Flames take chance on Aucoin

With Roman Hamrlik and Brad Stuart set to vacate the premises via free agency, Calgary needs some bodies on the blueline and the Blackhawks were only too happy to continue their salary purge by unloading Adrian Aucoin’s $4-million contract for the next two seasons.

For all of the accolades Aucoin received prelockout, he’s posted more than 35 points just once in his career and was both oft-injured and ineffective in two terrible seasons in Chicago. Still, he should be a decent enough player in a support role, even at 34, just as long as no one expects their money’s worth.

Nice parlay by the Blackhawks; I think this team just might finally be on the upswing — and all it took was a decade of bottom feeding.