Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin compiles the board, which includes four tiers of players that could potentially be moved by this year’s official trade deadline of Mar. 6. Landing in the top tier of “Obvious trade candidates” this week is Calgary Flames centreman Nazem Kadri, previously listed as just a “name to keep an eye on.” Kadri is now grabbing headlines, after Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Flames are open to moving him. On Kadri, Larkin writes:The classic conundrum for Flames GM Craig Conroy: even if you’re in the midst of a rebuild and have already traded most of your core over the past couple seasons…don’t you need a few veteran tone setters to hang around and teach the kids how to win? That would be a reason to hold Kadri. But he could also command a significant return given his impact as a scorer and emotional leader. Now that the Habs landed Danault, would the Wild be the most logical place for Kadri to land? They have interest, reports Di Marco. Dallas could be a strong fit as well.
Kadri joins Blake Coleman, who continues to sit in the top tier of Larkin’s list. As Larkin previously wrote, the veteran winger is a proven winner, consistent goal scorer, and contributes in multiple parts of the game. That being said, currently on the second last year of his deal with the Flames, Calgary could hold off and move him this summer as a rental.
Also climbing this week on Larkin’s board are MacKenzie Weegar and Ryan Lomberg, who both landed in the second tier. Weegar is complicated, only on the third year of an eight-year deal carrying an annual cap hit of $6.25 million. Though considering the rising cap, it’s not too heavy a cost. Lomberg meanwhile is a pending UFA who Larkin describes as “a physical, energetic forward who can alter momentum with a hit-happy shift.” With Stanley Cup winning experience, he could be a rental contenders are interested at the deadline.
Which Flames players do you think will end up being moved before the trade deadline? Let us know in the comments!
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