Calgary Flames Trade Deadline 2016: Fantastical roundtable

The trade deadline is an exciting time. Is your team going to acquire the players they need to become truly elite competitors? Will they get an extra first rounder, or a high profile prospect? Trades!!

The trade deadline can also be a very scary time. Is your team going to do something mindblowingly stupid? Filip Forsberg for Martin Erat stupid? Or a more mundane kind of stupid, but still the kind of stupid that puts you back for at least the rest of the season, if not years to come?

You always hope it’s the former, not the latter. Some teams fall in one category; the others, the other.

Today, we’re looking at our greatest hopes, fears, and expectations. (Some of these answers were compiled before Dear Jiri left us.) Feel free to throw your own in the comments!

ARI: I can’t get that Jiri Hudler + Kris Russell for Valeri Nichushkin proposal out of my head. I know it was always unlikely to happen, I know it’s impossible right now, but. Dang if I didn’t want it to be a thing. I’m still hoping for another first round pick, though I don’t think it’s going to happen, but it’d be nice. Also ditch, like, all the bad contracts. All of them.

RYAN: If the Flames can off-load Kris Russell, Jiri Hudler and perhaps one of Ladislav Smid or Dennis Wideman for future assets and not take on too much bad money to do so, it’s a good deadline day.

BYRON: If we’re really dreaming and in-division trades don’t matter the Flames pull Andersen out of Anaheim for Hudler, Russell and a 3rd or 4th.

KENT: The Flames not only move Russell and Hudler, but they nab one of the noteworthy longterm assets that are supposedly available (Jonathan Drouin, Travis Hamonic or Valeri Nichushkin).

MIKE: Hudler, Russell, Wideman (somehow), Colborne, and Jones are all dealt for assets that emphasize a focus on the future. AND Brad Treliving drops hints that changes could be made elsewhere. HINT HINT.

Dream scenario would be making a move for Jonathan Drouin that didn’t involve 1sts, Gaudreau, Bennett or Monahan. You did say dream.

BEN: Wouldn’t mind Wideman and Russell being dealt in return for a bit of future in prospects and picks. In a perfect magical fantasy world where Brian Burke wears ties that @NHLTies on Twitter wouldn’t lose their minds over in addition to no contracts and such, the fan in me would love to see Jarome Iginla return to the Flames for the final part of his NHL career…

BELOCH: The Flames get a first rounder high enough to give them another draw in the lottery for the top 3 picks. They also get strong prospects in net and on right wing. In the process, they unload enough salary to sign the kids and possibly make a nice off-season acquisition.

TAYLOR: Dream scenario is that, in addition to selling Hudler (check) and Russell, the Flames are able to off-road one or more of the problematic contracts (Raymond, Smid, Engelland). That seems like it would be a tough task though. 

ARI: The Flames fail to trade both Hudler (nope!) and Russell (aaaaahh). Russell is extended at the extent of a better player. Josh Jooris is traded for no apparent reason for a return not nearly worth as much as he is. The Flames trade for yet another terrible contract, somehow.

RYAN: I’m petrified that the Flames move out good money, like Mikael Backlund, to give more money to a depth player like Kris Russell.

BYRON: The best offer for each of Russell and Hudler is no more than a 3rd and we end up keeping both and then resign Russell for $4.5M or more and buy him out in 2 years.

KENT: They fail to leverage the key UFA’s, but instead trade guys like Backlund and Jooris. Oh, and they announce a long term extension for Russell.

MIKE: Kris Russell is re-signed thus proving that Calgary management is nowhere better than we had hoped. None of the players I mentioned in question one are traded or the returns are anywhere close to acceptable.

CHRISTIAN: Nightmare scenario is not being able to deal Kris Russell and instead focusing on signing him. That could really hurt this franchise moving forward.

BEN: We here at FN seem to really not like Kris Russell [ed. HE’S ON TO US], so I’ll jump on the bandwagon and say him re-signing with the club I personally don’t think would do anyone any real good. If Treliving isn’t able to get any solid prospects or picks for the long-term that would be a nightmare as a short-term fix isn’t what this club needs.

BELOCH: The market goes limp and Treliving fails to unload anyone.

TAYLOR: The nightmare is that they surrender future assets (2nd rounder or more) for an established “heavy” player who doesn’t score or drive possession. 

ARI: I was hoping for a little more for Hudler, but the return seems within reason. At this point, I have no idea what to expect with Russell – I am hoping his perceived value drives his price up, though. Boston is reportedly interested in him, and it’d be hilarious if they gave the Flames Alexander Khokhlachev back as part of a package (he currently has 47 points in 42 games in the AHL, by the by). At least one of David Jones or Joe Colborne goes for a mid-round pick. I could live with that, but my happiness really does depend on a Russell trade.

RYAN: I think the Flames move Russell and Hudler for picks/prospects and make a surprising depth move for futures as well, to the tune of Colborne or Jooris leaving town. As long as they keep leveraging assets into futures, I’m not terribly upset by most moves to be honest.

BYRON: Some combination of a 1, 2 and a 3 or 4 for any combination of Hudler, Russell and Jones. I think it will be a good day for CGY.

KENT: I think the club moves Russell and Hudler for a collection for picks and not much else.

MIKE: They trade Hudler, they trade Russell, and they maybe move Jonas Hiller. The returns are draft picks and no prospects.