from Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet,

- Add Los Angeles to the list of teams looking for a defenceman or two. The Kings are not happy with their mix.

- As Calgary continues to struggle, GM Brad Treliving holds some sway over the defensive market. There are blueliners available, but few that are overly appetizing. Dennis Wideman’s played very well for them, one of the few who’s been above water during this ugly start.

“I’ve changed my opinion of him,” another GM said last week.

He’s got a no-move clause, but even if he was willing, the problem is his $5.25 million cap hit next season — with an actual salary of $6 million. With so many teams so tight to the ceiling, it’s going to be hard for someone to take it.

- That leaves us with Kris Russell, unrestricted at the end of the year. He’s down with the ship right now, no points at all after 63 the past two seasons. Word is he’d like to stay, and, in a perfect world, the Flames would like to keep him. Look at some of his contemporaries. Andrej Sekera jumped into the market and got $5.5 million. Teammate T.J. Brodie signed early, for $4.65 million. Chris Tanev signed early, for $4.45 million.

You could argue Russell may not be a first-pairing player, so let’s look at Mattias Ekholm. Obviously happy in NashVegas, Ekholm took $3.75 million from the Predators. He was to be unrestricted in 2017. Calgary would probably love to get Russell on that, but Ekholm plays six fewer minutes a night. This is an interesting card for the Flames to play — if they want to.

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