Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Colonel Sanderson episode when asked about the Calgary Flames.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Marek: “I think a lot of us expected this was going to be the summer of Craig Conroy and Kevin Cheveldayoff. This was going to be the big summer where the Calgary Flames did a lot of business, they did some with Tyler Toffoli, Yegor Sharangovich comes in.
But we thought there were going to be, once again, big things coming from the Winnipeg Jets.
We don’t need to go over the Pierre-Luc Dubois situation, so there was something from Winnipeg. We expected more. (Mark) Scheifele, maybe Connor Hellebuyck.
Is there any fire, smoke, anything with these two Canadian teams?”
….
(Friedman’s comments on Winnipeg can be found here)
Friedman: “And, Calgary, it’s been quiet. We know, they made a deal with (Tyler) Toffoli. (Noah) Hanifin has indicated he’s not going to re-sign.
Flames fans are well aware of what (Elias) Lindholm said, which is he’s will to stay. I think that’s important but I think this is going to be a number that is going to have to be somewhere between $8.5-$9 (million).
But you know what I’ll tell you this, I feel very strongly about here with the Flames. Someone made a good point to me, Jonathan Huberdeau‘s extension kicks in this year.
Marek: “$10.5 (million).”
Friedman: “If you’re trading Elias Lindholm, what is the plan that makes Huberdeau better? I thought that was a great question.”
Marek: “I agree. If I’m the Calgary. Listen, I think the Calgary Flames might be one of, and maybe are, well certainly for me, the most interesting team heading into the season. Cause to me they are the ultimate wild card, specially in the West because I don’t think they’re as bad as we saw last season.
There’s new management. There’s new coaching. There’s at least one new player. There’ll be some players coming up from the American Hockey League as well. We all wonder about the Dustin Wolf‘s of the world. And we seem curious as to what Matthew Coronato will look like at the NHL level here, and more Jakob Pelletier thank you very much.
To me they are a fascinating team and the one player who had a tough season last year. You spent time with him in Sweden, is Jacob Markstrom. Who with a good season can turn this all around in Calgary. There’s a really good team there Friedge.
Friedman: “And I think they feel that way. I think the question is, how do you optimize it. I think that was a great point that someone made to me about Huberdeau. You can look at it in a vacuum and say, argue the value of Lindholm’s eight-year deal and let’s say it’s eight times $8.75 (million) or eight time $9 (million). You could argue the merits of that contract for Lindholm but I think the way you have to look at it is, what are the merits of that contract, not only for Lindholm but for Huberdeau.
NHL Rumors: Winnipeg Jets – Connor Hellebuyck and Mark Scheifele
Does Lindholm sign for eight more years put Huberdeau in a situation to be better and to get back to who he was? I think there is a very good argument to be made for that and it’s like we said about Scheifele Jeff, if it’s not going to be Lindholm, well show me what the plan is to help Huberdeau?”
