A new Western Canadian team emerges in the Kessel sweepstakes; Oilers have some competition for Phil the Thrill
The Calgary Flames have had one of the busiest offseasons of any team in the NHL - certainly the most chaotic, considering the magnitude of the losses and additions in free agency and the trade market. With names like Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk going out and Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri coming in, it's been a pretty crazy summer for GM Brad Treliving.
The Flames are still not done either, according to Sportsnet's Eric Francis. Reports have surfaced in recent weeks that the Flames still want to add a winger and Francis is beginning to hear from sources that Treliving may have a certain iron man in mind.
Phil Kessel's name has come up in the rumour mill quite a bit this summer, but the veteran winger still remains a UFA in search of the right deal. Originally, it appeared as though Edmonton might be a preferred landing spot, but now he's being connected to the other combatant in the Battle of Alberta, the Calgary Flames.
There's no question that Kessel still has the speed to keep up and the ability to help his team in the offensive zone. His two-way play, however, has always been suspect and I'm not sure that his game is a stylistic fit with Darryl Sutter's defense-first system. Still - think of the memes!
