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There have been some bumps along the way, but the Calgary Flames are in pretty good shape as they hold a playoff spot and have almost certainly played better than their record suggests.
Nothing is certain, especially in sports, but they seem like a good bet to make the dance and the expectation is they'll be buyers leading up to and at the trade deadline.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Flames would ideally like to bring someone in who can fill Kris Versteeg's spot on the top power play unit, while also providing some grit, and *could* be eying a big name who meets that criteria.
3. With Kris Versteeg out a long time, Calgary may look for a power-play specialist and someone who brings edge to their game. They feel a little “too nice,” outside of Travis Hamonic, Micheal Ferland, Mike Smith and Matthew Tkachuk. I could see the Flames part of a growing group eying Buffalo’s Evander Kane.
It would cost a lot to acquire Kane – Jason Botterill is a sharp guy and knows the Sabres are in no position to sell their best assets for pennies on the dollar – but, as far as rentals go, Kane would probably be one worth paying for if the Flames are in a position where it makes sense.
Kane can skate like the wind, he hits like a truck, and he has tallied 41 goals, 70 points, and 360 shots on goal over his last 100 games.
He's also as good of a chance generator as there is – only Vladimir Tarasenko, Tyler Seguin, Alex Ovechkin and Jeff Skinner have registered more this season – and would provide an extra layer of offense to a team that could use a little more (the Flames rank 19th in goals per game).
There will no doubt be a long lineup of teams interested in Kane, and the Flames have almost no draft pick capital, so it could be a tricky deal to work out if it's something Brad Treliving ends up pursuing.
He'd no doubt have to dip into the well of prized defense prospects – a group that includes Rasmus Andersson, Juuso Valimaki, Adam Fox and Oliver Kylington – to get a deal done and, depending on the situation, that may not be a good idea.
If the Flames don't look the part of a contending team and/or don't plan on making a legitimate effort to re-sign Kane, they'd be better off keeping their best assets and going bargain bin shopping.
Nevertheless, the possibility of the Flames making a play for Kane is an interesting one and it's something to watch for in the coming weeks and months.
Recent posts:
On Hamilton's increased usage and Ferland's strong play
Flames sign Glenn Gawdin to entry-level contract
Flames smart to replace Brouwer with Ferland on the power play
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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