First rounders got to go
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on trends forming from the last couple of trades.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Ron Maclean: “You know, Jim Rutherford Elliott’s been involved in 216 deals in his 30 years in the National Hockey League. It’s no surprise to see him pull the trigger early with Patrik Allvin of course.
March 7th is the deadline. We’re a little over a month away. Are we seeing any trends in the deals because lots of them?”
Friedman: “You know what? I think it’s one thing we’re seeing is that for rentals, it’s a first rounder. You know, like both these deals for rental players, and again, they might get extended, but first rounders included. (Marcus Pettersson and Drew O’Connor to Vancouver and Mikael Granlund and Cody Ceci to Dallas)
Now our draft guys, Sam Cosentino and Jason Bukala aren’t crazy about this draft, so that’s why maybe teams are willing to do it. But right now, it’s said, first rounders got to go.”
NHL Rumors: Tampa Bay Lightning, and the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Calgary Flames plan on holding on to Rasmus Anderson, Nazem Kadri and Mackenzie Weegar
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on the Calgary Flames telling teams Rasmus Anderson, Nazem Kadri and Mackenzie Weegar are not available..
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Ron Maclean: “Craig Conroy will also join us in the second game.”
Friedman: “You’re busy.”
Maclean: “Well, you’re going to interview him. We’ll interview him, but he’s got hot commodities. So what’s happening there?”
Friedman: “Yeah, so one of the most interesting things about the Calgary Flames, and they made a big deal this week, getting Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. But the Flames have told teams that Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri and Mackenzie Weegar are not available.
And I know a lot of Calgary fans, like Weegar has a contract. Kadri has a contract, but a number of teams have asked about him. Andersson, as you know, is heading into the final year of his deal, and the Flames are getting more and more confident they’re going to be able to keep him.
But they have told specifically teams who’ve asked about those three players, we’re keeping them. We’re in the race, and they’re important to us.”
NHL Rumors: New York Rangers, and the Minnesota Wild
Could the salary cap go up even higher?
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on the salary cap potential being higher than the NHL’s year two and three projections.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Ron Maclean: “The salary cap. You reported, it’s going from 88 (million) now up to the 95.5 next year. That’s a lock. And then it was supposed to go to 104 and 113.5. So where are we?”
Elliotte Friedman: “So that was announced yesterday to a lot of surprise. I think a lot of teams didn’t know about it as much as a lot of players did. The players, I think had been told the night before was going to happen, and the teams were told on Friday morning.
But you know, the 95.5 next year is set according to the memo that was sent out. That can’t be changed. But you know it’s a weird time in the world right now.”
NHL Rumors: Edmonton Oilers, and the Winnipeg Jets
Maclean: “It is?”
Friedman: “But like right now there’s, there’s a lot of teams and players being to think that those second and third year numbers might go even higher. As long as nothing really strange happens, they think that those numbers might turn out to be a tiny bit low.”