On the Wild's only regulation goal of the night, Jarome Iginla tried to get the puck out of the Flames' zone and it deflected off Ryan Suter's skate and right to Devin Setoguchi. Iginla appeared to be coasting after the blotched clearing attempt, all the while Kyle Brodziak received the Setoguchi pass, made a move and scored. Iginla was the closest back-checking Flame, not looking to make an effort to make a play on it.
That's not the mark of a passionate player Not the leadership by example Iginla has been known for. Not what anyone wants in a franchise player.
The Fan 960's Rhett Warrener said as much when it comes to Iginla this morning.
Of course, if Iginla gets traded, he's going to have to approve it and who knows if he would or not. While he loves being in Calgary, is he more of a detriment to the team than an asset, even as a captain. For a guy who is on the last year of his contract, you don't see the intensity that Iginla has had in the past.
Maybe it's because he didn't intensely skate during the lockout and it's taking a while to get his step back, but he's not showing the signs of being the Jarome Iginla that made him a folk-hero in Calgary and the NHL starting back in the 2004 playoffs.
To be honest, Iginla is on a team that he is a superstar on a team who doesn't seem to have much else in the past, which put him into the role that he is in right now. If he gets traded to a contender, he wouldn't be in such a prime role that he is in Calgary. He'd be a depth player who wouldn't be called on to be the superstar player that Calgary fans and coaching think he should be right now.
If Iginla wants to be traded, he'll be able to choose his destination and the Flames management will have to work around what he wants because of the No-Move Clause in his contract. Most teams may not see that he still has that spark he seems to be missing, which means little return for the Flames; but are they better off with him slumping and looking out of sort or are they better off without him??
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