Flames refuse to pay the price to land Senators' Dzingel

On Thursday, NHL insider Darren Dreger made it pretty clear that Ottawa Senators Ryan Dzingel will be moved ahead of the Feb.25 trade deadline. 

“I’m pretty sure he’s getting traded,” predicted Dreger on the air of Edmonton's TSN 1260. “There’s been a fair bit of speculation around him. And look, honestly it’s weird that this guy doesn’t attract more attention. He scored another goal last night in a win - a big win - for the Senators over the Colorado Avalanche. He finds a way to put the puck in the net, and he’s tracking on a real nice season. A decent skater, smart, so there’s good hockey IQ there.

However, he probably did not anticipate that the Calgary Flames would refuse to pay the price to land the services of the veteran forward. 

On Friday, a Montreal blogger from Dans les Coulisses Kevin Vallee revealed that, after speaking with a source from the Flames, the Senators are reportedly seeking a first round pick in return for Dzingel. 

Vallee added that while talks were underway between the two Canadian teams, it seems that the Sens' demands have stopped the Flames in their tracks. While Calgary is willing to negotiate, the team has reportedly made it clear that there is no way it is giving away their first round pick. 

Dzingel is in the second season of a two-year, $3.6 million contract, which carries a cap hit of $1.8 million, and he can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

While the Senators are mainly focused on re-signing star players Matt Duchene and Mark Stone ahead of July 1st, Dzingel might fall off the list of priorities. If the Sens do not want to lose him for nothing, it seems likely, as many insiders predict, that the 26-year-old forward will be moved prior to the trade deadline. 

Will another team accept their asking price?