- The Flames were hoping to act as a third-party broker heading into the deadline, relays Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Herald. However, it doesn’t appear that any options were available to Calgary on rental contracts. While they had options to act as a retainer for a contract that ran through next season, Calgary was not willing to take on dead money beyond this year, keeping their salary cap flexibility as much as possible.
Flames Rumors
Flames’ Dustin Wolf Should Be Separating From Calder Trophy Pack
The 2025 Calder Trophy race is living up to every bit of the excitement it’s built up over the last few years. There are star options at every single position, with San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov, and Montreal Canadiens defender Lane Hutson receiving the most acclaim. But the focus on high-scoring skaters has left behind the focus that should be going to star Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, as he nearly single-handedly blazes a rebuilding Flames to the postseason.
Wolf has been dazzling since the start of the season. He opened the year with a three-game win streak and .936 save percentage. By the end of December, Wolf had full claim over Calgary’s starter’s crease, and a fantastic 12-5-2 record and .914 save percentage to show for it. Even better, he’s managed to find a second gear since the calendar turned over. Wolf ranks ninth in the NHL with 10 wins, and sixth in save percentage with a .916, since January 1st. His statline has placed him in the company of potential Vezina Trophy candidates like Connor Hellebuyck, Logan Thompson, and Darcy Kuemper.
The performance is almost hard to believe. Wolf’s season-long .915 save percentage ranks sixth in the NHL this season – and marks the highest from a U24 starting goaltender since Jeremy Swayman managed the same total in 2021-22. At an age where the top echelon of goaltender begin to separate from the pack, Wolf has shown his ability to perform on a nightly basis.
Even better, he’s managed it behind a Flames roster that entered the season seemingly in the midst of a rebuild. Calgary is on the tail end of one of the biggest fire-sales in recent memory, shipping off each of Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Jacob Markstrom, Andrew Mangiapane, Elias Lindholm, and Nikita Zadorov in and around the the 2023-24 season. That’s massive turnover – and forced big roles onto veterans that stuck around, like Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri, and top youngsters, like Matthew Coronato, Connor Zary, and Kevin Bahl. The ensuing instability has shown in Calgary’s on-ice results. They’ve allowed the eighth-most shots-against per-game this season (29.2), and the highest expected goals-against per-60 (xGA/60) of any Western Conference team in the race for the playoffs (2.43) per MoneyPuck.
Despite the bombardment they face, Calgary has also allowed the 12th-fewest goals of any team in the league (181). Wolf’s consistency has willed the Flames to the Western Conference’s second Wild Card slot, even as they sit with a -20 goal differential (161-to-181). They’ve allowed the 12th-fewest goals in the league, with Wolf on track to record 50 starts in his rookie season.
It’s far harder to measure a goaltender’s value at a glance than it is to measure a skater’s. Hutson, Celebrini, and Michkov leading NHL rookies in scoring with
49, 48, and 47 points respectively puts them into a clear top-notch group. Hutson leading the pack as a defenseman is an even deeper sentiment. But none of the trio have quite broken away from the rest of their position group. Celebrini and Michkov remain buried in forward scoring. Hutson ranks eighth in points from a defenseman, though he’s the only one in the top 10 with a negative plus-minus. Meanwhile, Wolf ranks sixth in save percentage (.915), 11th in total wins (22), and 13th in goals-against average (2.52). He’s quickly jumped into company with the NHL’s best netminders in his first real opportunity, all while operating with the precedent of a former seventh-round pick standing at just six-foot tall.
The Calder Trophy hasn’t gone to a netminder since Steve Mason won it with the 2008-09 Columbus Blue Jackets. Mason tied for the 11th-highest save percentage (.916) and 10th-most wins (33), and outright earned the second-highest goals-against average (2.29) that season. The Calder win was marked by Mason quickly earning Columbus’ starting role and near single-handedly willing the team to their first postseason berth in franchise history, after seven years without one. His performance may stand a slide head taller than Wolf’s, but the two seasons are eerily similar. Mason beat out (second in voting), Drew Doughty (fifth), and Steven Stamkos (ninth) – among others – for the 2009 Calder Trophy. Wolf’s competition may be a bit more direct this year – but past precedent could, and should, be enough to bestow the new face of Calgary’s crease with the Rookie of the Year title.
