INJURY TO SMITH BIG PAIN FOR GM AT TRADE DEADLINE
Star goaltender’s status will determine if Flames go looking for experienced help
The Calgary Flames’ playoff fate will undoubtedly be determined by the play of their goaltenders.
And with Mike Smith injured and off his skates for three straight days, one of the biggest trade deadline dilemmas facing Flames GM Brad Treliving revolves around the crease.
Treliving has until Monday at noon to decide whether he needs to pull a Hextall. No, not by waking up his players by wildly wielding his stick, a la Ron Hextall during his playing days. But by injecting a goalie into his lineup like the former Flyers netminder-turned- GM did for his team earlier this week.
With injuries to veterans Brian Elliott and Michal Neuvirth, Hextall traded two conditional draft picks to nab 26-year-old Petr Mrazek from Detroit.
His rationale was intriguing. “I didn’t feel like it was fair to not have a proven NHL goaltender for this team,” said Hextall, who felt obligated to reward his overachieving club, which is right in the thick of the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference.
Does Treliving feel similarly as he watches raw rookies David Rittich and Jon Gillies man the net for a Flames a team struggling to stay in the Western Conference playoff chase?
“I like to reward players and give them a little bit of help,” said Treliving, before adding a telling qualifier, “but it’s a two-way street.”
Understandably, Treliving is furious with the way his team had played up until Gillies backstopped a 5-2 win on Thursday in Arizona. Treliving has reason to flip-flop on whether this team is worthy of a late, costly injection to the lineup. Treliving has never before been partial to rentals and is understandably hesitant to shell out prospects he’s worked hard to develop.
Nor can he consider shelling out draft picks, of which he has precious few.
Is this team even good enough (Read: hungry enough) to warrant pricey support?
President of hockey operations Brian Burke has said the team is looking to add a top-six forward before the deadline.
Before it’s determined whether the rental prices are too costprohibitive, Treliving must first assess the goaltending.
And that starts with trying to figure out how long Smith — his MVP — expects to be out.
Several sources inside the organization seem convinced Smith’s return isn’t as imminent as originally thought.
Treliving is optimistic Smith will be back relatively soon, and that’s the distinction he makes with the Flyers’ situation.
“Their guys are out six to seven weeks,” said Treliving of the Flyers’ duo. “We’re hoping Smitty’s close.”
Rittich has been a pleasant surprise for the Flames this season, but he’s been roughed up in three of his five starts since Smith went down.
Hotshot backups like the St. Louis Blues’ Carter Hutton or San Jose’s Aaron Dell have been integral to their teams’ success this year and would cost a pretty penny, if their respective teams would even consider a swap.
Cam Ward and Robin Lehner are available, but are they an upgrade?
Are prices too steep to even consider a move? Is Smith close enough to make it a moot point?
It’s plenty to chew on for a GM who has one game left — Saturday afternoon against Colorado — to read his team (and read Smith’s medical chart) before deciding how best to proceed.