The Calgary Flames began their march towards the offseason by making a pair of minor moves this week. In preparation for the upcoming expansion draft, the Rangers moved out a pair of players in separate deals.
First, Sylvain Blouin and $400,000 went to Edmonton in exchange for Trent Klatt. Klatt can potentially slide into the pro roster should Calgary make some moves to send some veterans to contenders prior to the trade deadline. Free agent acquisition Peter Draisatl was then moved to the Rangers in a strictly roster managing move. Draisatl did not crack the Flames' lineup over the course of the first half of the season. Signed to a 4 year deal, Calgary decided to cut ties early to give the veteran a chance to play for the New York Rangers.
Focus turns to the rest of the line up, particularly those with experience. Calgary is hoping that some contending teams will find a way to take on some of the Flames players that can provide some grit for their playoff pushes, while still balancing their expansion draft conundrums. The next 10 days should be exciting around the league.
The Calgary Herald |