Calgary Flames Reassign Adam Klapka
- The Calgary Flames are making Adam Klapka available to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the 2025 Calder Cup playoffs, per a team report. Similarly to Kolosov, this reassignment may extend through the deadline. Klapka has spent much of the year in AHL Calgary, scoring 13 goals and 25 points in 31 contests. He’s been far less utilized by the Flames, registering one goal in 13 contests and averaging 8:10 of ice time per game.
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Calgary Flames Reassign Ilya Solovyov
- In a move similar to the Blackhawks, the Calgary Flames announced that they have reassigned defenseman Ilya Solovyov to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. The Mogilev, Belarus native has again spent much of the time in the AHL this season, scoring six goals and 21 points in 43 contests. His point production is good for fourth on the team among defensemen, and his +16 rating is the second-best.
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Calgary Flames Sign Connor Murphy To One-Year Contract
According to a team announcement, the Calgary Flames have signed netminder Connor Murphy to a two-way NHL contract for the remainder of the season.
Murphy had been playing on an AHL contract for the last two years. The Hudson Falls, NY native joined the Flames organization as an undrafted free agent after a four-year collegiate career split between Northeastern University and Union College.
He didn’t receive much playing time as a freshman and sophomore with the Huskins, leading Murphy to transfer to the Garnet Chargers ahead of the 2021-22 NCAA season. He performed well in eastern New York, securing a 14-18-3 record in 37 games during his junior year with a .919 SV% and 2.66 GAA. Unfortunately, Murphy took a step back in his last collegiate season, managing a 12-17-1 record in 31 appearances with a .889 SV% and 3.34 GAA.
Since joining the Flames organization, he’s had opposite seasons. Murphy performed quite well for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers in the 2023-24 season while having lackluster results with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush. The same isn’t true this season.
Throughout his two-year professional career, Murphy has accrued a 6-6-3 record in AHL Calgary with a .912 SV% and 2.91 GAA. In the ECHL, the 26-year-old has a 15-16-5 record in 37 contests with a .906 SV% and 3.20 GAA.
Pacific Notes: Flames, Thrun, Gibson
The Calgary Flames have defined the last two Trade Deadlines by selling a suite of impactful veterans, but they’re set up to take much more of a back seat this year. General manager Craig Conroy told Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that their focus continues to be adding young players to round out their existing core – not to bring in any major additions. Conroy went on to add that the Flames would be interested in adding a left-shot defender, but that any deal would need to make sense for the club.
Calgary won’t have a ton of trade chips to move at the deadline, with veterans Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson, and MacKenzie Weegar all on the untouchables list. Conroy told Francis that their lack of assets has limited the calls the Flames are receiving – but that the market is also quieter than in years past. He went on to praise the efforts of players like Joel Hanley, Ilya Solovyov, and Jake Bean – who would stand in direct competition of any defenders acquired via trade.
The expressed interest could connect Calgary to a scant defender market at the deadline. Vancouver’s Carson Soucy, San Jose’s Mario Ferraro, and Pittsburgh’s Matt Grzelcyk headline a market full of middling left-defenders. The market price has already been set, after New York Rangers defender Ryan Lindgren was traded to the Colorado Avalanche alongside Jimmy Vesey in exchange for Juuso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, and two draft picks.
Other notes from out West:
- Speaking of left-defense, the San Jose Sharks will be without youngster Henry Thrun in Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators per Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey Now. Thrun has one goal and 10 points in 51 games this season – one fewer than he scored in just as many games last year. The former Harvard Crimson captain is still very early in his career, but has improved his standing in San Jose’s lineup seemingly every night. He played a career-high 24 minutes in San Jose’s Monday loss to the Winnipeg Jets, and averaged 17 minutes per night on the year. San Jose will turn Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Jack Thompson – who have been exchanging minutes of their own – to fill in for Thrun’s absence.
- Netminder John Gibson will draw back in for the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday per Derek Lee of The Hockey News. Gibson has missed Anaheim’s last three games after sustaining an upper-body injury on February 22nd. The Ducks recalled Oscar Dansk to serve as the backup behind Lukas Dostal in Gibson’s absence. Dansk has posted an .886 save percentage and 10-10-3 record in 27 AHL games this season. He’s been reassigned to the minor leagues per Mathieu Sheridan of The Hockey News. Meanwhile Gibson will return to platooning in the starter’s role, looking to build on his .916 save percentage and 9-9-2 record amid a resurging season.
