The trade chatter around Zach Whitecloud just got louder, and the Calgary Flames haven't given anybody a reason to tune it out.
Elliotte Friedman said on 32 Thoughts Monday that it's going to be very difficult for Calgary to keep the defenseman.
His read was blunt. Sooner or later, somebody makes an offer, and the Flames take it.
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Then Daily Faceoff piled on Wednesday, naming Whitecloud and Morgan Frost as the next two who could be on their way out of Calgary.
Toronto and Montreal were floated among the teams with possible interest in the 29-year-old blueliner.
Who could blame Calgary for listening? The Flames are 0-3-0 heading into tonight's home date with Colorado.
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The goal differential sits at -13. That's the worst mark in the NHL, one goal uglier than Philadelphia.
Montreal's crowded blue line leaves the Maple Leafs as the cleaner fit
Whitecloud's own numbers won't sell anybody. He's held without a point through three games and sits at minus-5.
In fairness, almost everybody in that locker room is underwater. Simon Nemec, Zayne Parekh and Morgan Frost have all gone minus-6.
What a buyer would really be paying for is the cap hit. At $2,750,000, a contender can slide him onto the third pair without a cap headache.
Montreal doesn't need him nearly as badly. Six Canadiens defensemen have dressed in all three games, with Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson leading that group.
Martin St-Louis has puck movers to spare, and his club is sitting at 1-1-1 after Tuesday's 6-4 loss to Carolina.
Toronto is a different conversation. Jim Hiller leans on Chris Tanev at 36 and Oliver Ekman-Larsson at 35.
That's a back end begging for younger legs. And the Leafs have already given up 11 goals in four games.
So should Calgary wait for a bidding war? No. Craig Conroy should take the first reasonable offer and move on.
Holding him now is like refusing to sell your car because gas prices might drop. Meanwhile the transmission is already making that noise.
Frost is the trickier piece. He owns one of Calgary's three goals, a power-play marker, on a $4,375,000 cap hit.
And the crease isn't bailing anybody out. Dustin Wolf carries a .797 save percentage, and Devin Cooley sits at .880.
Colorado rolls in tonight with 16 goals through three games. Ryan Huska needs a response, fast.
If Whitecloud dresses, every shift doubles as an audition. Who's watching closest might be in Toronto.
Should the Maple Leafs trade for Zach Whitecloud before the Canadiens beat them to it?
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