Flames’ trade deadline primer: Burke has some pieces to move as rebuilding process continues
Brian Burke, back from Sochi, has until March 5 — a little more than a week — to transform outgoing assets into prospects and picks. In other words, a future.
The Flames boss has prioritized the team’s needs — getting bigger and tougher; upgrading his blue line. And he does have a few chips.
The most popular way of divining those on the trade block is contract status. Pending unrestricted free agents — chaps in their final year of their deals — on lowly squads are always candidates for greener pastures.
Fitting that bill for the 27th-place Flames are forwards Michael Cammalleri, Lee Stempniak, Kevin Westgarth, Blair Jones, Ben Street; defencemen Chris Butler, Derek Smith, Chris Breen; goaltenders Reto Berra, Joey MacDonald.
Cammalleri, 31, remains the most intriguing piece. A fact lost on no one.
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