Mailbag: Flames needs; Panthers, Kings plans before trade deadline
NHL.com's Dan Rosen answers weekly questions
© Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
What moves would you pursue if you were Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving? -- @sheldon_curtis
I'd be looking for a puck-moving defenseman and a top-six forward before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline on March 21.
The Flames don't have a true No. 1 defenseman. I'm not saying they'll be able to get one by the deadline, but a defenseman who can skate and move the puck and has a good first pass will pay big dividends. They need to be better moving the puck out of the defensive zone.
The first name that comes to mind is former Calgary captain Mark Giordano, who holds the same position for the Seattle Kraken. The Flames could go back to that well to see if they can get one more run out of Giordano, a pending unrestricted free agent who was left unprotected in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He fits the bill as a defenseman who can move the puck out of the zone. He knows the system, the team and the market. He might be the easiest fit, but not the best.
The Flames, who are out of a Stanley Cup Playoff position in the Western Conference, should be watching the Dallas Stars to see what they might do with pending free agent defenseman John Klingberg. He's the best fit and will be a hot commodity before the deadline if the Stars attempt to trade him. A lot has to happen before that, including Dallas falling out of the Stanley Cup Playoff race and choosing not to re-sign Klingberg. That'd be a double whammy for the Stars, but the Flames have to be monitoring that because Klingberg is the player they need for 5-on-5 and the power play.
As for forward, the Flames have some uncertainty beyond this season with Johnny Gaudreau a pending unrestricted free agent and Matthew Tkachuk a potential restricted free agent. If Calgary can make the NHL salary cap machinations work, it could look for a veteran who is signed beyond this season. Tyler Toffoli is signed with the Montreal Canadiens through 2023-24; the New York Islanders have Josh Bailey under contract for two more seasons; Jordan Eberle is signed with the Kraken for two more seasons; and New Jersey Devils forward Tomas Tatar and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Gustav Nyquist each has one season left. All are potential options to help the Flames this season and at least next season too.
Who do you think are potential targets for the Florida Panthers at the trade deadline, particularly defensemen? -- @JG3441
The Panthers are another team that must keep an eye on Klingberg. He'd be a second-pair defenseman for them, likely with Gustav Forsling, because Aaron Ekblad and MacKenzie Weegar are excelling as the top pair. Adding Klingberg would give the Panthers the ability to create a third pair of Radko Gudas and Brandon Montour, pushing Olli Juolevi and Lucas Carlsson to healthy scratch status provided everyone is good to go. If Markus Nutivaara (lower body) gets healthy in time, the Panthers would have ideal depth for a long playoff run.
The other option is addressing the left side of their defense (Ekblad, Weegar, Gudas and Montour are righties). If that's what they do, I'd be talking to the Canadiens to try to add Ben Chiarot, a left-handed defenseman who is a pending unrestricted free agent. He's big (6-foot-3, 234 pounds), physical and can play on the Florida's second or third pair. A top six of Weegar and Ekblad, Forsling and Gudas, Chiarot and Montour is intimidating.
What do you think the Los Angeles Kings will do at the trade deadline? Getting Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes? -- @ShrumpTheOrc
I think they'll be active, and yes, I think they'll be looking to improve their defensemen, just like the Flames and Panthers. And, of course, Klingberg should be on their radar too. I'm starting to sound redundant here, but you get the point. Interest in Klingberg should be high. Any team that acquires him should be looking to sign him to a long-term contract. The Kings can do that, but I'm not sure it's the right move for them, so that's where Chychrun comes into the mix if the Coyotes are intent on trading him.
The Kings are contending for a playoff spot and developing their future core. They have forwards
Quinton Byfield
, Arthur Kaliyev,
Alex Turcotte
, Rasmus Kupari and Jaret Anderson-Dolan, and defensemen Mikey Anderson and Tobias Bjornfot, who will be part of it with mainstay veterans including defenseman Drew Doughty and forwards Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, Viktor Arvidsson and Alex Iafallo. Chychrun is 23 years old and signed through the 2024-25 season. He fits the Kings model as a younger player who can be a big part of the core for several seasons. Klingberg is 29 and wiill need to be signed. Chychrun is a better fit for the Kings.
Chychrun shouldn't be judged completely by his numbers with the Coyotes (9-24-4), whose 22 points this season are better than only the Canadiens. Arizna is one of the worst teams at driving possession (30th in shot attempts percentage at 45.3 percent) and it doesn't help it has an .891 save percentage. Chychrun is on the ice for 24:50 per game. The Coyotes are defending a lot, hence his seven points (two goals, five assists) and minus-29 rating in 26 games. He deserves some of the blame for that, of course, but I'd like to see him in a better defensive system with better goaltending, like in Los Angeles. I think he'll thrive.
Why does nobody respect the Pittsburgh Penguins for how good they have been so far? Nobody gave this team a chance and yet they're right there in the Metropolitan Division. Second: The All-Star Game needs a new selection format, doesn't it? -- @AManUtdFan2
I respect the Penguins. Listen to the "NHL @TheRink" podcast. I ate crow about five minutes into our episode last week that featured Carolina Hurricanes center Derek Stepan, calling myself out for not believing in the Penguins at the start of the season, not picking them to make the playoffs, and realizing how dumb I look now. My co-host, Shawn P. Roarke, and I were talking about the Penguins and center Evgeni Malkin's return and I brought up a conversation I had with former NHL assistant Dave Barr, a contributing writer to NHL.com. Barr was talking to me about how the Penguins are so good at integrating players into their system, with examples being forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jeff Carter and Brian Boyle, and defenseman Mike Matheson. All veteran players, professionals, who come into Pittsburgh, figure out their role and flourish in it. It's a testament to the culture and leadership in place and the coaching from Mike Sullivan and his staff. They demand respect.
As for the NHL All-Star Game, I disagree. I like the 3-on-3 format. I think it adds an element of excitement and playmaking to it. I'm not married to the idea that every team needs a representative, but it doesn't bother me. It's an NHL showcase event and all teams should be showcased. But, no, the selection is fine, with the fan vote for the captain and NHL Hockey Operations choosing the rest of the players.
---
Listen: New episode of NHL @TheRink
