Calgary Flames Showing Interest In Kerby Rychel?
The Calgary Flames have been mentioned as a possible destination for Kerby Rychel since his request for a trade away from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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In an article for The Columbus Dispatch, Aaron Portzline expressed that Rychel had requested a trade with Calgary among a group of cities that could interest the young prospect. Outside of the Calgary Flames, there may be interest from Montreal, Anaheim, Boston, Detroit and Toronto also.
Elliotte Friedman surmised back in October that the Calgary Flames wouldn’t be willing to pay a high enough asking price to acquire Rychel and little has changed since then, with the trade market rather stagnant.
If Friedman is correct in his belief that the Columbus Blue Jackets would be seeking a defenseman in return, there are options for the Calgary Flames.
However, it is unlikely that Columbus would be willing to take on questionable contracts such as Dennis Wideman, Ladislav Smid or Kris Russell. The thought is they’d be seeking some of the Calgary Flames younger blue-liners but the idea of T.J. Brodie or Dougie Hamilton being traded seems far-fetched.
To really get a deal, the Calgary Flames would really have to juggle things; maybe offer up a prospect or two and potentially a draft pick.
Is this a good return for a player that hasn’t seen a great deal of NHL ice time but clearly has potential?
He clearly is a strong prospect and fills a need for the Calgary Flames in terms of adding a little more offensive firepower and more importantly youth, but decent numbers in the American Hockey League don’t always translate.
With the Lake Erie Monsters, he has eighteen points across twenty games; solid enough numbers and production that would be fantastic for the Calgary Flames if he could replicate it in the big league.
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Would it be wise for the Calgary Flames to surrender some defensive prospects in return for some more youthful offense? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.