On Noah Hanifin
GM Brad Treliving made the decision to pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade in order to acquire Hanifin. Now Treliving has to decide how to handle Hanifin's next contract.
If the Flames go with a two-year bridge deal worth ~$3 million, which is what Jacob Trouba signed for in Winnipeg, they'll have plenty of flexibility over the next couple seasons to plug other holes on the roster.
The downside of that: if Hanifin, 21, continues to take meaningful steps forward – as he has each season – the cost of his next deal will only increase.
Should the Flames pursue a long-term contract, they're looking at a cap hit of ~$5 million per season. At least that's what was suggested in …‹Scott Burnside's look from inside Carolina's war room on draft weekend.
The Hurricanes have a handful of restricted free agents, including young defenseman Noah Hanifin and forward Elias Lindholm.Both have good upside but they are also looking at paydays that might not fall into line with what Dundon wants to pay, so both factor into the discussions about how they might be used to bring in assets from outside the organization.
There is a discussion about Hanifin, who is looking for something along the lines of six years at $5 million.
That may seem a tad rich for where Hanifin is at now. If he continues to improve, it won't be. A six-year deal would lock him up through almost the entirety of his prime, too.
I'd guess that's the route the Flames will end up taking.
Wayne Simmonds
It's no secret the Flames need to add scoring on the wing and they've talked about being tougher to play against physically. Knowing that, it should be no surprise the Flames checked in on Wayne Simmonds' availability at the draft.
…‹John Boruk of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported the two sides talked about a deal centered around Simmonds and Hamilton but the Flyers were not interested in adding the type of prospect it'd take to get a deal done given Hamilton is a) better; b) younger; and c) under contract longer.
The Flames simply needed more from the Flyers, and general manager Ron Hextall isn’t willing to part with the prospects that prospective teams continuously keep asking about whether it’s Travis Sanheim, Philippe Myers or whomever.
Simmonds is one of my favorite players but acquiring him as a key piece in a Hamilton trade – and almost certainly paying to re-sign him long-term – would have been a disaster.
Simmonds' goal, assist, point, shot, and chance totals have declined in consecutive years and he'll be on the wrong side of 30 by the time he plays another game. He's not a guy I'd target at this point in his career.
Derek Ryan visiting
Good morning. Pending UFA centre Derek Ryan expected to visit with #Flames on Thursday. He is No. 17 on #TSN Top 75 board. Ryan is sitting on a few intriguing options, but Bill Peters gave him his #NHL shot.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 28, 2018
Given the Flames' need for a right-handed forward who can produce some offense, and Ryan's connection with Bill Peters, he always seemed like a natural fit for the team.
I think it's more likely than not Ryan signs with the Flames on July 1.
Recent posts: …‹On Shore, Ryan, and Zucker