If the Calgary Flames make a significant trade at the 2019 NHL Draft in Vancouver and you’re surprised, you probably haven’t been paying attention over the last five years. This will be Brad Treliving’s sixth draft as Calgary’s general manager and he’s forged a reputation for himself. Treliving has made a trade in all five of his prior drafts, with four being of the significant variety. Don’t expect that to change next week.
2014: Toeing the waters
To Calgary: | To Chicago: |
Brandon Bollig | 3rd round pick, 2014 |
I still wonder if this was a Treliving trade or one spearhead by Brian Burke. Bollig had the type of attributes Burke seems to hold in high regard, while Treliving had only been on the job a few weeks at the time. Regardless, the price for a player of Bollig’s caliber was high when the deal was made, and that was proven to be true over the course of his time in Calgary.
Bollig played two seasons with the Flames totaling nine points in 116 games before finishing his career in the American League. Acquiring Bollig would have been fine for a price that made sense, I guess; unfortunately a top 90 pick doesn’t qualify as sensible. There is good news, though: this trade was by far the least successful over the last five draft days.
2015: The first big splash
To Calgary: | To Boston: |
Dougie Hamilton | 1st round pick, 2015 2nd round pick, 2015 2nd round pick, 2015 |
Whether you were a big Hamilton fan or not, it’s tough to argue this trade wasn’t a big time ‘W’ for Calgary. In his three seasons with the Flames, Hamilton scored 42 goals off the blueline while playing in all but one game. Sure, Hamilton had his issues while in Calgary, but the offence alone made the price paid by Treliving a fair one.
For his final two seasons with the Flames, Hamilton made up one of the NHL’s best pairings with Mark Giordano, which is something that can’t be discounted. I feel Giordano-Hamilton was a better duo than Giordano-Brodie, while fully recognizing how important the captain was to both partners.
Finally, when you take into account the deal that sent Hamilton to Carolina, it’s fair to say Calgary got great return on their initial investment.
2016: Searching for a goalie
To Calgary: | To St. Louis: |
Brian Elliott | 2nd round pick, 2016 3rd round pick, 2018 |
Elliott had an up-and-down season with the Flames after being acquired at the 2016 draft, and we all remember how horribly it ended. But while the trade didn’t end up being a home-run for Treliving, I really don’t fault him for taking a swing. In desperate need of a number one goalie, Calgary took a shot with one of the best available options at the time.
Elliott’s numbers entering 2016-17 had been consistently strong when used as part of a tandem. The Flames were hoping that would translate with a larger workload, which didn’t work out as planned. Still, Elliott had a great second half of the season and I still wonder how different we’d feel if he hadn’t soiled the sheets in games three and four against Anaheim.
Either way, I don’t look back on this trade as a bad one for Treliving. He had a need to address and pounced on an opportunity. Yes, it didn’t work out as intended, but it was a worthy gamble knowing the price Calgary paid.
2017: Another big name blueliner
To Calgary: | To New York Islanders: |
Travis Hamonic 4th round pick, 2019 |
1st round pick, 2018 2nd round pick, 2018 2nd round pick, 2019 |
Oh what a difference a year makes, hey? One year ago, this trade looked iffy after Hamonic’s average first year with the Flames. Fast forward to this summer and I think people are feeling a whole lot better about the price paid. Hamonic’s second season with Calgary was solid and consistent as he did what he was brought in to do: solidify the team’s second pairing.
Hamonic is a bona fide top four defenceman and his asking price from the Islanders was a commensurate one. This trade won’t ever look like a steal for the Flames, but they paid market value for a player that looks pretty important heading into the coming season. If Hamonic re-signs next summer, the trio of picks given up will look even more like a fair price.
2018: The Carolina blockbuster
To Calgary: | To Carolina: |
Elias Lindholm Noah Hanifin |
Micheal Ferland Dougie Hamilton Adam Fox |
Through the first half of the 2018-19 season, this looked like it might be the best trade in franchise history (I’m exaggerating just a touch). Thanks in large part to Lindholm’s great first few months playing with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, this looked like a runaway for Calgary. Things normalized on both sides as the season progressed to the point where this looks like a deal both teams would do again.
There are still a few things to determine before the fate of this trade is sealed. Is Lindholm’s production sustainable? How much higher is Hanifin’s ceiling? Do the Hurricanes lose Ferland in free agency? Is Hamilton staying in Raleigh? All of these questions need to be answered before we can make a final ruling. For now, it’s safe to say both teams are happy with year one.
