The Calgary Flames have signed defenseman Brett Kulak to a one-year, two-way deal worth $650K at the NHL level, reports Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg. Kulak was a restricted free agent coming off his three-year entry-level contract this offseason.
Kulak—drafted in the fourth round of the 2012 NHL draft by the Flames—has bounced between the Flames and its AHL affiliate Stockton Heat. Last season Kulak played 21 NHL games and earned 3 assists. In 22 AHL games he scored 2 goals and 8 assists.
Kulak will compete for one of the last defensive spots open on the Flames’ blueline. Right now the team has five defensemen signed for at least three more seasons, and a sixth in Matt Bartkowski on an expiring deal. If Kulak wants to earn a raise next season, he’ll have to fight his way into the lineup.
The signing leaves the Flames with two RFAs left to sign—forward Sam Bennett and defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon. The team has approximately $7MM in cap space to fit in those two players before the season starts.
They have exactly $7,165,790MM in cap space.