- Kent Wilson of the Calgary Herald feels that goaltender Daniel Vladar is Calgary’s most logical trade candidate at the moment. The 27-year-old is off to a nice start to his year after recovering from hip surgery and has a 2.65 GAA with a .906 SV% in his first nine starts, numbers that are well above league average. With several teams looking for goalie help and an affordable $2.2MM cap charge, the Flames could get a decent return for his services. Vladar is a pending unrestricted free agent and while it could make sense to try to keep him partnered with Dustin Wolf beyond this season, AHL netminder Devin Cooley is off to a dominant start in the minors (1.63 GAA, .947 SV% in ten games) and is making a push to get a look at the NHL level sooner than later himself.
Flames Rumors
Flames Recall Adam Klapka
- The Flames announced that winger Adam Klapka was recalled from AHL Calgary. He was sent down on Saturday and got into two games, picking up two goals and an assist. While Klapka is now on a five-game point streak at that level, he hasn’t recorded a point in his first five NHL contests so far this season. He’s likely to serve as the reserve forward tonight versus the Islanders.
Flames Re-Assign Adam Klapka
Saturday: Klapka has been reassigned to the minors, the Flames announced. While he was on the roster for three games, he didn’t suit up in any of them.
Monday: The Flames announced Monday that they’ve recalled forward Adam Klapka from AHL Calgary. He fills the roster spot vacated by Dryden Hunt, whose reassignment to the minors evaded our coverage over the weekend.
Klapka, 24, made the Flames’ opening night roster but was sent to the AHL on Oct. 30 to make room for Samuel Honzek, who was coming off injured reserve at the time. Honzek has since been sent to the minors, as the Flames have done quite a lot of roster shuffling regarding their young players over the past couple of weeks.
During that three-week window, Klapka was rostered for nine games, playing in five of them. The 6’7″, 238-lb center/winger failed to record a point but had a +1 rating, five blocks and 18 hits while averaging 8:27 per game. It was the Prague native’s second NHL trial after appearing in six games for the Flames last season, scoring his first NHL goal in the process.
The Flames acquired the towering forward when they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Czechia’s Bílí Tygři Liberec early in the 2022 offseason. He’s scored 37 goals, 39 assists and 76 points in 130 AHL games since, including five points through five games this season since being demoted late last month. He was a restricted free agent for over a month last summer before agreeing to a two-way deal ($775K/$100K) to bring him back to Calgary in mid-August.
Despite the recall, Klapka is expected to watch tonight’s game against the Kings from the press box, according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. Ryan Lomberg, Kevin Rooney and Justin Kirkland will continue to comprise the Flames’ fourth line.
Hunt was returned to the minors on Saturday night following the team’s shootout loss to the Sabres. He did not play during his brief two-day recall. Now in his third season with the Flames organization, the 28-year-old has two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 12 AHL games this year.
Anthony Mantha Out For Season, Needs ACL Surgery
Flames forward Anthony Mantha’s season is over after 13 games. The team announced he requires surgery to repair an ACL injury, which he’ll undergo on Thursday.
Mantha sustained the injury nearly a week ago, but the team had been silent about a potential timeline for his return. He suffered the ACL tear, likely a complete tear given the return timeline, after falling on his right knee following a hit from Canadiens forward Emil Heineman last Tuesday. He landed on injured reserve Thursday, at which point Flames head coach Ryan Huska said Mantha was still being evaluated.
It’s devastating for Mantha, a veteran looking to prove that last season’s resurgence was no fluke. Various injuries have plagued Mantha for much of his career, but never costing him as much time as this ACL tear will. After breaking the 20-goal plateau twice in his career early on with the Red Wings, Mantha seemed to rediscover his form last year, potting 20 goals in only 56 games with the Capitals before they were able to get a pair of draft picks from the Golden Knights at the trade deadline for his services. He finished the campaign with three goals and seven assists in 18 games for Vegas before hitting unrestricted free agency, where he landed a one-year, $3.5MM prove-it deal from the Flames.
This year, Mantha had four goals and three assists, although he also recorded a career-low 1.15 shots per game. He averaged 13:54 per game, his lowest as a full-time NHLer, and recorded eight blocks and 16 hits.
Mantha, 30, will now have plenty of time to recover before testing the UFA market again next summer. He’ll be on injured reserve for at least 100 days this season, meaning he’ll be eligible to sign a contract with performance bonuses.
