While rumors swirl around the “core four” in Toronto, another Canadian NHL team is going through a situation similar to the one they faced last season when they felt forced to trade a top-tier player to avoid losing them for nothing. The Calgary Flames face a potential dilemma with superstar Elias Lindholm, a forward who was rumored to be unhappy under Darryl Sutter, who has one season left on his contract. He may be looking forward to the franchise undergoing major changes.
Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Marner, Morris, Shane & Sutter
If Flames new GM Craig Conroy feels obligated to trade Lindholm — assuming the two sides can’t get back on the same page and move forward with an extension — who might target Calgary as a potential trade suitor? Julian McKenzie noted in a recent article for The Athletic that the Flames could seek a first-round draft pick, but are unlikely to get a top 10 pick. He writes, “None of those teams in this range is a bargain away from being competitive and I think they’d rather have a talented younger player in an entry-level deal than a position much closer to their cap.”
Mackenzie then adds:
I think the Flames are more likely to get that first head coach than any competing team below them. Consider teams like Colorado, Toronto, and Minnesota as examples.
Source – ‘Can the Flames trade Elias Lindholm in the first round for 2023? Mailbag – Julian McInnes – The Athlete – 05/24/2023
Will the Maple Leafs be in the market for someone like Lindholm?
Noting first that most opposing teams will see the value in a player like Lindholm not being added to the roster, Toronto has the first-round pick McKenzie is talking about. The Washington Capitals acquired Rasmus Sundin from the Maple Leafs for Erik Gustafsson and a 2023 first-round pick. With this pick, the Leafs are slated to pick the 28th after the Bruins were fired by the Florida Panthers.
If the team can get Lindholm’s $4.85 million cap in the works, it seems likely they’d be open to transferring that selection to add a player of his quality.
Instead, the aforementioned speculation about the Leafs’ “core four” suggests that there is potential here for great success. Would the Maple Leafs be open to moving someone like Mitch Marner or William Nylander in a deal for Lindholm? The cap save will be immediate and the need to sign a superstar won’t change as Nylander and Marner both approach the end of their contracts as Lindholm (Marner has one more season left).
As a fellow THW contributor put it, “Marner/Nylander and the first for Lindholm + is how I see it. Maybe Anderson too.”
Do flames dare to make a sentiment-like trade again?
If the Flames feel the need to trade Lindholm, this must sound like a major case of deja vu. Less than a year ago the team moved Matthew Tkachuk for what was considered an unexpectedly strong comeback. After Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weigher both landed the deal, most thought GM Brad Treliving made lemonade out of lemons. As it turned out, the lemonade was very sour.
Latest news and highlights
Does Flame dare to do this again? If trading Lindholm doesn’t bring the Flames a solid return, not only are we talking about the Flames potentially missing the playoffs again, but are fans starting to count the days until the franchise has to rebuild? Incorrectly moving Tkachuk and shocking him. Lindholm’s move and misunderstanding would likely cripple the organization. It makes sense that the Flames would be looking to land an unmissable player. It makes sense that they might target one of the four leaf cores.
To make the narrative more dramatic, what would happen if Treliving was the one looking at the trade? Is there really a world in which the Maple Leafs hire an ex-GM and then Calgary take on the GM in one of the biggest deals of the summer?
Conroy’s first order of business will be to see where Lindholm’s head is located. If you’re not in Calgary, the new GM should probably be exploring trade-in possibilities. In his first big deal as GM, he can’t afford to get something this big wrong and take the franchise as Titanic. Targeting someone like William Nylander or Mitch Marner only makes sense. But, that would take Brendan Shanahan and the new GM playing ball. This is definitely not a given.