Greg Millen asked the question late in Saturday’s 5-0 home loss to Detroit: at what point do the Flames start sitting specific players for trade protection?
It’s a fair question. As of Sunday, Calgary sits five points out of a Western Conference wildcard spot with three additional teams between it and the St. Louis Blues. Different projection models have the Flames hovering around a 10 per cent chance to make the playoffs. And a pair of high-profile pending UFA defencemen are still on the roster.
It’s almost certain both Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev will be dealt between now and the March 8th deadline.
Despite a lucrative contract offer and a strong push to keep him, Hanifin’s decision has seemed apparent since the Flames returned from their All-Star break. Elliotte Friedman added more confirmation on his latest Saturday Headlines.
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It’s believed Tanev and the team haven’t had meaningful contract talks in quite some time.
And general manager Craig Conroy simply won’t let either player walk away for nothing. It’s why everyone in Calgary is on high alert for news of another significant trade. And/or eager to find out if Tanev or Hanifin will be held out of action for asset protection reasons.
It’s a dilemma. If you read his chat with Eric Francis from a few days ago, it’s clear Conroy and the Flames aren’t waving the white flag on this season. Despite slim playoff odds, Calgary believes it’s still in the fight and is committed to icing the best possible lineup each night. Tanev and Hanifin log crucial minutes as the team’s top pair, which makes sitting them even more difficult.
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Furthermore, no one wants to see a repeat of last year’s Jakob Chychrun situation. Knowing they were trading him, Arizona sat Chychrun for three weeks prior to finally trading him to Ottawa. It looked bad on the Coyotes, did the player no favours, and is something the league is keen to avoid going forward.
It’s a risky proposition, though. Tanev’s brand of hockey puts him in harm’s way on a regular basis and we’ve seen multiple close calls since the All-Star pause. Even Hanifin, as durable as they come, had a close call during practice earlier this week. No doubt Conroy and his management team are watching each game with elevated heart rates these days.
Even still, it feels like a trade will have to be imminent for either of Hanifin or Tanev to sit. Or at least within a game or two from happening.
Turning up the volume
As outside speculation continues to swirl around Hanifin, Tanev and even starting goaltender Jacob Markström, Calgary is trying its best to soldier on through the ever-increasing noise. They did a great job on a four-game road trip after the break of doing just that.
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Now that they’re back home, however, shutting it all out becomes that much more difficult. Whether on the trade block or not, players are hearing it everywhere they go, and not just from us in the media.
While not using it as an excuse, players and coaches have acknowledged the toll all this uncertainty is taking.
“It gets heavy for sure,” assistant coach and former player Marc Savard said on Saturday’s Flames Talk Post-game Show. “You say ‘I’m not thinking about it’…but you are. When’s it going to happen? You’re thinking those things, and then when something goes bad, it’s like maybe those guys are thinking I’m going to be out of here soon.
“I don’t have all those answers, but I played the game and I know what’s going on in a lot of their minds. For the most part, we try and have a good game plan, get ready for the next game, and go with what we have. We’re not going to stop here, we’re going to keep working, and try and finish as strong as we can.”
Perhaps it’s too convenient to connect the dots, but Calgary’s game looks drastically different depending on location.
Removed from the fervour, the Flames have played great hockey away from home with wins in five of their last six road games. Back in the hornet’s nest, they’ve dropped six of their last seven at the Saddledome in frustrating fashion.
“We know there’s a lot of speculation obviously,” admitted Jonathan Huberdeau on Sunday. “We try to kind of shut that noise out, try to leave it in the media. Whatever happens is going to happen.
“It’s been hard, but I think with the group we have, I think we have a lot of character, and we showed it this year, so we’ve got to come back and be better.”
Yes, we’re talking about highly paid professional athletes, and everyone involved understands this is all part of the business. But as Rasmus Andersson reminded us earlier this week, we’re also not dealing with robots.
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“We’re humans too. A lot of guys have kids and family and stuff like that so it’s not easy for a lot of people. But, as I said, we don’t really pay too much attention to it. It is what it is at this point. I think every team who’s outside of the top three in their division it’s the same speculation. It’s just the way it goes in this business.”
For everyone with the Flames, 1 p.m. MT on March 8th can’t come soon enough.
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