Flames Expected To Activate Connor Zary, Kevin Bahl
The Calgary Flames are expected to activate forward Connor Zary and defenseman Kevin Bahl off of injured reserve ahead of Sunday night’s game, per Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. Zary has sat out of Calgary’s last 15 games with a knee injury, while Bahl missed the last eight games. Both players have served impactful roles this season, making their returns a notable addition to a Flames lineup just three points back from a Western Conference Wild Card.
Of the pair, Bahl has been the more utilized Flame so far this year. The 24-year-old defender joined Calgary in the trade that sent Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey this summer, and quickly claimed a top-four role in his new setting. He’s posted a tame stat line, with 14 points, a plus-one, 29 penalty minutes, 67 hits, and 79 blocked shots through 47 games this season – while spending much of it lined up next to top Flames defender Rasmus Andersson. That premier partnership has helped Bahl’s average ice time jump north of 21 minutes, nearly four minutes more than he averaged in New Jersey last season. While he still has improvement to go, this season has been Bahl’s first making a top-of-the-lineup claim, after last season marked his first full season in the NHL. He should quickly return to that top-pair role when he’s able to return, likely bumping Ilya Solovyov out of the lineup.
Zary’s bid back into the lineup will be a bit tougher to anticipate. The Flames added Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost and parted ways with Andrei Kuzmenko via trade during Zary’s absence. That’s sparked a lineup shakeup that Zary will now have to find his footing within. Farabee and Frost have filled a third-line role alongside Yegor Sharangovich, which should leave a top-six role next to Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman open for Zary. But the young forward will need to earn his footing. He has 10 goals and 22 points in 40 games this season, a slight uptick to the 14 goals and 34 points he scored as a rookie last year. If Zary can continue to grow that scoring upside, and his knack for making big plays – his return could be the piece that solidifies Calgary’s top-nine as a group to envy. But tepid offense could be the piece that necessitates further changes.
The pair of returns will give Calgary their first chance to see their roster at full-strength after their trade with Philadelphia. Zary and Bahl are two young, impactful pieces of the Flames lineup – and stood as two of the biggest bright spots on the year before they fell to injury. How the lineup performs amid their return will be closely scrutinized, as Calgary hones in on a potentially lucrative Trade Deadline.
Flames Waive, Reassign Tyson Barrie
Feb. 21, 1:43 p.m.: Barrie cleared waivers Friday, per PuckPedia. The AHL’s transaction log reflects he’d been loaned to the Wranglers.
Feb. 20, 1:04 p.m.: Barrie has indeed hit waivers, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports.
Feb. 20, 11:52 a.m.: The Flames will place defenseman Tyson Barrie on waivers today, per Frank Seravalli of Sportsnet. If no team issues a claim, he’ll head to AHL Calgary.
Saying Barrie has barely played this season would be an understatement. After catching on in Calgary on a camp tryout and subsequently landing a one-year, $1.25MM deal, the 33-year-old has failed to mesh. He’s made just 13 appearances despite remaining healthy for the entirety of the campaign, recording a goal and two assists with a minus-seven rating while averaging 15:48 per game, the lowest deployment of his 14-year career.
Between mid-November and mid-January, Barrie went more than two months without playing, eventually seeing two games of AHL ice on a conditioning stint that didn’t require waivers. He posted another goal and two assists in those contests and was back in the NHL less than a week later. He’s skated in four games since that conditioning stint wrapped up but, despite recording an assist in his return against the Capitals on Jan. 28, posted a negative rating in all of those appearances. He was again scratched for three of Calgary’s final four contests before the 4 Nations Face-Off.
Thus, the Barrie experiment with the Flames is all but over. They recalled youngsters Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov from the minors yesterday, so they’ll be the ones responsible for taking over the veteran’s limited NHL minutes.
Whether anyone wants to take a flyer on the former top-four option, who had 55 points as recently as two years ago with the Oilers and Predators, remains to be seen. The 2009 third-round pick has a 110-398–508 scoring line in 822 career appearances with Colorado, Edmonton, Nashville, Toronto, and Calgary, ranking ninth in scoring among defensemen since he debuted in the 2011-12 campaign. His career -83 rating is also the 10th-worst among D-men during that span, though, and power-play points have accounted for 42% of his career total.
