Brendan Morrison Traded

Just before the All-Star festivities kicked off this weekend in Ottawa, the Calgary Flames pulled off a minor trade, dealing 36-year-old center Brendan Morrison to the Chicago Blackhawks for AHL All-star defenseman Brian Connelly.

This trade helps clean up the quagmire of forwards that the Flames currently have. Morrison’s ice time had been dwindling lately and even sat out some games as a healthy scratch.

It’s a great trade for the Flames who let a guy go who really wasn’t contributing a whole lot and getting older for a respectable young offensive defenceman, who could see time in the NHL sooner than later.

As for Morrison, I never agreed with the signing in the first place for two reasons. He was coming off off-season knee surgery and at 36 years of age simply got in the way of the presumed “youth movement” going on in Calgary.

Well, Morrison suited up for 28 for the Flames this season, scoring four goals while adding seven assists. With his $1.25 million contract expiring at the end of the season, the Flames were never going to re-sign him and I think did well in getting a player of reasonable talent in return.

Connelly has been assigned to the Abbotsford Heat and immediately becomes the team’s second leading scorer with five goals and 31 assists in 44 games.  I honestly don’t know much of anything about the player besides what the internet can tell me.

He is 25 years-old, 5-foot-10 and 186 pounds, and presumably will be a staple on the Heat powerplay, given his point totals.  He was undrafted out of Colorado College and seemingly found his stride in 2009 picking up 35 points in 78 games for the Rockford IceHogs.

I heard “TSN Scout” Craig Button say that Chicago wins the deal. How so Craig? They get a depth aging forward who probably will have little impact on whether the Hawks win or lose and the Flames get a 25-year old defenceman who is going to the AHL-All Star game. The Flames lost NOTHING in this trade and stand to possibly gain a good offensive weapon down the road. Maybe that’s why you’re on TV now Craig and no longer managing teams. You’re an idiot. And what the hell is a TSN Scout? What could you possibly be scouting? Is TSN forming an NHL team we don’t know about?

Expect more deals like this in the coming weeks as Jay Feaster looks to give the Flames more flexibility under the salary cap, while keeping the Flames competitive in the playoff chase.

Newman

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