The Flames have signed defenseman Brayden Pachal to a two-year, $2.375MM contract extension, per a team announcement. The righty was set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer.
Pachal, 25, is now in his fourth NHL season but only his second with significant playing time. An undrafted free agent signing by the Golden Knights from the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders in 2019, Pachal made his NHL debut with Vegas in the 2021-22 campaign and recorded a goal and two assists in 29 games over the following three seasons, spending most of his time in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights. His minutes were far from heavy in Vegas, averaging 14:58 per game, but he was a compelling physical presence with 36 blocks and 78 hits. That didn’t translate into overly impressive shot-suppression numbers, though, controlling 47.6% of shot attempts at even strength.
Naturally, that wasn’t enough to establish himself as a regular on the Knights’ blue line, one of the deepest in the league. Vegas placed him on waivers in February last season to sneak him back to Henderson, but the Flames submitted a claim and snagged him off the wire.
Not only did Pachal establish himself as a regular, he played in all 33 of Calgary’s remaining games, posting six points with a -1 rating while averaging 14:43 per contest. His performance level wasn’t much different, but it was more than competent enough to aid a Flames defense that was losing many core pieces, such as Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov.
It’s been more of the same for Pachal this season. He’s appeared in all 31 Flames games, playing solidly bottom-pairing minutes with a 14:31 ATOI. He has two points with a -4 rating, 34 blocks and 72 hits and has suited up on Calgary’s second penalty-killing unit alongside MacKenzie Weegar. His possession metrics at even strength have taken a demonstrable step forward, controlling 53.1% of shot attempts and 46.8% of expected goals. That’s enough to make him a serviceable bottom-pairing option on a team with playoff hopes, such as the Flames, who sit one point back of the Avalanche for the second wild-card spot in the West with two games in hand.
It’s an extremely low-risk move for Calgary. His $1.19MM cap hit starting next season is a few hundred thousand dollars over the maximum buriable threshold, so his cap impact would be negligible if things go awry and Pachal ends up back in the minors.
Pachal will be eligible for unrestricted free agency when his new deal expires in 2027. He becomes the sixth defenseman signed to a one-way contract for Calgary next season, joining Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, Jake Bean, Daniil Miromanov, and Ilya Solovyov. Kevin Bahl is now their lone notable pending RFA while pending UFAs Tyson Barrie and Joel Hanley appear unlikely to return at this stage unless it’s in reduced capacities.
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