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Minor Transactions: 2/18/25

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The transaction wire is active again today, with many teams hosting their first practices in over a week. The regular season schedule after the 4 Nations Face-Off resumes this weekend, so the players who teams reassigned to the minors over the break to continue playing will be added back to rosters today and tomorrow to make them eligible to practice with their NHL teammates. Here are all of today’s moves that largely constituted reversals of pre-break demotions.

  • The Hurricanes announced they’ve promoted defenseman Riley Stillman from AHL Chicago. While he’d been off the roster for a few days already prior to the break, he’s been a frequent traveler between Carolina and Chicago this season. He was last rostered for a game on Jan. 28 against the Rangers – his season debut, in which he recorded a fight and a shot on goal in 7:40 of ice time. A routine healthy scratch/extra defenseman, Stillman is close to requiring waivers again to head to the minors after clearing them in November. The 26-year-old has 2-3–5 with 41 PIMs and a minus-three rating in 20 AHL contests this year.
  • The Stars announced they’ve recalled defenseman Lian Bichsel from AHL Texas. He was quietly shuttled down on Feb. 8 after making eight straight appearances for Dallas leading into the break. The 2022 first-rounder has 2-3–5 and a plus-six rating through his first 16 career NHL games, all coming this season, and will continue in a regular role for the time being with Miro Heiskanen and Nils Lundkvist on the shelf.
  • The Canucks announced they’ve promoted all of center Nils Åman, forward Arshdeep Bains, and defenseman Elias Pettersson from AHL Abbotsford. They also added goalie Arturs Silovs from the Baby Canucks on an emergency loan and will have Nikita Tolopilo around as a practice goaltender until Kevin Lankinen is ready to return from representing Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off, although the latter won’t take up a roster spot. Åman and Pettersson were sent to Abbotsford on Feb. 8, but this is Bains’ first recall since late November. The 24-year-old winger had one goal and a minus-four rating in 11 games earlier this season but has remained a near point-per-game threat in the minors, posting 7-20–27 in 32 AHL games. He’ll now get another crack at NHL minutes in the final season of his entry-level contract. Silovs, who’s struggled to the tune of a 1-4-1 record and .847 SV% in seven NHL appearances this season, will come up to serve as Lankinen’s No. 2 with Thatcher Demko still dealing with the undisclosed injury that caused him to leave Vancouver’s last pre-break game against the Maple Leafs. Tolopilo’s stay will be brief, and the 24-year-old will return to Abbotsford as soon as Lankinen is available.
  • The Penguins called up winger Emil Bemström and goalie Joel Blomqvist from AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and returned netminder Tristan Jarry to the minors in a corresponding transaction, the team announced. It’s a pure reversal of the moves Pittsburgh made after their last game on Feb. 8. Bemström has no points and two shots in two games since being recalled for the first time this season on Feb. 7, while Blomqvist has a 3-8-0 record with a .896 SV% and 3.54 GAA in 11 appearances on the year. The 23-year-old has struggled since taking over for Jarry on the roster, posting a .868 SV% in three starts since the veteran was waived in mid-January. The 29-year-old Jarry will continue to bide his time in the minors as he awaits another NHL chance, knocking on the door with a .924 SV% and 2.11 GAA in nine games.
  • The Rangers announced they’ve recalled goaltender Dylan Garand from AHL Hartford. The 22-year-old comes up to serve as Jonathan Quick’s backup with Igor Shesterkin not ready to return from the upper-body injury that kept him out of New York’s final game before the break. He’s sporting a .914 SV%, 2.73 GAA, three shutouts, and a 13-7-5 record in 25 showings with Hartford this year.
  • The Blackhawks summoned defenseman Ethan Del Mastro from AHL Rockford, a team announcement states. Chicago sent the 22-year-old down at the beginning of the break for additional playing time in the minors, where he posted three shots and a plus-one rating in four games over the past couple of weeks. He has one assist in six NHL games since first being called up in late January and will continue competing for bottom-pairing minutes while Louis Crevier is on injured reserve with a concussion.
  • The Bruins recalled defenseman Michael Callahan, center Matthew Poitras, and left-winger Riley Tufte from AHL Providence – the latter coming up under emergency conditions, per the team. Goaltender Michael DiPietro will also practice with the team while Jeremy Swayman remains with Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off but won’t count against the active roster. Callahan’s and Poitras’ recalls are reversals of pre-break assignments, with the former’s recall serving as confirmation that Hampus Lindholm won’t be ready to come off LTIR before Saturday’s game against the Ducks. Tufte’s recall is his first since November, and his inclusion is a solid indication that Charlie McAvoy will be IR-bound after sustaining an upper-body injury and subsequent infection at the 4 Nations.
  • The Jets announced they’ve recalled Kaapo Kähkönen from AHL Manitoba to serve as a practice player with Connor Hellebuyck slated to start for the Americans in Thursday’s 4 Nations championship. He’s played one NHL game since signing a one-year, $1MM deal in Winnipeg last offseason – although it was for the Avalanche, who claimed him off waivers in October but lost him back to the Jets on the wire the following month. The 28-year-old has taken a tumble in Manitoba with a .885 SV% in 20 games – a worse save percentage than he posted on last year’s league-worst Sharks.
  • The Sharks announced they’ve recalled forward Collin Graf and defenseman Jack Thompson from AHL San Jose. They were both assigned to the minors after their final pre-break game, although notably, veteran Andrew Poturalski remains in the minors after being demoted along with Graf and Thompson. The rookies are both likely to play next Sunday against the Flames.
  • Utah announced they’d recalled winger Josh Doan from AHL Tucson after the previously reported summons of goaltender Jaxson Stauber. His reinstatement to the roster suggests Logan Cooley won’t be quite ready to return from his lower-body injury this weekend against the Kings, but general manager Bill Armstrong said yesterday he’s not expected out for much longer. Doan has 4-5–9 in 25 NHL games and 11-15–26 in 28 AHL games this year.
  • The Blues will have goaltender Will Cranley join them for practice while Jordan Binnington remains with Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the club announced. Cranley, 22, was a sixth-round pick of 2020 and is in his second season of pro hockey. He’s spent almost all of his time in the ECHL, where he has a .911 SV% and 2.28 GAA in 16 appearances with the Florida Everblades this year.
  • The Predators recalled goalie Matt Murray to join them as a practice player while Juuse Saros returns from repping the Fins at the 4 Nations, Emma Lingan of The Hockey News reports. Murray has yet to appear in a game for Nashville after spending the past few years in the Stars organization but has been recalled a few times as injury insurance this season. The 27-year-old has a sparkling .930 SV%, 2.17 GAA, two shutouts, and a 17-7-6 record for Milwaukee.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled forwards Gage Goncalves and Gabriel Fortier to join as practice players. Goncalves has served as Tampa Bay’s extra forward for much of the year. His NHL career is still young, and his one goal and seven points in 33 games with the Lightning marks the first scoring of his career. Goncalves has also scored 18 points in 14 AHL games this year. Fortier has spent his whole season in the minors and scored 10 goals and 17 points in 37 games. He ranks third on the Syracuse Crunch in goals and seventh in points.

