With Dillon Dube, Oliver Kylington and one member of support staff entering protocol this morning; Matthew Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman, Michael Stone and Daniel Vladar are the last remaining Calgary Flames still available to play.
It’s tough to speculate on the NHL’s next course of action, but according to Elliotte Friedman, a schedule pause is considered a last resort.
Pausing the schedule will be an absolute last resort. Everything else will be tried before going there. More likely: A return to much tougher protocols, reminiscent of last year’s incredibly challenging 2020-21 season — mask-wearing at all times, staying at home/in your hotel away from the rink. No restaurants, movie theatres, team parties, you name it. Teams moving from testing every three days to testing every day.
Action packed week for the Flames despite the lack of hockey.
Chychrun
Another interesting note from Friedman’s most recent 32 thoughts:
6. Arizona GM Bill Armstrong refused to comment when asked, but it now sounds like the Coyotes are gauging the market on Jakob Chychrun. I’ve heard the ask is massive, but that doesn’t mean opponents are running away. He’s signed for three more years at a very reasonable $4.6 million AAV and is a terrific player. This is one to watch.
The premise of acquiring a defenseman like Jakob Chychrun is very enticing. Defensemen of his size (6’2” 220lbs) and speed don’t come around often. It also seems right up GM Brad Treliving’s alley. He has orchestrated two big trades for top four defensemen in the past. Those being a first and two second round picks in 2015 for Dougie Hamilton and a first and two second round draft picks in 2018 for Travis Hamonic.
First, let’s look at the risk of another trade like that.
The Hamonic trade is now being looked back on as a loss given the mileage Hamonic had accrued prior to acquiring him.
To the Flames:
Travis Hamonic
To the Isles:
2018 1st round pick (12th overall — Noah Dobson)
2018 2nd round pick (43rd overall Ruslan Iskhakov)
2019 2nd round pick (57th overall Samuel Bolduc)
While Noah Dobson has been struggling on the Isles this year, he’s still considered a very promising NHL player. The jury is out on Bolduc. In 16 AHL games this season he has zero points, but that’s not a great barometer for defensemen and he still has plenty of time to develop. Iskakhov doesn’t appear to be on an NHL trajectory having gone from Ligga to the DEL this year and still weighing under 160lbs.
It was a loss, but the Flames had a massive hole on their blue line and Hamonic did somewhat solve that problem. Especially in the 2018-19 season when he got back to 100%. He had some lingering physical issues catch up to him though and hasn’t held up well since being acquired.
Then there’s the Hamilton trade. Big win if you don’t linger on the “what if?’s of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
To the Flames:
Dougie Hamilton
To the Bruins:
2015 1st round pick (15th overall — Zach Senyshyn)
2015 2nd round pick (45th overall — Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson)
2015 3rd round pick (52nd overall — Jeremy Lauzon)
With Lauzon being the only pick to carve out an NHL career seven years after this draft, it’s a reasonable stance to take that the Flames won the trade. Especially with the return they got for trading Hamilton. Just for fun, what if it was this instead?
To the Flames:
Dougie Hamilton
To the Bruins:
2015 1st round pick (15th overall — Matthew Barzal)
2015 2nd round pick (45th overall — Jordan Greenway)
2015 3rd round pick (52nd overall — Vince Dunn)
A little harder to justify. It’s worth noting that Treliving
did trade back into the second round that year. Twice in fact. He traded up to select Rasmus Andersson (pick acquired for Sven Baertschi) and Oliver Kylington (sent the Coyotes two thirds — Jens Looke and Adin Hill) in the late second round.
Jakob Chychrun
Assuming the trade has this framework:
To Calgary:
Jakob Chychrun (Three more years after this season at 4.6 million)
To Arizona:
Nikita Zadorov (This year only at four million)
2022 1st round pick (20-32nd overall range)
2022 2nd round pick (52-64th overall range)
2022 2nd round pick (Panthers) (52-64th overall range)
Let’s look at a few factors:
A first round pick this year is a higher risk compared to other years given the perceived depth of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft.
This is another “we could have had Barzal” roll of the dice where the Flames may be missing out on a player that is considered invaluable to the organization. Darryl Sutter mentions from time to time in press conferences that “We don’t have that guy that can go coast-to-coast.” They missed out on that with the Dougie trade.
Acquiring RFA’s with term and RFA eligibility after said term is seemingly the only instance where Treliving is willing to give up major assets.
The contract control of an asset like Jakob Chychrun makes an asset heavy return justifiable to both ownership and fans. General Managers and NHL brain trusts stake their reputation on home run swings like the trade listed above. Term and mileage on the asset are important talking points when defining the “winner” or “loser” of a trade.
The Hamilton/Ferland/Fox for Lindholm/Hanifin trade is a great example of this. Years later, all Carolina has to show for the trade is the players they took with the two 2nd round picks they traded Fox away for. The 2019 2nd Carolina got was traded down the draft for further picks and the 2020 2nd was used to select Noel Gunler— a SHL regular with a good chance at a career in the NHL.
For additional assets the Coyotes may even retain salary.
Three years of cap space and actual dollars would cost a decent asset, but it’s not outside of the realm of possibility. The Coyotes have cap space and have taken an aggressive strategy already in regards to taking on salary for as many picks as they can acquire. In moving out Stepan and taking on Ladd, Gostisbehere, Beagle, Eriksson, and Rousell have already warranted them:
2021 1st round pick (10th overall — Dylan Guenther)
2021 2nd round pick (37th overall — Josh Doan)
2021 2nd round pick (60th overall — Janis Jerome Moser)
2022 2nd round pick (Flyers)
Conditional 2022 2nd round pick (condition: Arizona receives the better of the Isles two 2022 2nd round picks)
Conditional 2023 2nd round pick (Islanders)
Suffice to say they’re aggressively rebuilding. For the price of a former 2nd round pick like Willam Stromgren or Yan Kuznetsov and a 2023 2nd round pick, the Flames could get could get considerable cap off of Chychrun’s already palatable 4.6 million dollar cap hit.
For fun, let’s say it looked like this:
To the Flames:
Jakob Chychrun (50% retained to 2.3 million for three more seasons after 21-22)
To the Coyotes:
William Stromgren
Nikita Zadorov (one year left at four million)
2022 1st round pick
2022 2nd round pick
2022 2nd round pick (Florida)
2023 2nd round pick
It would be king’s ransom and would set the market for long term salary retention, but imagine if Treliving had the boldness to change league precedent with a trade of this fashion.
Personally, I’d be terrified of what all those picks could turn out to be — especially with the next two drafts being considered so deep. It is fun to think about though.
Trevor Neufeld
Follow me on Twitter @Trevor_Neufeld
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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