The only way I can see a rental making sense for the Flames is if the acquisition cost is super low AND if they can shed Wideman's salary.
Heck, at this point, shedding anything possible from Wideman to absorb bonus overages would be a win. Kulak is a perfectly good replacement to still have 8 NHL-proven D for playoff depth, and even Wotherspoon would be better now.
If you can get a RW who can play in the top 9, but also be effective on the 4th line (essentially, depth/injury insurance) and that is super cheap, that may be the only thing in terms of rentals to look at.
Now, if you can swing a deal for a guy who fits in the top 9 long term, that is a trade to consider. It would mean leaving Brouwer exposed, which to me is not a bad thing - either he goes and you retool the lines, or he is left and Vegas takes a younger guy like Kulak, Jokipakka, Shinkaruk, etc.
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