The race to acquire Jarome Iginla at the trade deadline is about to get really hot.
Renaud Lavoie of RDS reports (link in French) the Flames captain has submitted a list of four teams he’d approve a trade to. Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh are his desired locations and it appears he’s very serious about winning the Stanley Cup this year.
All four teams are at or near the very top of the standings in their conferences and Iginla’s desire to play in any of those places shouldn’t be a shock. With Calgary fighting to just make the playoffs and Iginla slated to be an unrestricted free agent this summer, it’s an optimal time for Flames GM Jay Feaster to move him to a contender.
Now the question is: Who steps up with the best deal to obtain him?
Pittsburgh has plenty of defensive prospects to put into an offer. Chicago is stocked with depth at forward while L.A. has a balance at both positions as well as goaltender Jonathan Bernier in case the Flames might be looking to the future in goal as well. Boston has some intriguing prospects as well and CSNNE.com’s Joe Haggerty says the team is prepared to push for him.