Super Sunday

To describe today's activity by the Calgary Flames in the trade market as frenzied is something of an understatement. In the length of time it took to go to the gents and back in the Ship this morning, while watching Arsenal-Man Utd, the hockey world got turned upside down.

In brief: former Norris Trophy nominee Dion Phaneuf, Fredrik Sjostrom and defensive prospect Keith Aulie were traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs for forwards Niklas Hagman, Matt Stajan, Jamal Mayers and Ian White. Phaneuf had been billed as a franchise defenceman for years to come, but had become a lightning rod for the fans for the better part of a year. Rumours persisted about a split dressing room with him at the centre. The return is acceptable; it adds scoring in Hagman, and a much underrated defender in White. That would be fine for one day...

Until CalgaryPuck crashed again this evening; always the tell-tale sign something big is happening in Flames World. To the New York Rangers go Olli Jokinen and Brandon Prust in exchange for Ales Kotalik and Christopher Higgins, both posting horrible numbers for New York this season. OK, Jokinen has not turned into the #1 centre the Flames wanted, but the return is terrible.

In addition, the Flames now have six new players to try and embed in the system, and a game tomorrow night. I can only speculate there is another much larger move for a top top player in the works. Ilya Kovalchuk is the widely speculated player. He's an unrestricted free agent in the summer, and Atlanta are looking to deal him and get what they can back. But they are rumoured to want young players, prospects and draft picks. The Flames new acqusitions couldn't really be described as that, and they have no first or second round picks this year (lost in the Jokinen and Bouwmeester trades). And Kovalchuk might not sign in Calgary beyond the summer and then they have trashed their lineup for nothing.

Crazy theory: In the light of the emergence of Steven Stamkos, would the Tampa Bay Lightning deal Vincent Lecavalier? His contract is to 2020, so locked in for a number of years. Given centre Mikael Backlund was brought up from the farm team this week, was this to showcase him? Tampa would get roster players back in return. How about: to CGY: Lecavalier. To TBL: Sarich, Backlund, Langkow, Kotalik, Higgins. CGY gets their top line centre, TBL gets three replacement centres, plus defensive depth On the downside, if VL bombed in cowtown, that's a hugely difficult salary to move ($7.7m a year). And would TBL even entertain this? And there's a real iceberg on the horizon in having to renew Giordano's contract next summer.

It makes (with re-signed UFAs in green), roughly 3 million under the current salary cap :

Bourque (3.5) Lecavalier (7.7) Iginla (7.0)
Hagman (3.0) Stajan (2.5) Dawes (0.8)
Glencross (1.2) Boyd (0.8) Moss (1.3)
Nystrom (0.8) AN Other (0.5) Mayers (0.8)
Lundmark (0.6) McGrattan (0.6)

Bouwmeester (6.6) Giordano (0.9)
Regehr (4.0) White (3.0)
Pardy (0.7) Johnson (0.5)
Kronwall (0.5)

Kiprusoff (5.8)
McElhinney (0.5)

Ninth Place

So the Flames lost a sixth game in a row on Thursday to Chicago. Unsurprising given Chicago are probably the best team in the NHL this season, and the fact the Flames have scored more than three goals twice in about 30 games. Today, they were linked to a move for the Atlanta Thrashers' Ilya Kovalchuk, an impending free agent, and undoubtedly the top prospective capture in the summer. For Bob McKenzie to link him to Calgary would suggest there is at least a little smoke to go with the fire witness; his almost spot on pick for the Canadian Olympic squad, Patrice Bergeron and all.

A trade into Cowtown is seemingly inevitable, given the Flames scoring woes. A ninth place finish would be an unthinkable end to the season and things need to be put in order relatively quickly. GM Darryl Sutter has been in New Jersey on Wednesday and Philadelphia on Thursday. Why would he miss games if not for a trip to talk business with his opposite numbers, or watch prospective trade targets? Which players could they make a trade for Kovalchuk with? The 'core' players have drawn increasing fire; they are now on their fourth coach in four years, to little overall difference. It can't keep being the coaches fault. Among the core, Dion Phaneuf seems to be a real lightning rod for the fans at present. I don't think he's been as bad as Robyn Regehr has this season, but he's the biggest trading chip they have. Atlanta would doubtless want proven NHL talent back for the loss of their star goalscorer.

How about, to really shake things up: to Calgary, Ilya Kovalchuk, on the agreement he signs an extension of 4 yrs@$9m. If he doesn't like it in Calgary he can leave relatively quickly. To Atlanta: Dion Phaneuf ($7m a year), David Moss ($1.2m a year), Fredrik Sjostrom ($0.75m) . I know Kovalchuk is rumoured to want $11m a year for 10 years, but that is to stay in Atlanta. I think he may accept less to move to a hockey market. There will undoubtedly be other clubs in the running. To New Jersey: Robyn Regehr ($4.02m a year) and Nigel Dawes ($0.85m) for Travis Zajac ($3.88m). Whether NJ need another defenceman in charge with Lemaire in charge of a defensively sound unit is a moot point, but Regehr is also a tradeable asset. The Sutter brothers are confessed admirers of Zajac.

Add into that no extension for Olli Jokinen, who has, in hindsight, been a very poor move, and a raise for the UFA Rene Bourque (to $3.5m-4m, from $1.2m). Dawes can go because the Flames have too many third line left wingers being pressed into positions higher up the lines than they can manage. And waivers for McBackup. Sorry, but he needs replacing.

A line-up could look like this (salary cap hit in millions, resigned UFAs in green):

Forwards:
Kovalchuk (9.0)- Zajac (3.89) - Iginla (7.0)
UFA - Langkow (4.5) - Bourque (3.75)
Glencross (1.2) - Boyd (0.8) - UFA
Nystrom (0.8) - Conroy (0.75) - Prust (0.5)
McGrattan (0.55) - Lundmark (0.6)

Defence:
Bouwmeester (6.68) - UFA
Sarich (3.6) - Giordano (0.892)
Pardy (0.7) - Johnson (0.6)
Kronwall (0.5)

Goal:
Kiprusoff (5.83)
UFA (0.5)

That leaves $8.5m for a second line left winger, a third line right winger and a defensive partner for Bouwmeester. Tight, but doable? How about Volchenkov from Ottawa ($3.0m) and Matt Lombardi back from Phoenix ($1.8m) as a utility bottom-6 forward? That leaves $3.7m in cap room to find a left winger and to leave some cap space. Armchair General Manager: probably the easiest game in the world...