Meanwhile, the Flames lose a veteran presence who they hoped would help add some punch to their depth scoring. Calgary, which has dropped to 7-5-3 following their early-season tear, are clicking at a 20th-place 2.80 goals per game, and even with Mantha not shooting the puck as much as they’d hoped, they’ll need to get more out of their young players to replace his production.
2021 first-round pick Matthew Coronato, who was assigned to the AHL for a brief period earlier this season, seems to be the one who stands to benefit most from the increased opportunity. He’s quickly heating up with five goals and an assist through 10 games, recording 18 shots on goal while averaging 14:12 per game.
Thanks to his earlier IR placement, Mantha is already off the active roster, but his $3.5MM cap hit is still in full effect. Given their $23.5MM in current space, it’s unlikely, but if the Flames need increased financial flexibility, they can move Mantha to long-term injured reserve at any time.
Flames Place Anthony Mantha On Injured Reserve, Recall Dryden Hunt
Flames winger Anthony Mantha has landed on injured reserve, per Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia. Head coach Ryan Huska told reporters earlier in the day, including Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg, that Mantha was still undergoing evaluation for a lower-body injury and would miss tonight’s game against the Bruins. The open roster spot is going to forward Dryden Hunt, who the team announced has been recalled from AHL Calgary.
Given his IR placement is retroactive to his last game (Nov. 5), Mantha will miss Calgary’s next three games and can return as soon as next Tuesday against the Canucks. The organization has yet to give him an official injury designation, so it’s unclear how much time, if any, he’ll miss past the mandatory minimum.
Mantha suffered the injury on Tuesday versus Montreal after falling awkwardly on his right knee after a hit from Emil Heineman. He got up under his own power and skated off the ice, albeit slowly, without the assistance of a trainer. He didn’t return to the game.
It’s been an inconsistent start in Calgary for Mantha, who inked a one-year, $3.5MM contract in free agency. The 6’5″ winger had two goals and two assists in his first three games but has gone cold since then, limited to three points in his last 10 appearances.
He’s averaging only 1.15 shots on goal per game, something Huska recently said has to change. “You saw tonight, there were multiple times he was standing right in front of the net,” Huska told reporters (including Gilbertson) after Sunday’s loss to the Oilers. “That’s how he scored his goal. And for a guy that is his size and has his ability with the puck, that’s what we need out of him.”
Kevin Rooney will enter the lineup in Mantha’s place after sitting as a healthy scratch three times in the last seven games, per Derek Willis of Sportsnet 960. Hunt comes up to serve as an extra body in case the Flames sustain any more injuries up front and need a last-minute fill-in. The 28-year-old had eight points in 28 games for Calgary last year and has 10 points in 12 AHL games so far this season.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Flames Recall Matt Coronato, Reassign Samuel Honzek
Forward Samuel Honzek’s return to the NHL will be shortlived despite playing in the Calgary Flames’ loss to the Utah Hockey Club last night. The organization announced Honzek has been reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, while forward Matthew Coronato has been recalled in his stead.
Honzek skated in 10:52 of yesterday’s action registering one block, two hits, one giveaway, and one takeaway. It was his first game back from an upper-body injury since October 15th after cracking Calgary’s roster out of training camp. It will be Honzek’s first time with the AHL Wranglers since registering two games last season after concluding his time with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants.
The former 16th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft could likely use an extended look in the AHL especially with the Flames regressing toward the mean. He was productive during his tenure in the WHL with 33 goals and 87 points in 76 games. Still, he only has seven professional games under his belt.
Calgary drafted Coronato 13th overall two years before Honzek and he’s a more established talent at the AHL level. He spent much of last year in AHL Calgary maintaining a point-per-game output with 15 goals and 42 points in 41 contests. His season was not as positive in the NHL with three goals and nine points in 34 games with a -15 rating.
He got off to a solid start this season scoring two goals in five games but was reassigned on October 25th in response to the activation of Yegor Sharangovich. As one of the top blossoming offensive talents in the Flames organization, it’ll be imperative for the coaching staff to find Coronato middle-six minutes throughout his time on the NHL roster.
Flames Activate Samuel Honzek From Injured Reserve
The Flames announced yesterday before their 5-1 loss to Utah that they’ve activated rookie Samuel Honzek from injured reserve. Adam Klapka was reassigned to AHL Calgary to open an active roster spot.