Goofy Ekland is reporting Flames are close to pulling a big deal with Rangers with Flames getting Kreider. who knows
28, 6’3″ 220 scores 20-25 goals and throws 150 hits. Cross your fingers there’s a fair deal in the works. I covet this guy far more a light weight like Zucker.
Agreed. Just wonder what the ask will be keeping in mind he has 1 more year until he’s a UFA.
I’d love to see Kreider in red and yellow, but ’tis the season for wild speculation. Fingers crossed that the blind squirrel has found a nut.
Eklund reporting so 5% or less chance it happens
Would you rather have Kreider or Zibby?
Krieder but if its to be a “blockbuster” why not dream big and get both!
RUDy ,Emile poirier was also selected at AHL allstar had my hopes up too but if you watched him at the allstar game Lazar looked like the least engaged player there.
After reading some of the posts on FN lately (particularly regarding moving Janko), I’m wondering what the thoughts are moving Bennett back to Center. He was moved to the wing, apparently to make room for Janko at Center and because the coaches/management didn’t feel the 20 year old Bennett was progressing in the position like a top 10 round pick should. But now after a couple of years, is the 24 year old Janko any better at Center than what the 22 year old Bennett could be. From and eye test perspective, I see Bennett as faster, more physical, and can drive the play better than Janko. And he shows more on ice leadership in standing up for his teammates and keeping the opposition leery of a big hit.
Janko on the PK is the difference maker, I think. Focus is always on offensive production but our defensive minded players are important. Unsung. It’s why Backlund is so polarizing. if you value defense, he’s your guy. Office, not so much. Ideal to have both but there are only so many Bergerons out there.
I was hopeful Janko would be our big power forward. And maybe he still could be. But unfortunately, like you see in Monahan, using your size just doesn’t seem to be in his DNA.
Janko may not be the answer but he is also not the problem. He has more to give. He lacks a lot of the intangibles that Bennett has but I would argue that he has more offense to offer give the same opportunities. He was no more of a dud in the playoffs than his teammates. Bennett is built for the playoffs but can’t sustain that level in the regular season. I would take a player like Bennett over Janko on my team every time but I will always feel given similar chances Janko has the potential to deliver more offence than Bennett.
Hathaway is a s much a difference maker on the PK as Jankowski. Maybe not the offensive threat, but more physical by a large margin. And cheaper.
If you’re keeping Janks for his PK value, you’re putting too much value in those 2-3 minutes/night he might play there.
If Jankowski is moved, you have Bennett and/or Dube to fill the 5v5 role he plays easily. The PK will be fine without him.
Bennett made some good progress last season in his all around game and is trending in the right direction,I think he could be given another shot at centre,
Bennett can be a beast on his own but he doesn’t make the players around him better, that’s the first job of a good centre.
Well that rules out Monahan too! He’s pretty much just the sniper on the line. At least Bennett can carry the puck up ice and through a few players. And if he had better line mates, maybe he would set up some plays rather than thinking he has to do it all himself.
First line is an anomaly, in the offensive zone Gaudreau is like the centre. He gets the puck over the line and sets up most of the plays. In the defensive zone Monahan is the centre but he is such a bad skater he can’t keep up with his check through the zone, and is easy to get away from down low because he has horrible edge work and is as soft as pillow.
I think Bennett is the most complete centerman on the team. He was never given a fair chance.
So Tre gave up a first and two seconds twice for 2 different #4 dmen and we can’t get that or better for a #2 in Brodie? I expect a great return from Tre with Brodie or he really should be fired.
At the time Hamonic was 27 with three years left on a great contract. Brodie is 29 with one year left.
He was still not a good D at the time.
Brodie isnt a true #2.
Neither was Hamonic and that was still the price. Brodie is a weak 2, solid 3, great 4th defenceman. He is still on a good cap hit and, frankly, if the Flames don’t get the same from him on draft day, then they shouldn’t do that deal. I would much rather they traded Hanifin for that package as I seriously doubt the holes in his game will get a lot smaller and that would allow valimaki and fantenberg or kyllington to step in.
At the time Hamonic was one of the best defensemen on the islanders. He requested to come out west to be close to family, A lot of teams coveted him. He can skate and is physical, that’s the part that lacks in Brodie’s game which may hurt his value.
He was not a good defender at the time. One of the worst in the NHL IIRC for a top 4 D but still paid a ton for him. Turned out okay because the cap hit and this last year bounce back but still….
