Flames not interested in making a trade with Canucks: report
The Vancouver Canucks are believed to be interested in some players the Calgary Flames have on the trading block, but their chances of getting any appear slim.
Given the Flames’ slow start to the season, there have been numerous reports that several of their pending unrestricted free agents, including Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, and Elias Lindholm, are all on the trading block.
Since it has been discussed that the Flames are shopping some players from their roster, the Canucks have emerged as a team with interest, particularly in Tanev and Zadorov. But it doesn’t sound as though either player is likely to be headed to Vancouver.
“I don’t think Calgary wants to trade with Vancouver,” Elliotte Friedman said on the latest 32 Thoughts podcast. “My opinion on this is, if they give you the best deal, and you should try to squeeze as much juice out of them as you can, that’s your job, then you should look towards that deal. I think Vancouver knows that if they don’t make the trade now, they can always circle back on these players in the summer.”
While divisional opponents are often hesitant to trade with one another, it is somewhat confusing as to why the Flames would be taking this stance. It seems rather unlikely that they will make the playoffs this season, and it isn’t as though any of the players they are looking to move have additional terms on their deals. As Friedman mentions, the best plan of attack should be moving these players the team(s) willing to pay the highest price – though it appears the Flames management group may be looking at things in a different way.
While Flames general manager Craig Conroy and his staff may not want to make a deal with the Canucks at this time, that could change in the coming months. With the trade deadline in March, there is still plenty of time for the Flames to put together a strategy on not only where they would prefer to trade their players but what returns they are looking for. By then, they may find themselves much more open to the idea of making a trade with the Canucks.
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