Honzek had been out of the lineup since sustaining an upper-body injury against the Blackhawks on Oct. 15, which occurred on a brutal hit from Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy late in the game. He was ruled week-to-week two days later before he landed on IR. The specific injury he sustained on the play remains unclear, but it cost him five games. He re-entered the lineup last night against Utah, posting a -1 rating in 10:52 of ice time.
Selected 16th overall in 2023, Honzek had an excellent preseason and truly earned a spot on the Flames’ opening night roster. That hasn’t yet translated to regular-season success, though, as he’s been held without a point and has six shots on goal in five appearances. That’s despite seeing a small bit of power play time and spending most of his time at even strength in first-line duties alongside Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko. He returned to the lineup yesterday in a slightly diminished even-strength role alongside Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman.
Nonetheless, his return gives the Flames a fully healthy NHL lineup that’s lost four straight in regulation after starting the season 5-0-1. It’s not an unexpected regression for the Flames, who many expected to be closer to lottery contenders than playoff ones after finishing 24th in the league last season and proceeding to trade away Andrew Mangiapane and Jacob Markström. Jake Bean and Anthony Mantha have been strong albeit inconsistent reinforcements acquired through free agency, though, and top goaltending prospect Dustin Wolf is holding his own with a .907 SV% and 1.8 GSAA through five starts.
Meanwhile, Klapka heads to the minors after cracking the Flames’ opening night roster. He’s been passed on the depth chart by veteran call-up Justin Kirkland, who’s notched five points in nine games and already leads Calgary forwards in blocks with 11. The 6’8″ right-winger was a healthy scratch in two out of their three games and scoreless in five appearances. The 24-year-old is still waiver-exempt, and his demotion was the most convenient and logical one to get Honzek back on the roster.
Calgary Flames Activate Yegor Sharangovich From IR
The red-hot Calgary Flames are getting a major offensive jolt off the injured reserve. The team announced they’ve activated Yegor Sharangovich from the injured reserve shortly before tonight’s matchup against the Winnipeg Jets.
Calgary didn’t need to make a corresponding roster move before the game tonight thanks to yesterday’s demotion of youngster Matthew Coronato. There are big expectations for Sharangovich in southern Alberta this year after a solid 31-goal, 59-point performance in the 2023-24 season.
Contractual expectations were added as well. The Flames signed Sharangovich to a five-year, $28.75MM extension this past offseason which begins at the end of his current deal marking a large commitment from an organization that was previously thought to be heavily retooling.
He hasn’t been able to build on any of those expectations yet this season. Sharangovich fell awkwardly into the boards of the Flames’ final preseason game, necessitating a move to the team’s injured reserve with a lower-body injury to start the year. Calgary’s offensive has been more than fine without Sharangovich up to this point. They’re off to a 5-1-1 record through seven games and sit ninth in the league in GF/G with 3.57.
He’s already reassumed his role on the team’s top line next to Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko. He’s been left off the scoresheet tonight so far after two periods against the Jets but has registered two hits on the night.
Bill Hay Passes Away At Age 88
Former Chicago Black Hawks player Bill ’Red’ Hay has passed away at the age of 88. Hay played through eight seasons in the NHL before pursuing a career as the Calgary Flames’ chief executive officer, then Hockey Canada’s President and chief operating officer. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2015 and honored in the ’Order of Hockey in Canada’ in 2021. He was born into a rich hockey family – the son of Charles Hay, who also served as Hockey Canada’s president at one point. Hay’s uncle Earl Miller was also a prolific hockey pro, playing six seasons in the IHL and five seasons in the NHL, including a tenure with the Black Hawks 20 years before his nephew would join the team.
Red Hay jumped into hockey prominence well ahead of his pro career. He played junior hockey with the Regina Pats in 1952 and 1954 – interrupted by a brief five games at the University of Saskatchewan. He recorded 78 points in 62 WJHL games with Regina and supported the team to a runner-up finish for the 1955 Memorial Cup, where his tournament-leading 23 points in 15 games weren’t enough to top a Toronto Marlboros roster led by Mike Nykoluk. With a hardy juniors career out of the way, Hay moved to Colorado College in 1955 and joined their hockey team in 1956. He’d proceed to have two legendary seasons with the Tigers program, totaling 153 points in 69 games with the school and leading them to an NCAA Tournament Championship in 1957. That stands as the most recent championship in Colorado College’s men’s hockey history, though the team continues to play at a top level today.
