T-shirts and Trade Rumors – Draft Weekend 2013

 

As some of you may already know, we launched the Got Loob? FN t-shirt yetserday. The red version won the vote, so that’s what we went with. The link to buy is here.

This is only a limited edition kind of thing, so after a few weeks or a cerain number of orders, we’re shutting things down. If the sales go well, we’ll look at releasing another design in the near future (Intellectual Honesty??). So get ’em while they’re hot because they aren’t going to be around for long. Get one for your loved ones, neighbors and any Oilers fans you know.

Onto the business at hand. The draft (rounds 1-7) goes tomorrow and already the trade talk is heating up. The Flames, of course, are supposedly in the middle of stuff. Here’s the latest…

– Word is the Flyers are offering Braydon Coburn around the league. One swap that has poked its head above water is Coburn and Matt Read plus 11th overall to the Flames for 6th and maybe a roster player (Giordano).

From a Flames perspective, that move doesn’t make much sense. Matt Read is a somewhat useful player, but his ceiling is limited and there’s certainly no chance of him ever being better than "good". Coburn is 28, $4.5M and a decent NHLer, but that’s it. Two okay pieces shouldn’t be enough to tempt the Flames to move down out of range of the truly high-end talent in this draft.

– The TSN crowd is saying Cal Clutterbuck is going to be dealt this weekend. The 25-year old is a pending RFA and the Wild have cap problems, so that’s likely why he’s on the block. Word is Minny would like to move up to the first round in the deal.

Clutterbuck is a little more interesting for Calgary. He’s known for his agitation skills and high hit totals, but he’s also played in pretty tough circumstances for his club over the last few years and mostly tread water – which is saying something on a team as possession-ally challenged as Minnesota. He’s also one of those rare PIM’s guys who draws as many penalties as he takes. On top of all that, Clutterbuck is a decent volume shooter who has scored in the double digits every season (except this recent one), despite rarely being played in a scoring role.

Clutterbuck is a useful player from a number of angles and he’s only 25 to boot. I’d have no issues if the Flames inquired about him and offered up one of their latter first rounders in exchange.

– There’s noise that the Canucks have started to shop Corey Schneider since it’s become clear Luongo’s big contract is immovable. Edmonton is the whispered destination, which makes a lot of sense, but Calgary should make a call or two as well. Schneider is one of those rare puckstoppers with the sort of numbers (.927 career SV%) and pedigree that makes sense to pay a decent price to acquire. He’s also 27, which means he should have more than a few good miles left on the odometer.

It’s hard to know just what Vancouver is asking for him, but it’s worth a call. I don’t think I’d give up 6th overall, but a lot of other assets could be in play.

– Finally Kris Letang has apparently rejected a huge contract offer from the Penguins (for some baffling reason) and is likely on the block as a result. Letang either doesn’t want to be in Pittsburgh anymore or he’s looking to get in the range of $8M/year as a free agent. 

I have a lot of time for Letang as a defender, but the latter number is crazy. I’m also skeptical he’ll look as good outside of Pittsburgh away from Sidney and Geno, which would make a deal of that size seem even more ridiculous in hindsight. In addition, there’s no guarantee he’d decide to stick around for any amount of money even if the Flames did acquire him (rebuilding and such), so overall, that’s not a tree I see Feaster barking up.   

Things might get a little nuts around here what with the three first rounders and potential trades and all. Tomorrow the full FN crew will be on call and updating frantically whenever something happens. Thomas Drance of Canucks Army and Robert Cleave of JN (formerly of FN) are on the ground in Jersey and may provide updates or info whenever possible.

Today we are going to finish up the Flames top-15 prospects series and post a few more potential draftee profiles.

 Should be a fun – or at least interesting – weekend.