According to TSN's Darren Dreger (who's had a fantastic Sunday), Daryl Sutter is ready to make another deal...
Sources tell TSN the New York Rangers and Calgary Flames are expected to announce a trade tonight that will send Calgary centre Olli Jokinen and forward Brandon Prust to the Rangers in exchange for forwards Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins.
Kotalik, 31, had been sent home from New York's road trip earlier on Sunday after being told by the team that he would be traded. He has been scratched by head coach John Tortorella in eight of the club's last nine games. Kotalik was signed to a three-year, $9 million deal as a free agent by New York last summer.
Stay tuned. Daryl's had a rather active Sunday. Guess we'll see his vision soon...
Trade call is unlikely tonight. Sounds like the Flames are holding this deal up. Working on why.3 minutes agofrom mobile webRetweeted by you and 14 others
Flames expected to deal Jokinen to the Rangers for Kotalik and Higgins or Gilroy. www.tsn.ca will have the details as they break.about 1 hour agofrom mobile web
complications have grounded a trade involving the Rangers Kotalik. A deal with Calgary? Stay tuned...about 3 hours agofrom mobile web
No trade call scheduled yet, but Giguere will end up in Toronto and Toskala will end up in Anaheim...unless disaster strikes.about 11 hours agofrom mobile web
Could be multi-deal, multi-player. Big makeover...if all comes together for Toronto. My blackberry may blow!!about 13 hours agofrom mobile web
could be a very interesting today. the Hiller extension may play a role in todays Leafs shake-up.about 14 hours agofrom mobile web
Source tells me "major changes" coming today for the Toronto Maple Leafs. stay glued to tsn and tsn.caabout 15 hours agofrom mobile web
A hockey-crazed Flames fan living in Oil Country, he was born & raised to hate the Oilers from day 1. Since he couldn't cut it as a player, and his dream jobs of 'NHL Insider', NHL General Manager, or Snoop Dogg 'advisor' aren't currently options, a lifetime of "internetting" awaits. For the latest hockey talk, along with all kinds of Flames & Oilers chatter, you can follow on twitter.com/RossCreekNation.
Elliotte Friedman tweeted that "only explanation is they are making another move. Both Flames and Rangers could use Jokinen's $5.25 million in cap space after this year."
I'm not sure I understand what he's getting at - a trade trifecta?? Is another one coming down the pipe?
This one has me scratching my head. Two more years of Kotalik??
Can't quite wrap my head around this one. If Eklund had this rumor. I'm sure it would've got laughed at and mocked. I laughed at Oil fans that wanted to re-sign Kotalik. I sure hope he isn't a part of the Flames plans. Perhaps they flip him...
Oh... and what I think Elliote was getting at - why not have Jokinen now, and his 5.25 cap space in the summer (when he comes off the books), rather than Kotalik @ 3mil for 2 more years.
I think Sutter has finally figured out that they way elite teams stay competitive every year is not having as many big contracts. He's following Jersey's model of a couple of key guys making money but rounding out most of the squad with guys making 2-3 million bucks. Even if they are longer term deals he still has the cap flexibility because if he wants to move them they are more likely to be picked up without huge money contracts and if they have to put them on waivers there is a better chance that they will be picked up thus saving the cap hit.
Plus the Flames do well enough financially that eating half of a 3M contract (assuming a vet gets picked up on waivers etc.)isn't that huge.
I wonder if it makes sense to shake up 4 of your top nine skaters though. Not sure there is enough time to get everybody settled with Detroit nipping at the Flames' heels.
Elliotte Friedman tweeted that "only explanation is they are making another move. Both Flames and Rangers could use Jokinen's $5.25 million in cap space after this year."
I'm not sure I understand what he's getting at - a trade trifecta?? Is another one coming down the pipe?
This one has me scratching my head. Two more years of Kotalik??
@Brent
Can't quite wrap my head around this one. If Eklund had this rumor. I'm sure it would've got laughed at and mocked. I laughed at Oil fans that wanted to re-sign Kotalik. I sure hope he isn't a part of the Flames plans. Perhaps they flip him...
Oh... and what I think Elliote was getting at - why not have Jokinen now, and his 5.25 cap space in the summer (when he comes off the books), rather than Kotalik @ 3mil for 2 more years.
@RossCreekNation
I think Sutter has finally figured out that they way elite teams stay competitive every year is not having as many big contracts. He's following Jersey's model of a couple of key guys making money but rounding out most of the squad with guys making 2-3 million bucks. Even if they are longer term deals he still has the cap flexibility because if he wants to move them they are more likely to be picked up without huge money contracts and if they have to put them on waivers there is a better chance that they will be picked up thus saving the cap hit.
Plus the Flames do well enough financially that eating half of a 3M contract (assuming a vet gets picked up on waivers etc.)isn't that huge.
I wonder if it makes sense to shake up 4 of your top nine skaters though. Not sure there is enough time to get everybody settled with Detroit nipping at the Flames' heels.