Flames take page out of Predators playbook with Hamonic trade
The Calgary Flames are going for it.
On the second day of the NHL Entry Draft in Chicago, general manager Brad Treliving sent picks to be cashed in as early as next year to the New York Islanders in exchange for defenseman Travis Hamonic.
The Islanders receive a 2018 first-round pick, a second-round selection in 2018, and a second-rounder in either 2019 or 2020, while the Flames also receive a fourth-round pick in 2019 or 2020.
A seemingly heavy price to pay, but one that demonstrates Calgary's belief that it can contend for the Stanley Cup over the next few seasons. All it has to do is look to the reigning Western Conference champion Nashville Predators as a reference point.
Fab 4
With the addition of Hamonic, the Flames now boast a top-four that arguably stacks up against any other group around the NHL, including the formidable Music City quartet that recently propelled the Predators to the Cup Final.
| Predators | Flames |
|---|---|
| Roman Josi | Mark Giordano |
| P.K. Subban | T.J. Brodie |
| Ryan Ellis | Dougie Hamilton |
| Mattias Ekholm | Travis Hamonic |
Calgary's top 4 D now is lefties Mark Giordano and TJ Brodie, righties Dougie Hamilton and Travis Hamonic. That's pretty darn formidable.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) June 24, 2017
Giordano is five years older than any other player listed above, but the Predators' average age among their top-4 is 27, while Calgary comes in at 27.5.
Hamonic is under contract through to the end of 2019-20 on a modest cap hit of $3.857 million, giving the Flames three full seasons with this foursome.
Calgary, then, saw an opportunity to replicate the Nashville model on the blue line, and took full advantage.
Last line of defense
The addition of Hamonic comes on the heels of another key trade made by the Flames this offseason, namely the addition of Mike Smith in net. The veteran goalie is under contract for two seasons, and Treliving has stated he sees Smith as a player who "has the ability to put a team on his back."
He certainly proved that in his lone, extended playoff run with the Coyotes, posting a .944 save percentage in 16 games en route to a Western Conference Finals appearance.
The hockey world watched as Nashville's defense helped Pekka Rinne play some of the best hockey of his life this past postseason. Like Rinne, Smith isn't seen as an elite option in net, especially at this stage in his career. But with that defense in front of him, he'll be given every opportunity to succeed.
The hope in Calgary certainly must be that reinforcements on the blue line and in net will complement a young, talented forward corps and help the club take a big step forward as early as next season.
Whether it pays off is anyone's guess, but with the Predators' run of success fresh in mind, Treliving clearly sees it as a gamble worth taking.