Hay would move to the senior WHL for a year with the Calgary Stampeders in 1958, then kick off a career with the NHL’s Black Hawks in 1959. He was an immediate sensation, recording 55 points in 70 games as a rookie – enough to beat out Murray Oliver, Ken Schinkel, and 19-year-old Stan Mikita for the 1960 Calder Trophy. Hay’s production grew through the next two seasons, even supporting Chicago to a Stanley Cup win in 1961. That season motivated Hay to a career-year in 1961-62 – when he tallied 63 points in 60 games – though he’d ultimately lose out in a return to the Cup Finals, getting trumped by a Maple Leafs program spearheaded by Frank Mahovlich and Dave Keon. Hay’s success continued beyond the disappointing end, and he’d ultimately total 386 points in 506 games, and eight seasons, with Chicago. His playing career came to a close in 1967, when a 31-year-old Hay was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 1967 Expansion Draft – and opted to pursue a managerial career rather than play for his franchise’s new rival. He was named Calgary’s CEO and Hockey Canada’s president in the early-1990s, serving as an instrumental piece of the merge between Hockey Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association years later.
Hay was born into a successful hockey family and properly carried the torch through over 40 years in high-end roles. His influence carries on through the success of Colorado College, the Calgary Flames, and Hockey Canada as a whole. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to his friends, families, and all those impacted by his half-century career influencing top hockey.
Salary Cap Deep Dive: Calgary Flames
Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office. Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful. Those that don’t often see struggles and front office changes.
PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season. This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL. All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia. We’re currently covering the Pacific Division, next up is the Flames.
Calgary Flames
Current Cap Hit: $69,288,958 (below the $88MM Upper Limit)
Entry-Level Contracts
F Matthew Coronato (one year, $925K)
F Samuel Honzek (three years, $918K)
F Connor Zary (one year, $863K)
Potential Bonuses
Coronato: $850K
Honzek: $500K
Zary: $212.5K
Total: $1.5625MM
When he was with the Flames, Coronato’s role and production were limited and he was deployed the same way early on this year before being demoted earlier this week. With that in mind, a short-term bridge deal is likely coming his way, one that shouldn’t cost much more than his current deal. Meanwhile, his bonuses are unlikely to be met. Honzek made the team out of camp, playing his first four NHL games but has already landed on IR. It’s too early to forecast what his next deal will be while his bonuses aren’t likely to be reached unless there is a portion split off for games played.
Zary, meanwhile, is a bit more established after getting into 63 games last season where he averaged over half a point per game. He’s at a better rate in the early going this year while ranking in the top five for ATOI. Someone with this type of profile could land a longer-term agreement which would likely push past the $5MM mark. The safer bet here would be a bridge deal, however, one starting with a three. If he stays at his current pace, he should easily reach his one ‘A’ bonus.
Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level
D Kevin Bahl ($1.05MM, RFA)
D Tyson Barrie ($1.25MM, UFA)
D Joel Hanley ($787.5K, UFA)
F Adam Klapka ($775K, RFA)
F Andrei Kuzmenko ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Anthony Mantha ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Brayden Pachal ($775K, UFA)
F Kevin Rooney ($1.3MM, UFA)
G Dan Vladar ($2.2MM, UFA)
Kuzmenko is one of the more intriguing potential unrestricted free agents this coming summer. His first year was quite impressive with 39 goals and 74 points but there was still some uncertainty about his repeatability, leading to this contract. That wound up being wise for Vancouver as Kuzmenko struggled last season to the point of being a cap dump to the Flames. To his credit, he played better after the swap and is off to a good start this season. If he gets back to that 30-goal mark and shows that last year was the outlier, he could still land a contract around this price point with a bit more term this time around heading into his age-29 year. But if he struggles again, something closer to $4MM might be where he lands.
Mantha didn’t have a strong market this past summer, leading to this contract where he’s hoping to play a big role and show that he’s worth a pricey long-term agreement. He’s off to a decent start early on and the perceived upside might still be there. If he rebounds, something in the $5MM range could happen; otherwise, he could stay around this price tag. Rooney has had a very limited role with the Flames over his first two-plus seasons with them. Accordingly, he should be closer to the league minimum moving forward. Klapka has seen fourth-line action in his limited NHL minutes. Accordingly, while his qualifying offer is for just under $814K, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Calgary offer a deal for the minimum with a higher AHL salary next time.
