Kevin Weekes: News of the Weekes segment last week on some players who could be on the move before the trade deadline and who could be looking for some help.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Arda Ocal: “Let’s start in Calgary. The Flames, Nikita Zadorov already has been traded. So now we look at other names. Why don’t we start with Chris Tanev, Weekesy.”
Weekes: “Yeah, Chris Tanev drawing a lot of interest in the market. Interested suitors included and not limited to the New Jersey Devils, the Dallas Stars.”
He’s a stay-at-home defenseman, very dependable, block shots. He’s been injured a little bit. Might need to talk to my guy Dr. Morris out in LA, but all that to say he is a very valued commodity on the back end for teams.”
Ocal: “Keep the Devils in mind, we’ll get to them in a second, but a second name for the Calgary Flames. Noah Hanifin.”
Weekes: “Noah Hanifin. The Bostonian. Big defenseman. He had already agreed in principle to a contract with the Calgary Flames just shy of $50 million. And he kind of walked it back a little bit. Said I needed some time to think about this and see where the team is going. You can’t blame him. He too was a pending unrestricted free agent who was also drawing a lot of interest in the marketplace. Curious to see where this goes.”
Ocal: “Elias Lindholm. Is he available?”
Weekes: “He is available and he’s been linked to and not limited to but primarily the Boston Bruins, which is no secret in the hub in Beantown. Why? Well of course they lost Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. He would be a nice fit there, but cap considerations always the factor. Curious to see if he wants to re-sign in Calgary or if he wants to move along.”
Ocal: “The Devils put Dougie Hamilton on LTIR. How does this injury impact New Jersey’s need for a defenseman.”
Weekes: “Everybody in our neighborhood in Jersey is asking the same question, what’s going to happen? Who we gonna get, who we gonna get? Well, fortunately, they were able to get Simon Nemec. Bring him up, their second overall selection from the AHL. But now in the case, in the absence of Hamilton, they want somebody that’s a stabilizer. That’s a physical defenseman that can block shots. Perhaps that is Chris Tanev.”
Ocal: “Could a fit be Tyson Barrie?”
Weekes: “Yeah, from an offensive standpoint because Tyson Barrie has been granted permission, with his agent, to kind of seek opportunities in the trade marketplace. I’ve spoken to people with Nashville, they feel like he’d be a better fit elsewhere. But of course, the salary cap constrictions all around the league.
But Tyson Barrie can run a power play. He’s effective. He’s got high hockey IQ. He can make your team better offensively.”
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