Ranking the Players the Calgary Flames Should Covet at Trade Deadline
The Calgary Flames currently sit just outside the playoff picture in the Western Conference, and they have the San Jose Sharks nipping at their heels.
Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano are both in the midst of amazing seasons, and their efforts have the Flames in a position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2008-09 season.
Brad Treliving is in his first season as general manager with the Flames, and there's a chance he will look to make a deal or two to help Calgary solidify a playoff spot. The Flames have some youngsters currently playing solid hockey, and a few veterans could really help bolster the roster for a lengthy run.
With that in mind, here are the players Calgary should covet at the trade deadline on March 2.
5. Chris Stewart, Buffalo Sabres
Age: 27
Cap Hit: $4.15 Million
Why He Should Be Targeted: The Calgary Flames could use a winger for their second line because current right winger David Jones has only tallied 23 points this season.
Chris Stewart only has 22 points himself, but he has been on a terrible Buffalo Sabres team this season that has taken tanking to heights that haven't been seen before. He's got an expiring contract, and adding a physical winger to the roster could be helpful for the playoffs.
4. Jiri Tlusty, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 26
Cap Hit: $2.95 million
Why He Should Be Targeted: The Calgary Sun's Wes Gilbertson suggests Curtis Glencross could be traded at this year's deadline, and the veteran forward's spot on the roster would need to be replaced.
Jiri Tlusty would be a solid interim replacement because he is a tenacious and aggressive forward who is solid in all three zones.
Tlusty has 23 points to Glencross' 27 this season, and he's played on a terrible Carolina team that is likely to finish in draft-lottery territory. While Tlusty may not be as talented offensively as the veteran Glencross, he'd be a nice addition to the third line and would also be able to kill penalties.
3. Dion Phaneuf, Calgary Flames
Age: 29
Cap Hit: $7 million
Why He Should Be Targeted: If the Toronto Maple Leafs are willing to retain some of Dion Phaneuf's salary, the Flames should be interested in reacquiring their former alternate captain.
Phaneuf played 350 games and tallied 165 points with the Flames. That includes four seasons with at least 45 points while averaging about 25 minutes a game.
If he were reacquired, he wouldn't be in as big of a role and could really benefit from a change of scenery. Phaneuf doesn't get enough credit for being a pretty good defenseman, and he'd be a great fit for the current roster.
2. Daniel Winnik, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 29
Cap Hit: $1.3 million
Why He Should Be Targeted: Daniel Winnik is a skilled utility forward who would fit in nicely on the Flames' roster. He could be a real steal at the deadline.
Winnik can play all three forward positions and has tallied seven goals and assisted on 18 others for 25 points this season. In addition to his offensive abilities, Winnik is solid in his own zone and is a decent penalty-killer.
He only carries a $1.3 million cap hit, and that is a bargain when you consider the roles he'd be able to fill for Calgary.
1. Andrej Sekera, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 28
Cap Hit: $2.75 million
Why He Should Be Targeted: If the Flames don't want to try to make a big splash by dealing for Dion Phaneuf, acquiring Andrej Sekera as a rental would make a ton of sense.
He's a solid top-four defenseman who is logging roughly 23 minutes a game and has tallied 19 points thus far in 2014-15. The Flames already have some solid defenders in Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie and Dennis Wideman, but Sekera would fit in as a nice left-handed defender on the second pairing.
His advanced stats are also interesting to look at.
Sekera's a consistent defender who is set to get a nice raise this summer, but landing him for a playoff run would be a great move for Treliving.
Stats via Hockey-Reference, NHL.com and Own the Puck. Contract information via Spotrac.