Suspense on the ice and off of it made for an eventful night in CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Saddledome.
While the Flames surged past a one-goal deficit to beat the Anaheim Ducks, player personnel decisions fuelled trade speculation during ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 4-1 win.
Calgary general manager Craig Conroy confirmed post-game that left-wingers Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier and a pair of draft picks had been shipped to the Philadelphia Flyers for centre Morgan Frost and left-winger Joel Farabee.
The last-minute scratch of Kuzmenko from the game lineup and the sudden absence of Pelletier after the first period signalled a transaction was afoot.
Both playersB次元官网网址� names were already removed from the plates above their dressing-room stalls after the game as reporters surrounded their former teammates.
Conroy also packaged a second-round draft pick in 2025 and a seventh-round pick in 2028 in the deal with Philadelphia for the 25-year-old Frost and the 24-year-old Farabee.
B次元官网网址淲e felt at this point, these two players are going to be a huge bump in our lineup,B次元官网网址� Conroy said. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e at the right age. TheyB次元官网网址檙e 24- and 25-year-old guys that we can grow with.B次元官网网址�
Calgary (25-18-7) continued to duel with the Vancouver Canucks at the Western Conference playoff cutline. ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 victory vaulted the Flames over Vancouver into wild-card position.
B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e real good players and I want to integrate them in as quick as we can, to get them feeling good about the Calgary Flames and be a part of this group, because it is a tight group,B次元官网网址� Conroy said.
The Flyers added to the eveningB次元官网网址檚 trade buzz when Frost was pulled midway through a 3-0 loss to the New York Islanders. Philadelphia drafted the six-foot, 193-pound forward from Aurora, Ont., in the first round, 27th overall, in 2017.
Frost has 11 goals and 14 assists in 49 games this season and 50 goals and 85 assists in 278 career games with the Flyers.
B次元官网网址淢organ Frost is a centre, is a natural centre that we donB次元官网网址檛 have,B次元官网网址� Conroy said. B次元官网网址淩eally nice playmaking, great hands, sees the ice, vision.
B次元官网网址淚 watched him tonight on the power play and he made some real nice plays. Quick one-touches. He can transport the puck up and get it in and weB次元官网网址檝e had some problems at times this year getting the puck in, so heB次元官网网址檚 going to help with that.B次元官网网址�
Farabee was the 14th overall pick in the 2018 draft by Philadelphia. The six-foot, 186-pound winger has eight goals and 11 assists in 50 games this season. Farabee compiled a career-high 22 goals and 28 assists in all 82 games last season.
B次元官网网址淲ith Joel, heB次元官网网址檚 got some jam and he can score,B次元官网网址� Conroy said. B次元官网网址淲hen you watch him, heB次元官网网址檚 a younger maybe Blake Coleman-type player where he chips in offensively, he can score, put up points, but heB次元官网网址檚 got some grit and you feel very comfortable when heB次元官网网址檚 on the ice in all situations.B次元官网网址�
Farabee is in the third season of a six-year, $30-million contract. Frost is scheduled for restricted free agency next summer when his two-year, $4.2-million contract expires.
Kuzmenko, 28, was dealt on the eve of the one-year anniversary of his trade from the Canucks to the Flames. The Russian, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, seemed destined for the trade floor with four goals and 11 assists in 37 games. He was a healthy scratch in early January.
The 23-year-old Pelletier was a first-round pick (26th overall) of the Flames in 2019. He had four goals and seven assists in 23 NHL games this season.
The Flames weathered his abrupt departure after ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 first period by scoring in the first and the last minute of the second.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an awkward situation,B次元官网网址� said Flames forward Nazem Kadri. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not something that us as players want to happen, but management is put in a situation where you might have to pull the trigger here, or trades fall through, or they escalate. TheyB次元官网网址檙e hard to come by, so I understand youB次元官网网址檝e got to hop on the decision.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 never easy watching guys youB次元官网网址檝e formed bonds with leave the dressing room.B次元官网网址�
Matt Coronato scored twice, including an empty-netter, and had an assist. Blake Coleman and Adam Klapka also contributed goals to the victory, while goaltender Dustin Wolf continued to be a difference-maker for the Flames with 31 saves.
B次元官网网址淵ou donB次元官网网址檛 often see things transpired the way they did tonight, with how players had to be told,B次元官网网址� Flames head coach Ryan Huska said.
B次元官网网址淚 thought our older guysB次元官网网址� leadership group were fantastic with it, so the game was the most important thing. You deal with stuff after the fact and I was proud of the way they did handle themselves tonight.
B次元官网网址淲e have two players coming in that weB次元官网网址檙e very excited about for different reasons. They bring different skill sets to our team, so weB次元官网网址檙e looking forward to getting them here and getting in the lineup right away.B次元官网网址�
