In this edition of Calgary Flames News & Rumors, general manager Brad Treliving is looking for a scoring winger to add to his roster, and Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson may be of interest. Speaking of Treliving, he spoke with the media on Monday regarding defenseman Oliver Kylington and asked that all continue to respect his privacy as he deals with a personal matter. In other news, Jonathan Huberdeau was able to suit up on Monday night (Nov. 14) after missing the past three games, and will need to up his play in order to impress head coach Darryl Sutter. Last but not least, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety (DoPS) issued a fine to Blake Coleman for a slew-foot on Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Flames Believed to Have Interest in Anderson
Players like Anderson are a rarity in the NHL today. Not only is he a player who can score plenty of goals, but he is also massive at 6-foot-3, 218 pounds, and plays an extremely physical style, making him one of the game’s true power forwards. On top of that, he isn’t shy to drop the gloves when needed.
There have been rumors that the Canadiens have been shopping him for some time now, and the Flames are believed to be interested. The 28-year-old would be the scoring winger Treliving is searching for, and would add to the team’s toughness. In 13 games so far this season, he has four goals and six points.
There are plenty of things to like about Anderson’s game; however, there are plenty of risks that come with acquiring him, too. Not only has he been injury prone throughout his career, but he is in just the third year of a seven-year, $38.5 million deal that carries an average annual value of $5.5 million. With the way he plays the game, it is very fair to question how much his game could decline in the final few years of that deal. That said, he would undoubtedly help the Flames out right now, meaning Treliving has to make a decision about whether or not the long-term risk is worth it.
Treliving Speaks on Kylington’s Absence
After a breakout 2021-22 campaign, it was believed that Kylington would be penciled in for a top-four role in 2022-23. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case, as the 25-year-old missed training camp and has yet to play this season as he is back home in Sweden dealing with a personal matter. What that matter is remains unknown, and Treliving made it clear on Monday that he hopes that privacy will remain moving forward.
“At this time, Oliver remains in Sweden,” Treliving said on The Eric Francis Show. “We want to give him space, time and privacy to deal with the things he’s going through. I’ve been in touch with him on a fairly regular basis, but there’s no update. We continue to ask people to respect his privacy.”
From the sounds of things, Kylington may still be out for some time. That is extremely unfortunate news, as the Flames could really use him on the back end. That said, it is clear he is dealing with something quite significant at the moment, and we wish him all the best with whatever is going on.
Huberdeau Returns from Foot Injury
Due to a foot injury suffered in a game on Nov. 7 versus the New York Islanders, Huberdeau was forced to miss three games. Thankfully, his time away from the team didn’t last long, as he was able to return on Monday night against the Los Angeles Kings, albeit in a third-line role. When asked about having him there, Sutter made it clear that he hasn’t been good enough to be placed anywhere else yet.
Related: Canadiens’ Anderson Can Meet Flames’ Scoring Forward Need
“Because we’ve slotted him everywhere else and it hasn’t worked,” Sutter offered up in response.
Early into Huberdeau’s Flames career, he has seemingly been in Sutter’s doghouse on a number of occasions. Things haven’t gone how either party had hoped, but it is important to remember that he is still getting used to his new teammates and surroundings. That said, he was able to score his second of the season on Monday night. Hopefully, that is a sign of things to come.
Coleman Fined for Slew-Footing Dubois
This past Saturday (Nov. 12), the Flames were able to snap a seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Jets. The entire game was played with high intensity, and resulted in plenty of chippy play from both squads. Dubois in particular seemed to be in the middle of things all night, and at one point exchanged words with goaltender Jacob Markstrom after he believed the Swedish netminder intentionally tripped him up after the whistle had gone.
That wasn’t the only time Dubois was involved in an altercation in the contest. Late in the first period, he and Coleman got into it and were both eventually given two-minute minors. While the entire incident seemed rather harmless, the NHL’s DoPS seemed to think otherwise, issuing a $5,000 fine to the Flames forward. Thankfully, there was no further discipline handed out, meaning he was able to suit up on Monday versus the Kings.
Looking Ahead for the Flames
The Flames will have the next two nights off before heading south to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday evening, followed by the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Saturday’s contest in particular will be worth tuning into, as it will mark the first time Matthew Tkachuk has faced his former squad. Neither outing will be an easy one, but both are winnable if Sutter is able to get his team to play a detail-oriented style.
