Moments after the clock tolled, signalling the end of the 2021 trading season, Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving didn’t mince words when discussing the departure of two of his club’s players.
“It sucks. It sucks when you move players out.”
While the situation the Flames find themselves in – unloading assets rather than loading up for a playoff run – is less than idea, what didn’t suck was the return that Treliving and his hockey operations group managed to get for cashing out on a pair of assets.
The club parted ways with pending unrestricted free agent backup goalie David Rittich, who Treliving indicated to Sportsnet’s Ryan Leslie wouldn’t be able to be brought back for 2021-22, and forward Sam Bennett, a fourth liner who had requested a trade earlier in the season.