Missed Trade Opportunities & Jarome Iginla
Plus, younger Flames players are bringing much-needed energy to the lineup
Welcome to the THW Calgary Flames Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Flames writers.
In today’s edition, we have two articles that discuss the Flames’ missed opportunity to trade for Jack Eichel. We also have a historical article that looks at Jarome Iginla’s life and career as well as an analysis of the energy being provided by the Flames’ younger players.
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Now, on to the good stuff…
7 Cool Things About Jarome Iginla: Calgary Flames Hall of Famer
December 24, 2023 by The Old Prof
Former Calgary Flames forward Jarome Iginla was both a great hockey player and a class act. Now, he’s in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
In this post, I want to help fans get to know the former Flame a little better. Here are 7 Cool Things about Iginla.
Flames Acquiring Eichel Could’ve Shaken Rivalry With Oilers
December 24, 2023 by Jesse Courville-Lynch
The rivalry between the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames, better known as the “Battle of Alberta”, has been one of the most intense hockey rivalries in NHL history. Both teams put on a good show whenever they play each other regardless of the current state of their respective teams, and they consistently can put on entertaining shows for their respective fanbases. This season, both teams are struggling and are near the bottom of the standings, but that doesn’t mean their matchups and storylines surrounding them haven’t been fun to tune into.
On the Empty Netter Podcast, superstar forward Jack Eichel admitted that when he requested a trade from the Buffalo Sabres, the sweepstakes had come down to the Vegas Golden Knights, who did acquire him, and the Flames who lost out on his services.
The massive package that the Flames were offering the Sabres, which included Matthew Tkachuk who was eventually traded to the Florida Panthers, wasn’t good enough for the Sabres who eventually settled for Alex Tuch, Peyton Krebs, and draft picks instead. Looking back at the Golden Knights’ successful Stanley Cup run in the 2022-23 season, it was evident how impactful Eichel was and how much he could be helping a struggling team like the Flames right now. Instead, they have multiple long-term contracts they may regret signing already.
Flames’ Youth Bringing an Energy That Needs to Be Built On
December 23, 2023 by Abigail Hubbard
The Calgary Flames have hit a gold mine with their young players this season. Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil, and Yegor Sharangovich have each brought something special to the organization and filled a role that the team might not have even known they were missing.
Since losing Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk after the 2021-22 season, the Flames have been struggling to get back to form. They missed the playoffs by two points last season, which led to head coach Darryl Sutter being fired. They had a rocky start to this campaign but have worked to improve their place in the standings over the past few months, although they still have a long way to go.
Treliving Set Flames Back Years by Not Acquiring Eichel
December 22, 2023 by Rupert McDonald
When the Buffalo Sabres were shopping Jack Eichel through the summer of 2021 and into the 2021-22 season, NHL insider Kevin Weekes reported that the Calgary Flames were very much in the running to land the American superstar. While some held hope, most believed the Flames acquiring Eichel would turn out to be too good to be true. Those thoughts turned to fact when, in November that same year, Eichel was instead dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights.
Since then, Flames fans haven’t discussed Eichel much at all, as few believed their team was actually in the running for his services. As it turns out, however, they very much wereL Eichel himself confirmed on the Empty Netters podcast that the final two teams in the bidding war were in fact the Flames and the Golden Knights. With where the Flames are now as a team, fans are left wondering about what could have been.