Report: Flames Putting The Squeeze On Maple Leafs In Trade Talks?

It's been clear for a while now that the Toronto Maple Leafs have had interest in some Calgary Flames defensemen who are available for trade. They lost out on Nikita Zadorov, while Chris Tanev is still squarely on their radar. But is making a deal with Calgary more difficult than it seems for Toronto?

According to a report by Insider Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Flames aren't so enamoured with helping their former GM Brad Treviling, who bolted the team for the Leafs this past summer. 

The belief among league executives is that Flames owner Murray Edwards is “no hurry” to help Treliving and the Leafs. The two sides couldn’t get the package deal with Zadorov done and the sense is, if Toronto really wants Tanev, the club has to be willing to pay.

In fact, a league executive told him, "(the price) may be higher than it is for some (other) teams." 

Treliving tried to work with his replacement in Calgary, Craig Conroy, to acquire both Zadorov and Tanev, but the Flames refused to retain any salary on Zadorov, and they turned to the Canucks to trade him in-division instead. 

The Leafs just learned that they will have plenty of extra cap room for the rest of the season, with defenseman John Klingberg out for the year, so they've got some money to burn. But will the Flames be willing to burn it? 

Photo: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports