NHL Notebook: The latest on the Calgary Flames and trade talks about Luke Schenn and Anthony Duclair and Jakob Chychrun to remain healthy scratched until trade
It was reported last week that the Calgary Flames are believed to be one of the teams interested in Vancouver Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn.
Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman was the one who broke the news, saying the interest could stem from Chris Tanev’s injuries.
Friedman had more to say in Monday’s issue 32 thoughts podcast.
“I think Calgary is there.” [e.g., there are many teams looking at him, Calgary is there among those teams]
The suspicion is that will be settled fairly soon as Schenn, who was kept away from a recent game, scared teams and may have sped things up.
It wasn’t Friedman’s only account of the Flames, either, as he said they’re likely one of the teams that might be interested in Anthony Duclair. The basic idea behind it? Getting Jonathan Huberdeau to work.
Friedmen: I’m wondering, and this is just my opinion, if Calgary is trying to see if they can get Anthony Duclair
Marek: Because they need more speed?
EF: You have to solve this Huberdeau problem. I think they have one question they need to solve more than anything and that’s how we can make Jonathan Huberdeau comfortable. He played with Duclair and Bennett. I don’t expect them to trade for Bennett, the Flames.
JM: I think the ship has sailed.
EF: But I do wonder about a guy like Duclair because Huberdeau needs someone with speed who can push back defenses and Duclair is that guy. I don’t know if it’s possible, it’s just something I thought. I spent a little time last week wondering how you solve this Huberdeau problem if you are the Flames and need a player like this. I wonder if they’re even interested in him. But of course he has to get well. He hasn’t played yet.
Duclair is working back from an Achilles injury with the Florida Panthers and given their cap limitations there are rumors he could be available in a trade.
The Arizona Coyotes will be healthy indefinitely and scratch Jakob Chychrun while the team tries to trade him. Chychrun was scraped healthy by the team on Saturday.
Our own Mike Gould has written about things over at Daily Faceoff Today.
Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny made the reality of Chychrun’s situation very clear in his media availability Monday afternoon: “He will remain off the lineup until something happens.”
Chychrun missed the Coyotes’ 6-5 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday for what the team called “trade-related reasons.” The same goes for Monday night when the Coyotes take on the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.
Chychrun’s name, which has been on the trading block since the start of the 2021/22 season, is circling the rumor mill with increasing frequency as the March 3 trading close draws near.
The Coyotes originally selected Chychrun in the first round (No. 16 overall) of the 2016 NHL Draft. The 24-year-old defenseman has seven goals and 28 points in 36 games with the Coyotes this year with an average ice time of 23:16.
Chychrun has a $4.6 million cap with the Coyotes through the end of the 2024-25 season. His deal does not include trade or movement protection.
In 373 career NHL games with the Coyotes, Chychrun has 60 goals and 170 points. He helped the Coyotes reach the playoffs in 2020 and has averaged at least 20 minutes per game for the past six seasons.