Flames Burn it to the Ground

Canucks win the Lindholm sweepstakes and sign him to an extension along the lines of the one Horvat signed with the Islanders. They also give up Willander and a likely late first, but they move on from Kuzmenko and Podkolzin, two players that have struggled in Vancouver, as well.

The first of a series of deals that will turn over the roster. Calgary has a seller's market with Lindholm and they take full advantage of it. They play the likes of Vancouver, Colorado, Boston, Toronto and one or two others off of each other before taking the Canuck's offer.

Washington is in a dogfight for the wildcard and badly needs goals. Kuzmenko is one season removed from 30+ and never got on with Tocchet in Vancouver. A change of scenery and a coach specializing in offense maybe unlocks him again. The Caps give up their first rounder, Suzdalev and get out from under the lodestone that is Evgeni Kuznetzov for a modest retention fee.

Andrei Kuzmenko we hardly knew ya. The Flames flip him to a team in desperate need of goals. Calgary picks up another 1st and a bruising forward with hands on a bit of a runway as well as an asset to possibly flip next year.

Acquiring Hanifan allows Marino to move to his natural right side and pushes Nimec, a rookie, down in the rotation. When Hamilton returns it means Miller is your 7th which is not a bad option to have.

The 5th is CoDB to further wash Hanifan's cap hit through Anaheim to reduce it further. Tierney is in the deal to allow the Devils the necessary cap space beyond that to make it.

The second of Calgary's UFAs to be to go. The Flames get another top 32 pick a journeyman 4th liner and a big toolsy LHD on a runway.

It seems every year the Bolts make a deal to try to stave off the closing of their window of contention and hollow out their pipeline even more. This year, it's Tanev.

The value in this deal is Groshev, another one of those 'found under a rock' wingers from the Bolt's pipeline. The third is another dart to throw at the board, albeit a decent one.

Dallas gets a winger seven years younger than Benn who has been just as productive in a less talented lineup for their cup run and beyond.

Calgary leverages it's new found cap space to grab a pair of draft assets and import instant culture change. They can go one of two ways next season. They can either re-sign Benn at a low rent retirement deal and let him show the kids how to be professionals (under no circumstances do you want Kadri as the strongest personality in the room), or failing that they can turn him into a playoff rental like Kuznetzov.

If nothing else LA gets a goalie younger than 30 it can dress on a nightly basis. But Vladar is decent netminder playing behind a team without the kind of consistent defensive structure that the Kings roll out night after night. He'd be a definite upgrade over Rittich and Copley and a decade younger than Talbot

Another draft asset and a big lefty defenseman prospect for the pipeline for a netminder who had not place in Calgary going forward.