Not Fantenburg, weak skater.
That’s just nonsense. Although it fits the negative narrative of many on this site Brodie is a clear 2D in almost every measure. Is he perfect? No, but I don’t know any perfect players. If traded he should get a very good return.
I put this on the last thread; you want a really big splash? Find a way to bring Taylor Hall, home to Calgary.
Would love to see Hall in Calgary, but the cost Jersey would want back would be astronomical. Unless its a sign & trade type of deal, I cant justify the assets it will take to get Hall with no guarantees he’s here for more than a year. Without a sign & trade Jersey will get maybe a Karlsson type of return.
So if the cost is our #26, Kyllington, Dube & a conditional 1st & 2nd if he resigns with us I would rather wait until he becomes a UFA & pay him lots of bonus upfront money to get him to come here. I just dont see how we get him to come here. Now would Jersey cough up Hirschier & their 1st for Gaudreau, Monahan. That would probably catch Taylors eye playing RW with those two.
Now that would be a deal that Im not too sure what to think lol.
The flames could not afford to sign him in the free agency as other teams will be offering him more than what the flames could do. More than likely Hall would be offered at least 10 + in the free agency by somenone. Guys like Hall and Kreider going to UFA after this coming season…no matter what the flames pay up to acquire them will be lost as soon as the free agency hits.
I can’t see Tre trading for a player a year away from UFA without a plan to re-sign.
Unless you are trading a player with 1 year left to being a UFA & unlikely for us signing him.
That’s the challenge – Hall has no conditions in his contract, when it comes to a trade. I think he’s getting moved. Perhaps the UFA options is our best.
A Kreider for Brodie would be a hockey trade, both around the same cap hit; both UFA’s next year. 1 is a top 6 forward and the other a top 4 D. That might be a fit for both clubs.
The only problem is: why would the Rangers want a 29 year old defenseman with one year to UFA?
Why would the Flames want a 28 year old LW with one year left till becoming a UFA? If neither trade works the way they want then both teams can trade these players as rentals; if both work out they can sign them to extensions.
Seriously? The Flames are contending. The Rangers are rebuilding. Do you grasp the significance of this?
Brodie & the 26th for Kreider & Georgiev
Rangers are high on their Russian kid to back Lundqvist, Georgiev would be a cheap decent young backup to Ritter.
I should have responded more like this; these could be the two primaries in the trade; what would need to be done t make it more enticing to both teams. The other option would be Frolik as again the cap hits are similar.
Would you do the rumored Frolik and Bennett or 1st Rounder for Krieder and his one year deal that was supposed to get us Zucker. I would rather have Kreider.
Neither. That just isnt the right deal Flames should make. If we are moving Bennett heaven forbid, the return better be more than a player that is 1 year out of being a UFA.
With Shattenkirk sounding like he is on-the-outs as well, they would need someone to replace his offense.
I spent a big part of my day (yesterday) waiting at my local Passport Office. It’s always fun waiting… and waiting…
My wife and I are going to Vegas for the first time. In August. Should be fun returning home looking like a prune. I expect it’ll be 40C or hotter in Vegas about then. ☀️
I can hardly WAIT for the draft. Yet, here we are waiting…
The clock will tick until we reach the summer solstice. I’d be surprised if Treliving didn’t make a strong play for another trade or two.
It’s also time to keep our draft picks. It’s like currency for the future. Gambling is fun in Vegas, but not when you’re expecting to win!
Gambling and expecting to win is a sign of insanity or stupidity, not sure which. Maybe both!
It will be hot in Vegas. Currently in Reno (grandson’s graduation tomorrow) and it was 92 F when the family got off the golf course at 12:30. And Vegas is another 7 hr drive south of Reno.
Agree it is time to keep our draft picks. Only way we trade a pick is if we get a huge return that we just can’t turn down.
When are you going? I am there at the end of the month
Stopped in Vegas on a road trip last year. 49c, that’s just too hot man.
Otw it’s not the first time for her I took her there last year remember? Silly nilly or as Dr.Brule would say ” yeah Dungis !”
I think very few of us expect BT to be quite at the draft; the question is how big of a splash does he make. Does he limit his moves to those that many of us expect; Brodie, Frolik and maybe a lesser piece or does he move one of his major chips; Hanifin, Johnny, Monny,or Gio? Time will tell.
