after their Friday morning practice. “The whole situation and everything, am I happy about that? No, I’m not, and I think it could have been handled a lot different from up top.”
The 34-year-old Swede signed a six-year contract in 2020 that pays him $6 million annually. He has two seasons remaining on his deal after this year and has been one of the best shot-stoppers in the NHL this season.
Early Friday afternoon, TSN’S Pierre Lebrun reported that the Devils had informed the Flames they would be willing to take on Markstrom’s contract with no salary retention.
Patience is obviously key but just a bit disappointing to be part of a selling team, for sure. I want to win, so I want to be part of a buying team.