m\The holiday season season is here and that means we’ve got the gift of plenty of NHL rumours. Teams are either flying high or trying to find answers at this point in the season. Some teams are crushing expectations while others looking for a reason why. There are some players that are just looking for a place to belong. Today’s NHL rumours focus on the Calgary Flames and goalie Jaroslav Halak.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Calgary Flames
Rumour: Julian McKenzie of The Athletic was asked if the Flames are approaching the point of a rebuild.
Analysis: Things have not gotten off to a great start for the Flames. Calgary is still just two points off the last wild card spot in the Western Conference. However, there’s worry about the crop of unrestricted free agents that will become available in the coming off-season.
General manager Craig Conroy has been active in trying to make some deals happen. Mikael Backlund did get a contract extension for two years, but a number of defencemen remain unsigned. Conroy probably doesn’t want to have an exodus of defenders without getting some sort of compensation. This means he could be more likely to listen to deals for Nikita Zadorov or Noah Hanifin among others.
However, do the Flames went to hit the reset button if they can get to the Stanley Cup Playoffs? Calgary has tossed around the idea of trading Daniel Vladar in order to allow Dustin Wolf more time in the NHL. That’s one trade they’d probably like to make sooner rather than later.
The main issue about the Flames starting over is it could be a hard one. However, there are some decent prospect pieces like Matthew Coronato that are itching to get a chance at some playing time. Calgary may have to wait and see before it starts making some deals.
Jaroslav Halak
Rumour: A recent edition of TSN’s Insider Trading talked about whether the Slovakian netminder can latch onto a team in the NHL.
Analysis: Halak did skate with the Carolina Hurricanes for a short time after the blood clot situation with Frederik Andersen emerged. However, Halak went back to his current home base of Boston after it was revealed that Halak would probably have to do a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League.
Some thought that the veteran netminder would latch onto the Hurricanes after Andersen’s situation. However, that wasn’t the case. There are a few teams that could use goaltending help and Halak could come at a good price. The Edmonton Oilers come to mind as the club has struggled to realize the expectations that were thrust upon them for the season. Edmonton is trying to dig its way out of a bad start and goaltending has been suspect.
Other teams could be interested in Halak, who is just five wins away from reaching the 300 mark. There is some worry that Halak due to his struggles last season with the New York Rangers in net. However, teams could do worse and a battle-tested veteran like Halak could be useful for a team needing to eat some minutes in the crease. The veteran could get some calls if things get desperate for some clubs.
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