Barrie had a rough year last season and despite a track record of being a solid offensive producer from the back end, his market basically cratered to the point of needing to take a PTO. With a limited role early on, it’s hard to project much of a raise at this point unless he can secure a full-time spot. Bahl is more of a throwback stay-at-home defender and the lack of offensive numbers will hurt him. Still, he’s viewed as part of their longer-term plans so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a four or five-year deal come his way with a price tag starting with a three.
Hanley hasn’t played much in the NHL in recent years but he has also been a full-time NHL player since the 2020-21 campaign, albeit primarily in a seventh role. That’s likely to keep him around the minimum next time out, probably again on a one-way price tag. Pachal has also spent a lot of time in the sixth or seventh role and while he’s getting a chance to play more regularly in Calgary, it’s still on the third pairing. Accordingly, it’s hard to see him landing much more than $1MM next summer.
Vladar struggled considerably last season before undergoing hip surgery. If he were to repeat the same type of performance this year, he’d be looking at closer to half of this price point. However, indications are that he’s now healthier than he was the last couple of years and is off to a good start in limited action. Given the ups and downs, he’s probably not going to be able to command top dollar for a backup option but the two-year, $6.6MM deal Laurent Brossoit received from Chicago this summer might be doable if Vladar has a bounce-back year.
Signed Through 2025-26
D Rasmus Andersson ($4.55MM, UFA)
F Mikael Backlund ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Jake Bean ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Ryan Lomberg ($2MM, UFA)
D Daniil Miromanov ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Martin Pospisil ($1MM, RFA)
G Dustin Wolf ($850K, RFA)
At 35, Backlund is nearing the end of his playing days but he still played top-line minutes last season and is averaging even more early on this year. As long as he can hold down a regular spot in the top six and be his usually strong self defensively, Calgary will do well with this deal. If that holds up through next season, another short-term contract in this price range could happen.
Lomberg was brought over from Florida in free agency on a deal that will be tough to justify from a value perspective as this contract for a player coming off a seven-point season isn’t much bang for the buck. However, GM Craig Conroy identified that he wanted to add some grit and the fact it cost this much to get him suggests he had a relatively strong market. Pospisil wound up on a bridge deal after only securing a regular NHL spot last season. Even so, it’s a team-friendly agreement and if he shows he’s capable of more offensively, it will be a significant bargain. If he can move into a top-six role – something they’ve already experimented with – he could triple this (or more) in 2026.
At the time Andersson’s deal was signed, it looked a bit risky. He hadn’t recorded more than 22 points in a season and had yet to average 20 minutes a game. However, it has worked out arguably better than Calgary could have hoped for. His offensive production has improved considerably, topped by a 50-point effort in 2021-22. He has become an all-situations player who has played on the top pairing for the last few years. That alone will help give him a very strong market in free agency before even considering the fact he’s a right-shot player, the side that is always in premium demand. A max-term deal with an AAV starting with a seven looks like a given at this point, if not more.
Bean came to his hometown team after being non-tendered by Columbus, taking a pay cut in the process to do so. Once touted as a high-end prospect, he has settled in more as a depth defender to this point in his career. This price tag for a regular on the third pairing is manageable but he’ll need to find a way to at least get into a number five slot if he wants to beat $2MM again next time out. Miromanov was acquired and quickly extended last season, giving him some security and Calgary a low-cost two-year look at a player who had shown flashes of upside in his limited action with Vegas. At this point, establishing himself as a full-timer is the first goal, one that would allow him to stay around this price tag. If he works his way into a fourth or fifth role between now and then, doubling this (or a bit more) could be doable.
Wolf already looks like quite a bargain given some of the other contracts promising but unproven goalies have signed recently (with an AAV higher than Wolf’s total contract value). He’s their goalie of the future and if he locks down the starting role by then, his next deal should vault past the $5MM mark at a minimum.
Signed Through 2026-27
F Blake Coleman ($4.9MM, UFA)
Coleman had a breakout performance last season, notching 30 goals while passing the 40-point mark for the first time of his career. From a value perspective, this price tag would be a bargain if he could maintain that type of output. Of course, his point total is usually in the 30s and at that level, this is an above-market contract. That said, with the role he fills and Calgary’s cap space, it’s not an overpayment they’re probably too concerned about at this point.