Keep Gio/Monahan/Gaudreau. Frolik and Brodie will most likely be moved. Maybe Jankowski. Maybe Hanifin. Maybe our first. All are in play (not “all for one”, of course), if you want to get Hall. Hall won’t sign w/the Devils, regardless of their drafting Hughes. Hall wants to play on a team ready to win, now. He’s a Calgary kid. He could come home and end his career here, or close to it. If he comes here for the same $ Stone made in Vegas when he is becomes a UFA… And we dump can salary…
Funny how many of us have forgot that Tre was going after Stone hard at the TDL and he was going to re sign him. So obviously he has a plan on moving out salary!
BT will trade 1st round for goaltender:
Trading 26 overall won’t get us a number one goalie. Keeping it to draft Spencer Knight just might.
Spencer Knight will not be available at 26. He will be drafted by the Avs at 15 who have 2 first rounders and are intent on drafting a goalie.
Tre at the draft makes me think of a kid with a pocket full of money in a candy store. Hold on tight and cross your fingers people.
Have to call it the Trevling Hour soon if he steals the summer again !
Jeepers, Pat! If Dougie scored 42 goals in a season, HE’d be the Norris candidate, not his former partner.
Oh, “in 3 seasons”.
Sorry, Pat.
What did CAR get for those picks?
To me waiting at the passport office is like waiting in line for the Soup Nazi on Seinfeld. One false move and out you go!
OTW – Tre will do something big I assume…what do you see?
..for what’s it’s worth I don’t think Brodie is as bad as some on here. But that’s just me.
Brodie doesn’t hit ! ThTs makes him predictable and forwards will not hesitate to charge straight at him crossing the blue line , everyone knows he would stand them up at the line ever! He’s softer that a rose bud at a Celine dion concert!!!
Not everyone’s going to hit like Scott Stevens, or even like Mark Giordano. If the Flames had another Robyn Regehr type, that would make me happy but Brodie is good for what he is. You just need to accept his limitations.
If anyone hit like Scott Stevens these days, they’d be thrown out of the league for too many head shots!
I know but he doesn’t even try , you have to make the opposing offence to hesitate to skate into the defenders defensive zone (blue line) don’t give up the line for free .
I agree, he is a stick on stick d-man who stops skating at the puck. We need body of body d-men who stop skating when they make contact with the forward’s body.
I’m hoping he Tre leaves the Zucker deal. Trades Frolik, Brodie and Janko. Get some picks and possibly a reclamation project RW, or flip some picks for a legit top line RW. Wish list would be to package Monahan and picks for Barkov..but I know I’m dreaming.
I agree those are the 3 I’d like to see traded , obviously for decent value returns , a line of Mangiapane Dube Bennett could be a really good line .
Zucker would be a fine add, for the right price. Scored at similar point per min rates the last 3 seasons to Kessel and Marchessault – and that’s with a regression in shooting percentage, a lack strong of linemates (whose shooting percentages were also abysmal), a lack of PP time, and while being more responsible defensively. The fact that he’s on the block is an indictment of Paul “let’s trade Niederreiter for Rask” Fenton more so than it is of Zucker’s play. I’d be loathe to give up Bennett in the deal, personally, but Frolik is more than reasonable.
They should’ve learned their lesson from Lazar when it comes to reclamation projects, so barring an absolute steal of a recent former top prospect for unreasonably cheap, hard pass.
Lazar got to play 65 games with Stajan and Brouwer for 9 mins a night in a season where almost the entire team played below their capabilities. He did not get a chance last season but to play in one game for less than 5 mins. He hit 130 times in 65 games. Still just 24. Flames need to resign him.
Forgot about good ol’ Lazar. If the Flames don’t plan to use him, he might be a good throw in for a deal. He was selected to the AHL All-Star game.
Would rather have Lazar playing than Czarnik
To an AHL deal, maybe. But he’s 24 years old and has 246 NHL games under his belt, regardless of who he’s playing with. The Sens are at least partially to blame for not developing him properly, but that many games is a pretty good sample size to determine what kind of player he is and whether or not he belongs on an NHL roster. It was a stretch to pay a 2nd rounder for him to begin with and at best, he’s likely a 4th liner in the NHL. I wish him the best but they won’t be worse off without him.
NO SOUP FOR YOU
If Frolik and Brodie are traded for picks, and Neal and Stone are waived to Stockton, BT will have 11.1 MM to spend on a UFA. Would Panarin sign for that? Would Marner sign an offer sheet for that? What other players might be good targets for that money or close to it?