Waiving Barrie gives the Flames the roster spot they’ll need to activate Connor Zary from injured reserve ahead of their return to play this weekend against the Sharks. Zary’s missed 15 games with a lower-body injury but has practiced with Calgary this week, so he may be an option.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Flames Recall Adam Klapka
The Flames summoned forward Adam Klapka from AHL Calgary on Friday, per a team announcement. Defenseman Yan Kuznetsov is headed back to the minors after being summoned earlier this week to practice with the club in a corresponding transaction. They have 22 players on the active roster but will have 21 after Tyson Barrie clears waivers or is claimed.
Klapka, 24, had been up with the Flames for a couple of weeks prior to the 4 Nations break. The massive 6’8″, 235-lb right-winger made the opening night roster but has been shuttled between leagues on a few occasions since, only suiting up in 12 NHL contests this season. He’s got a goal, a plus-one rating, 15 PIMs, and 16 shots in those appearances while averaging a paltry 8:12 per game. His career NHL games played tally is now at 18 after suiting up six times for the Flames last year.
An undrafted free agent signing out of the Czech Extraliga in 2022, Klapka is now in his third season in the Flames organization. Most of that time has been spent with the AHL’s Wranglers, where he’s emerged as a strong scoring threat with 47-49–96 in 156 career games. The power forward has upped his game this year, recording 25 points and 50 PIMs through 31 minor-league appearances. His 13 goals are tied for fourth on the club despite spending a good chunk of time on the NHL roster.
He should continue getting some looks in a fourth-line role, although playing time will be harder to come by with Connor Zary widely expected to come off injured reserve before Sunday’s game against the Sharks. If that’s the case, he projects to serve as the 13th forward for that contest while Martin Pospisil skates with Ryan Lomberg and Kevin Rooney on the fourth line.
Kuznetsov heads back after being recalled along with Ilya Solovyov earlier in the week. The latter remains on the roster, but his inclusion in the lineup this weekend is dependent on the health of Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl. Andersson may join the list of players returning from the 4 Nations Face-Off who are getting rest this weekend, while Bahl remains on injured reserve for the time being with the upper-body injury he sustained late last month.
Flames Recall Yan Kuznetsov, Ilya Solovyov
The Flames announced Wednesday they’ve recalled defensemen Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov from AHL Calgary. The pair gives the Flames 22 players – including nine defensemen – on their active roster, so further moves will be made before they return to action against the Sharks on Sunday.
Kuznetsov, 22, lands his first recall since being cut from the team’s training camp roster in October. The 2020 second-round pick made his NHL debut last season, posting a minus-one rating in 12 minutes of ice time against the Senators on Jan. 9, 2024, in his lone big-league showing.
A massive 6’5″, 220-lb lefty who specializes as a stay-at-home piece, Kuznetsov is enjoying a breakout campaign in the minors. He’s posted a respectable 3-11–14 scoring line through 49 games, and his pairing with Solovyov has been the best the club offers. Kuznetsov and Solovyov rank first and second on the team with +22 and +16 ratings, respectively, a +11 margin over third place among defenders.
Kuznetsov’s defensive awareness and physical game are intriguing, especially since he does so without taking a ton of penalties. He’s never topped 30 PIMs in an AHL season and has 22 this year. A rare USHL (2019 with the Sioux Falls Stampede) and Memorial Cup (2022 with the Saint John Sea Dogs) champion with a collegiate stint at UConn in between, he’s taken a winding road to NHL minutes and will now get another look on the roster with Kevin Bahl on injured reserve.
Solovyov’s recall is a paper move. Calgary recalled the 24-year-old Belarusian shortly before the 4 Nations break. He made his season debut against the Kraken on Feb. 8, skating over 19 minutes in his 11th career NHL appearance. The 2020 seventh-rounder has three assists with a minus-four rating in the NHL dating back to his debut last year, taking 12 shots on goal and averaging north of 16 minutes per game.
The latter plays the more offensively involved game of the two, relying more on his puckhandling ability and breakout passing to be effective. The lefty still has great size at 6’3″ and 209 lbs, though, and has posted a career-best 6-15–21 scoring line through 43 AHL appearances this season.