Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – An Almost Perfect Night for Jagr episode on the Calgary Flames and defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev and what teams could be interested.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “Okay. Some things from Saturday. Noah Hanifin going to market. This little defenseman is going to market.”
Friedman: “That’s, that’s pretty good I’d have to say.”
Marek: “I wanted say on Saturday.”
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Friedman: “You know I, I really feel for the Flames and everyone around them. I really do. I don’t want to talk about them. To be honest the last two weeks I’ve kind of wanted to stay away from them. I really do think after a while it becomes, it’s not enjoyable. Like I don’t think like, like, you know me, Jeff, I love talking hockey. I love talking about what’s going on. It’s my job, but it’s, it’s not enjoyable to keep talking about or keep, you know, for lack of a better term picking apart the same team all the time.
And last week, I didn’t really want to talk about them. But then the Markstrom thing of what the Devil’s came to you and you can’t ignore that. And this week, I didn’t want to talk about them but then you know, every you talked to a whole bunch of teams, and it’s like, everyone’s waiting on the Flames to decide what they’re going to do.
And it’s pretty clear what’s going on with Hanifin that he’s going to market. Now the team doesn’t want to talk about it and the agent doesn’t want to talk about it. And I think it’s because you know the Flames were going really well and then the Markstrom thing got out and it’s, it’s you know, Ron and Kelly were basically saying on Saturday night, how they think it’s really fouled up their season.
And I think the Flames are also trying to protect some of their players particularly Markstrom and you know, who does not a UFA and you know, I just think they want to calm the noise around their team. And it’s just so hard to do it. But look, it’s pretty clear Hanifin is going to market. We know Tanev is going to be traded. I think Markstrom was frustrated but he’s basically says you bring me something and all consider it. You know, so I think that’s where we are.
When it comes to Tanev I think the, I think the Flames are waiting till a first-round pick gets offered. I think that’s what they’re waiting for. And if a team steps up with a first-rounder I can see it happening.
And I think there’s a pretty big group there. It’s, it’s Toronto, which I think is offering multiple picks but none of them are first. And their first second available isn’t for four years. So that’s a challenge. It’s Toronto. It’s Dallas. I think Colorado’s in there. Edmonton and Vancouver.
Vancouver, I think it’s very hard for them to do, but I think they liked the idea of it and they would really prefer Edmonton not get him.
Like I think with Edmonton it’s all coming down to what they think they want to do. Like what is the number one thing that they decide to go after? And they still have a little bit of time to figure it out here. But that’s, like they’re gonna take a swing. You know, Ken Holland has joked before, nobody has traded more first-round picks than him. And this is a go for a team and a goal for year. So they’re gonna do it again. Probably.
So I think he’s looking at it like, what am I going to do it on? And so that’s part of this. But I think there’s a lot of teams around Tanifin.
Marek: “Tanifin.”
Friedman: “I’m mean, I can’t believe I called him that. There’s a lot of teams around Tanifin. I think there’s a lot of teams around Tanev and I think the number of teams around Hanifin is growing, because now they see where this is going.
I think it seemed like Toronto would love to get Hanafin but I don’t believe, like I said this last summer that I think Hanifin’s position was to go to the States if he hit the market. And the US-based teams certainly think that. Like they think that if he goes to the market, they’re gonna have the better chance of getting him than Toronto or anyone else. So you know, I think the market for Hanafin is growing and you know, we’ll see, we’ll see where that goes from here.
But boy, I wish I could stop talking about the Flames because it’s too much and I think it’s bad for their players and for them too. I think it’s a lot to handle.
Marek: “It’s a lot but you listen to you play the course right? You play what’s in front of you. What can you what can you do? I think we’re all sort of wondering okay, where’s the where’s the fit for Hanifin? You know, I wonder even though Dallas is probably looking for a right shot D, would, would they be interested in Noah Hanifin? And they just lost Jani Hakanppa.
I want to tell you what, I don’t know how they would do it by way of what they would have to give or how they could fit in. But my first thought hearing you talk about that on Saturday, Elliotte, was the Tampa Bay Lightning. Like, you know they’re not going to throw in towel. I mean, I don’t know, I don’t know how that would possibly work. But, you know, the Julian BriseBois might, you know.
Friedman: “Well, they also don’t have a lot to give up. They’re in the same boat as Toronto.”
Marek: “That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know how they would have, I don’t know how they would make it work. But you know there would be interest especially now with the injuries.
So that’s an intriguing one that one and as I’ll still, I know that (Jonas) Siegenthaler is back and skating with the team having his first few skates but I do wonder about New Jersey with, with Noah Hanifin as well.
Friedman: “Yeah, New Jersey is a fair one to. Like, like, I think Toronto like, I think Toronto and Tampa are kind of in the same boat. Like they don’t have, like the biggest problem is they don’t have a lot of assets they can or want to move.
I think Boston and Florida are a little bit different because if they wanted to they have, they don’t have a ton of picks, but they have young players. Like that (Anton) Lundell’s has been thrown into some things this year. And like I don’t know that Florida wants to do that but if they did, they could.
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And Boston has players that they could move to. They don’t lot of picks, but they have players. And that I think, so I think Florida and Boston are a little ahead of Tampa and Toronto, in terms of what they can do or they might be willing to do.”