Skylardog is right – aiming high is better than aiming low.
Just no to offer sheets. Wed loose so many picks that once the window closes we wouldn’t be able to rebuild another for another 8 years.
No one player is worth 5 1st round picks. Not even McDavid.
Depends,would you trade Monahan,Lindholm, klimchuck,Poirier,Lazar, shinkaruk makes 6 , all from the same draft ,would you trade all 6 of those first rounders for Mcdavid?
We don’t get cap relief if big contracts head to the ahl. Just about a million is all we get per player .
Marner as an offer sheet is a no. Would cost 4 first round picks.
Kapanen however is about a second
Yes, AHL moves only save 1.05MM on each player. That’s why the two trades for picks – to open up cap space and still be able to restock with futures. Marner is worth 4 first round pick I think, especially if it results in deep playoff runs so the picks are late first round. The entire 11.1 would go to him though, so Tkachuk and Bennett and Rittich would still need to be squeezed fairly hard to fit in the 13-14MM of cap space that the team already has.
Hockey83 is right – BT will never offer 11MM to any player. But BT does not really value picks – he keeps trading them away, so that part of the process would not stop him.
And if Toronto matched, BT could still offer sheet Kapanen and Johnsson.
Any offer sheet offered to marner will be 11 mil +. Anything less than that will just be a joke to him and his manager. The flames org would not offer anyone 11 + mil to play here as well as lose the picks if they sign.
True cost to acquire hanifin and Lindholm is ferland, a first, and 4 seconds is it not when you factor it all in since Hamilton was brought here. That’s an overpay in my books but I do like getting Lindholm.
Seems like a great deal for 2 5th overall first round young players both of which are very good.
Dont forget the 3rd round pick / Adam Fox.
Fox is part of that. Did he not turn into 2 seconds for Carolina?
I generally don’t wish ill upon anyone but there is a special place in hell for players that don’t sign with the club that drafts them.
Ah I see… Going beyond just the clubs involved.
Through all his trades he’s brought in some good players but nobody great.
Lindholm was almost at a point per game and was 54% in faceoff circle. That is a great player
If he does it two years in a row, sure. As much as I would like to say I’m completely convinced that 70 point scorer Lindholm is the real Lindholm, enough happened towards the end of the season (and afterward) to give me a small stinging doubt.
Lol. Except he disappears in the playoffs. The team is already loaded with those type of players.
Raff. It was his first ever playoffs. Cut the guy some slack. The whole team disappeared. It wasn’t skill, it was a lack of experience.
Haha good thing Raffy doesn’t manage any teams. Trade players away after one bad playoffs. I guess Tampa should trade away their entire team?
Two 2nds… Fox was a throw-in since he didn’t seem to want to sign. Maybe BT would have received two 2nds from NYR for him, maybe not.
But BT did spend a 1st and two 2nds on Hamonic, so either he expects to draft late every year or he doesn’t value picks very highly.
It’s been said many times–by Treliving–that the Lindholm trade wouldn’t have happened without Fox. He was not a throw-in.
Also it isn’t two 2nds until Fox plays his 30th NHL game next season. Until then it’s a 2nd and a 3rd.
Action is about to begin!
Playoffs were positive in a sense that it confirmed what management was already suspecting:
1- We are too weak in the middle.
2- You neutralize Gaudreau and you neutralize most of the team.
This draft has 6 star players in it, making it an above average draft, B/B+ (5 to 7 star players).
Strong at C and G. Weak at D, except in Europe. Weak in OHL.
2020 is rated A.
BT will fix some of our weaknesses from within before looking externally:
1- Monahan does not have the foot speed to be 1C in today’s NHL. But he’s a sniper and those are rare. Moving him to LW will suit him well.
2- Lindholm is highly skilled and a natural C, that’s where he should play.
3- Backlund is our best C defensively, but limited offensively.
4- Dube is too complete to not playing C.
5- Ryan is not perfect, but he’s doing a good job as 4C.
Our middle is better now. I’m missing solutions for 1G & 2G, I have no idea, it’s been years of weakness, so I will wait for your suggestions.
So now it’s time to go externally:
1- Gaudreau will finally get his wish to move East coming true. Let’s forget about 1-2, we need to find a dance partner for the remaining 4 star players.
2- Janko is on his way out unless he can play 4RW.
3- With Mangiapane @ 3LW, Bennett would be a good fit as 3RW.
So that’s where I’m at right now. Still need to work on Frolik & Neal, and the D clean up!
