FLAMES MAKE A SPLASH AT DRAFT

DALLAS - Another NHL Draft, another big-time trade from Flames GM Brad Treliving.
On Saturday, Calgary acquired forward Elias Lindholm and defenceman Noah Hanifin from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for Dougie Hamilton, Micheal Ferland and defensive prospect Adam Fox.
"We're excited about the players we're getting," Treliving said at the conclusion of the draft.
"You look at Elias Lindholm and he's got great versatility, a right shot, can play center, can play wing, high hockey sense. Noah Hanifin, we think he's just scratching the surface: 21-year-old defenceman, big body, can skate. Both are real good players.
"The guys we're giving up, too, are good players. They're really good players. Micheal's a warrior. Obviously he's got one year left on his contract and then he'll be a UFA. That always comes into consideration. Adam Fox is a terrific prospect. The reality was there are questions - and I'm not going to get into it - whether we could sign him, whether he would sign with us. And Dougie's a terrific player. We wish them all the best."

The deal didn't just spring up on the draft floor - the two clubs have been in discussions for some time.
"We've been talking for a while," Treliving noted. "You start to get more momentum as you get closer to the trade but off and on, probably the last few weeks."
New head coach Bill Peters has spent a significant amount of time working with Lindholm and Hanifin in Carolina and he served up rave reviews for both players, noting how they can help the club get back into the postseason dance next spring."
"They're awesome. They're good kids. Hungry - hungry to be the guys in the playoffs and it's time for us to be in the playoffs.
"Our team is disappointed with the way the season went and we have high expectations, lofty goals, but they're realistic. Our guys are going to work towards it."

Lindholm, the fifth-overall selection in the 2013 NHL Draft, has scored 64 goals and 188 points in 374 NHL games. He's a creative playmaker with excellent vision and is extremely responsible.
Hanifin is a two-way defender who has plenty of offensive upside. In 239 NHL games, the fifth overall in the 2015 draft has 18 goals and 83 points.
In addition to each player's skill sets, the Flames are confident they will mesh well with their new club.
"This is making sure we get good chemistry and a good mix in our dressing room. After last year, we wanted to make sure we're addressing (it) … both guys are real excited," Treliving said. "I tried Noah a couple times and went to voicemail - he was on the phone with two or three of the players already. I think it's going to be seamless in terms of the transition."
Treliving and the hockey operations crew have now set their sights on the free agency market, which opens July 1. The team will meet throughout the week, going through a variety of scenarios and situations to prepare for next Sunday.
"We're not done helping our team," he stated. "I know the draft is over but that's just one piece of it. You spend the summer trying to help your team.
"We'll get ready for next week, start looking at that. We want to see if we can augment the forward group but we'll keep looking at everything to see if we can help ourselves."