Barn Burner: Darren Dreger breaks down the Hanifin trade and what else to expect at the trade deadline

On Thursday’s episode of Barn Burner, Boomer, Pinder, and Rhett were joined by TSN Insider Darren Dreger for a look into how the NHL trade deadline is shaping up following the news that Noah Hanifin was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday evening.

“It turned out to be a fascinating deal,” said Dreger on the Hanifin trade. “Julien BriseBois and the Tampa Bay Lightning I think felt like they had Noah Hanifin in the bag… [Kelly] McCrimmon pretty much swooped in and said ‘well what do you want?’… That’s the tricky part of this time of year in knowing when to cut bait and when to push all your chips into the middle of the table. Obviously McCrimmon is excellent at that.”

Boomer: “Was this the only trade that would’ve had a first-rounder and a potential second? What other teams would’ve been in this?”

“I think Toronto circled back… I was told this that Noah Hanifin made it pretty clear that he wasn’t going to sign in Canada. If you’re the Maple Leafs you’re okay with giving up your first round draft pick and maybe a prospect and maybe other draft picks would’ve been included… I honestly don’t think it got very serious between Treliving and Conroy but it got to a place where Toronto couldn’t do any more than what they were willing to do. If you know you don’t have a position to extend that piece then at some point you got to get protective of the assets you have doling out there.” said Dreger, “I got the sense that it kind of came down to Tampa Bay and Vegas in the end.”

With the major pieces of business now being complete for Flames GM Craig Conroy, we now wait to see if one more move is in the works before Friday’s deadline.

With Flames GM Craig Conroy now at the end of the line of expected departures from the roster, we now wonder whether this is it for the Flames or if there is still a bit of business to be done before the deadline.

Boomer: “Is there still a pulse to this Markstrom potential movement?”

“There is and we can’t say otherwise until the deadline gongs tomorrow afternoon.” said Dreger. “New Jersey is willing to step up right now… I think that Fitzgerald is willing to do just about anything. Dawson Mercer seems like a lot to me and depending on what the draft pick would be that goes along with it, or picks, maybe that’s too much from New Jersey’s perspective I get that.”

Dreger also cautioned that the Flames should be weary when it comes to holding onto their Vezina-calibre goaltender for the rest of the season, especially after Markstrom has already made it very clear he wasn’t thrilled with the way management has handled his situation.

“The problem is we get to the offseason and Jacob Markstrom says ‘You dragged me through the mud for several weeks if not months. I’ve got a full no move, I don’t want to play in Calgary anymore and here’s my one team that I am willing to go to.’ Now you’re the New Jersey Devils and [they’re] giving you sixty percent of the return [they] were willing to give you on the seventh or eighth of March… That’s the issue that Flames management is wrestling with today.”

Finally, Dreger would speculate on the rumours that the Vancouver Canucks could be in the market of flipping Elias Lindholm after acquiring the player from the Flames in early February.

“It’s bizarre, but it’s entirely believable mainly because we know those conversations have been taking place and maybe still are as Kyle Dubas tries to manage his way out of a pickle with Jake Guentzel. That three way scenario with Vancouver, Boston and Pittsburgh is real.” Dreger confirms of a potential deal revolving around the former Flame, “The Vancouver Canucks liked Lindholm when they first got him. They thought he would be a real nice add but then things kind of went off the rails a little bit.”

Watch Thursday’s episode in full here:

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