So there are two trade ideas in the rumour mill; the Zucker for Frolik and one Bennett or pick # 26, and the Kreider deal (we know nothing of what is on the table but let’s suspend reality for a moment and assume it is similar to the Zucker deal). Who would you rather have Zucker who is signed long term or Kreider who is a UFA at the end of the year and whose ask next year will likely be higher than Zucker’s current deal. Trash for Zucker, Cheers for Kreider.
Is this the year that BT uses the the Johnny Hockey lottery ticket? Most of us (myself included) bristle when we hear people say we should trade Johnny. He is maybe the most skilled forward we have had in decades and he delights us; he is a superstar by today’s standards; but everyone is tradeable. But I would suggest that he might be at his maximum value this summer; coming off of a 99 point season, 3 years left on a team friendly deal and has proven himself to be very durable during his career. If we are honest we have had lots of questions about whether he really wants to be here; had to use a year of RFA status just to get him to sign, held out over his contract a signed for less term than we hoped for and the on going rumours that he wants to play closer to home. Trading him would mean we loss the best player in the deal. But the question is could we get the parts to become a winner if we move him. Again would I be happy if we traded him; probably not at first but if the deal gets us closer to a cup I think we could learn to live with it.
Not sure why you want to go down this path so quick. We have 3 more years left at an amazing contract. They made huge steps forward last year & trading him will be going backward big time. We would be immediately looking for a player that can puck handle & enter the offensive zone “with possession” just like Johnny does. You have to give this young core 1 more year & possibly two to get this right. I see no reason why Johnny cant hit 90 plus points next year.
i never said I wanted to trade Johnny. What I did do was ask the question?
Of the names TSN is declaring available, I’m interested in adding any of:
Brown
Chiasson
Dzingel
Marner
Ferland
Nyquist
Miller
Panarin
Lee
Zucker
Kadri
Duchene
Bobrovski
Lehner
The names out there that I hope Tre moves FAR away from are:
Trouba
Henrique
Maata
Hamonic
Anisimov
Zaitsev
Kessel
Turris
Rask
Frolik
Shattenkirk
Subban
Lucic
Callahan
We’ll see if he bites on any of these or goes ‘off the board’
LOL seeing a few that are on the stay away from list are already on our team, maybe one gets shuffled for another off that list. Nothing better than changing dirty underwear to get less of a brown streak.
Some of your + should be – but your – list is accurate.
I think a lot depends if they want to keep Lindy on the top line or move him to C. Kreider and Zucker fit age wise 28 and 27. Hall is 27 but higher end. Depends on what kind of change they are looking to make. Look at the two teams in the finals.
Tre….. do not trade another of our picks away for the next 15 years. We have almost zero in Stockton to come up other than Kylington and Dube. Maybe one more. What a bloody mess. Priority should be on obtaining picks for any senior players traded this year. Use free agency and post draft pickups from junior right after the draft. There will be good players who will be missed in the draft. Sign them early.
BT is going to have to fill large parts of Heat from overage FA, NCAA grads who have not signed and the bottom part of the UFA stream unless he can add some prospects as part of some trades. I would prefer he gets his own picks over someone elses rejects.
For fun, here are my predictions for what BT does this summer. I’m probably wrong on all of them, and BT might do something big like trade Monahan or sign Duchene, but these are my guesses. Apart from not “cranking it up” when they should (and hopefully the players fix that themselves this year), the Flames are not far from a deep playoff run, so there is nothing drastic in the list.
1. The four RFA are signed for 14.0 MM but Tkachuk misses first 12 games as a hold-out
2. Hathaway walks and so does Smith.
3. Neal is gifted games early but by December is waived to Stockton.
4. Lazar (or similar) replaces Neal and nobody misses him.
5. Bennett – Ryan – Czarnik makes a good third line after Neal is waived.
6. Stone spends most of the year in the press box.
7. The price for a top-six RW is Frolik plus Jankowski plus pick #26. No idea who is acquired though. Zucker, maybe.
8. Dube fills in at 4C.
9. Brodie stays till the trade deadline; if Andersson looks really good then Brodie is traded for a pick, to an eastern team.
10. Either Valimaki or Kylington spends most of the year in Stockton.
11. Gillies is the backup unless some kind of double-trade involving picks ends up bringing Forsberg to Calgary, or somebody similar.
After looking through the 2014 3rd round if Bollig had just punched a few more faces it’d probably be a decent trade.