STEMPNIAK, LANGKOW SWAPPED
The Calgary Flames acquired winger Lee Stempniak from the Phoenix Coyotes for center Daymond Langkow.
What does it give the Calgary Flames
With this move, Flames GM Jay Feaster cuts roughly $2.6 million in salary cap space from his vet-laden club for the upcoming season. Langkow will turn 35 in September and played only four games last campaign due to a neck injury, so the addition of Stempniak is a solid one (even if he's not quite as well-rounded as Langkow). The Flames are deep enough at center to not miss Langkow much--Brendan Morrison was re-signed, and they clearly expect Mikael Backlund to take the next step this season, with David Moss also possibly playing an important role at pivot. Stempniak will bring some jump to the wing. The Flames think he can play in their top six up front.
What does it give the Phoenix Coyotes
The 'Yotes can use Langkow's leadership, and especially his ability at center---a position Phoenix has little depth at. If Langkow can manage to stay mostly healthy he'll help out a lot. Meanwhile, Phoenix has some talented youngsters needing more time on the wings (Mikkel Boedker, Brett MacLean, etc.) so moving Stempniak won't hurt much there. Phoenix adds a lot of payroll here, but with Langkow headed for UFA status after this season, this is a solid short-term move.
Fantasy impact
