With the Calgary Flames sitting eight points out of an NHL playoff spot on April 1, it seems the club has thrown in the towel for this season.
Long-time captain Jarome Iginla was traded away for prospects to the Pittsburgh Penguins last week and the team has now parted ways with veteran defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who was traded to the St. Louis Blues.
The Flames received minor league defender Mark Cundari in return along with a conditional first-round draft choice and unsigned goaltender Reto Berra, who is playing this season in Switzerland.
If Bouwmeester can help the Blues make the postseason this campaign, then Calgary will receive their first-round pick in 2013. However, if the Blues fail to make the playoffs, then Calgary will receive a fourth-rounder in 2013 and a first-round pick in 2014.
At the time of the trade, St. Louis was hanging onto the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, just one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Bouwmeester has played in 750 career NHL games, but has never appeared in the playoffs. Jay Feaster, the general manager of the Flames, said he asked the defenseman for a list of teams he’d be willing to move to if a deal was made.
The 29-year-old may not have been willing to sign a contract extension in the summer, so Feaster believed it would be in his best interests to trade him.
Bouwmeester started his NHL career with the Florida Panthers back in 2002. He has an even 300 points in his career on 71 goals along with 229 assists. He has six goals and nine assists for 15 points this season and is a minus-11.
Doug Armstrong, the Blues GM, said he’s always liked Bouwmeester as a player and he’s glad the club landed him and hopes to sign him to an extension after the season’s over or even before if possible. The Blues also strengthened their blue line corps a couple of days earlier as veteran Jordan Leopold was acquired in a deal on March 30.
Going to Calgary is Cundari, who is playing in the American Hockey League with Peoria. He has seven goals and 18 assists for 25 points so far in his first 56 games along with 80n minutes in penalties.
The 26-year-old Berra is a goaltender who was chosen by St. Louis in the fourth round of the draft in 2006, but he never signed a deal with the NHL club and has been playing in Switzerland.
He had a save percentage of 90.6 in 49 games this season along with a goals-against average of 3.01. Armstrong said it was a good trade for both teams and he’s glad he didn’t have to give up a player from his roster.
If Feaster is aiming to rebuild Calgary through the draft he’s off to a good start since he now owns three first-round selections in this summer’s draft. He may also be trading goalie Miikka Kiprusoff in the near future as he’s allowing the Toronto Maple Leafs to speak with their starter.
However, the deal will have to be consummated as soon as possible since the NHL trade deadline is Wednesday April 3.
