Flames trade Jiri Hudler to the Panthers

As reported by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, The Flames have traded pending Unrestricted Free Agent Jiri Hudler to the Florida Panthers for a pair of draft picks.

Hulder to FLA for a second and a fourth. Done deal

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) February 27, 2016

The second round pick is for the upcoming draft, while the fourth round pick will be for the 2018 draft.

Hudler was signed by The Flames in the 2012 pre-lockout off-season for a four year deal at $4M AAV. The Czech centerman is coming off a career season in which he scored 31 goals and earned 45 assists over 78 games. That impressive total has trailed off somewhat this season, dropping to 10 goals in 53 games to date.

Hudler has been bounced up and down the Flames lines by Bob Hartley, occasionally playing with the top line, and at times as low as the third line. It was thought a recent stint with Monahan and Gaudreau was to showcase him to scouts. It looks like it worked.

With hopes of a playoff birth all but mathematically gone, The Flames pick up a moderately valuable draft pick for a player who could have left the team for nothing on July 1. There is now also $4M AAV of cap space freed up for a possible acquisition. Flames' President Brian Burke is on record stating that the trade deadline day is the worst day to do business in hockey, but nonetheless GM Brad Treliving now has a lot of cap space with which to go shopping on Monday. We will soon see if he makes a deal, or banks it for the future.

by Species