Calgary Flames Looking At Number One Pick
We all know the Calgary Flames are a rebuilding hockey club, we also know that they will be drafting at their highest spot since 1973 with pick four.
What we also know is General Manager Brad Treliving has made inquiries regarding Florida Panthers number one pick in the upcoming 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
While Calgary Flames fans are open to moving up in the draft, working out a deal without stripping your roster bare is important.
If you give up too many pieces you can stop any progress the team has made, on the flip side you can also acquire a franchise hockey player.
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So what should the Calgary Flames offer?
Draft picks are an obvious choice, Calgary would have to give up their 4th pick this year and subsequently future picks as well.
For Calgary to make a play at Florida’s pick a player or players would need to be involved, which brings the interesting case of Sven Baertschi.
Baertschi seems to be frozen out at the Saddledome, spending the back half of the year in the AHL with the Abbotsford Heat.
Yet to reach his full potential Baertschi moving in a trade might be perfect for both parties, I like Baertschi and would like to see him succeed in Calgary, yet he could be key to any deal the Flames make.
Finishing strong at the end of the AHL season, inclusion into the Swiss World Championships squad, Sven Baertschi is maturing and improving his game.
With Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie untouchable at the Calgary Flames, Baertschi is the only one left with enough market value to possibly entice Florida into a package deal.
“We’ll see. You’re managing it all the time. Is it realistic? I don’t know,” said Brad Treliving on making a draft deal.
“We’re going to explore everything and if there is something that we feel makes sense, we’ll do it. If not, we won’t.”
For the Calgary Flames shipping Sven Beartschi might make sense, for the Florida Panthers it might take a little more to pull the trigger.
Even if Florida were happy to do the deal and trade down for Baertschi, the Calgary Flames might look for a later round pick in return. They won’t sell the farm to Florida, they have pick four, and have earmarked four possible suitors at that pick.
The good thing for Calgary Flames fans is that their hockey club is active heading into an important draft for the franchise.
High end talent is lacking at the Calgary Flames, making a trade up could be important, moving Sven Baertschi is a sacrifice they might need to make.