Around the NHL: What the latest rumours could mean for the Flames

National Post

20 hours ago

Trade rumours around the NHL are starting to grow louder.
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The Stanley Cup will be handed out in the next week or so, the draft is a little over two weeks away and free agency will open soon after that.
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While the Calgary Flames themselves haven't been involved in any moves just yet, that doesn't mean the rumours that are swirling don't affect them.
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So let's take a look at some of the chatter from around the league and what it means — if anything — for the Flames:
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Players like Robertson don't come on the market all that often. He's only 25 years old and has put up 80 points for the past two seasons and had 109 in 2022-23.
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For a team like the Flames, he'd instantly become their top scorer and would be a cornerstone to build around for the next half-decade. You'd at least want to give the Stars a call if you're Craig Conroy, right?
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With all of that being said, the price is surely going to be astronomical. Are the Flames really at the point in their retool where they're looking to trade away young assets? Robertson would make them better, sure, but would he turn them into a Stanley Cup contender?
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It's probably worth mentioning, though, that the Stars are very much in win-now mode. They've lost in the Western Conference final in each of the last three seasons. They could be one of the teams that could use a guy like Rasmus Andersson. So who knows, maybe there's a deal to be done?
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LeBrun reported that while the Flames are one of the teams that are in the market for a second-line centre, they would prefer someone with more size. Rossi is listed at 5-foot-9. At 23 years old, he definitely fits the age profile of what the Flames have been looking for and after putting up 60 points last season would provide a bit of offensive pop, too.
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Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Vegas Golden Knights are expecting their veteran blueliner to be out for a big part of next season, and could even miss it entirely.
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If he's placed on long-term injury reserve, it would free up a considerable amount of salary cap space for the Golden Knights to play with and that could mean they could afford to keep Nicolas Hague.