Flames & Corey Perry Could Be a Good Match
Plus, with Trevor Zegras on the trade market, should the Flames inquire about him?
Welcome to the THW Calgary Flames Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Flames writers.
In today’s edition, we discuss why the Flames should consider signing Corey Perry now that he’s a free agent and also have a piece on whether or not Trevor Zegras should be a trade target for the team.
It would be great if you’d share the THW Flames Substack with your friends and family so they can subscribe and enjoy all the latest.
Now, on to the good stuff…
Flames Signing Perry May Not Be as Crazy as It Sounds
January 11, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
Free agent forward Corey Perry is officially eligible to sign with an NHL team. The 38-year-old had been seeking treatment for mental health and alcohol issues but has since found the help he needed to return to the NHL.
It’s been a tumultuous season for Perry, who was off to a great start in his first year with the Chicago Blackhawks, scoring four goals and nine points in 16 games. His tenure with the Blackhawks was short-lived, however, as his contract was terminated in late November for what the organization deemed unacceptable behaviour. Before deciding to terminate his contract, the Blackhawks sent Perry home while they conducted an investigation.
The most curious part is that what Perry did is completely unknown – to fans at least. Given that he is eligible to return and no charges have been filed, it seems safe to assume it wasn’t anything illegal. However, any inquiring team should do their homework, but if it is something that can be forgiven, there will be plenty of interest, and one team that should be looking into it is the Calgary Flames.
Flames Should Reach Out to Ducks About Potential Zegras Trade
January 10, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
If there was any doubt before, the Calgary Flames’ loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night (Jan. 7) all but guaranteed they would be sellers this season. Despite entering the game on a three-game winning streak, they laid an egg against what is undoubtedly the worst roster in the NHL at the moment. It is a good reminder that at the end of the day, they are a middle-of-the-road team at best.
Though the Flames don’t seem to be willing to enter a full-fledged rebuild, they have already begun the process of retooling their roster. A great example of that came this past offseason when they chose to trade Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a much younger Yegor Sharangovich. They are expected to target younger but NHL-ready players if they do indeed sell, and as fate would have it, a very good one just became available.