This page will be updated throughout the day.

Flames Recall Dryden Hunt, Reassign Clark Bishop

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The Flames announced Thursday they have recalled winger Dryden Hunt from AHL Calgary. In a corresponding transaction, Forward Clark Bishop is headed back to the minors, keeping the team’s active roster at a maximum of 23 players.

Hunt, 29, has been in the Calgary organization since they acquired him from the Maple Leafs before the 2023 trade deadline. He hit unrestricted free agency for a day the following summer before signing a two-year, two-way deal to return to the Flames, which he’s now a few months away from finishing up. He was initially an undrafted free agent signing by the Panthers in 2016 and has since carved out a journeyman’s career as an NHL/AHL tweener with decent bottom-six utility.

He was recalled once earlier this season after clearing waivers during training camp but didn’t see any game action. It’s unclear whether that will change, as the Flames still have 12 healthy forwards without him. Hunt last saw NHL action in April 2024, so he’s likely to serve as a scratch tonight against the Avalanche.

The 6’0″ winger is amid a strong season for the Wranglers, leading the AHL club in scoring with 12-28–40 in 41 games. He’s hovered shy of a point per game for the club since making his Wranglers debut in 2023, totaling 77 points in 81 games. He’s routinely been a productive minor-league producer in the past, too, with a 100-136–236 scoring line in 310 career AHL appearances.

Hunt has also played 230 NHL games across eight seasons with the Avalanche, Coyotes, Flames, Maple Leafs, Panthers, and Rangers, scoring 18-33–51 and having a -30 rating. Last year, he averaged 11:08 per game across 28 appearances for Calgary, scoring 3-5–8 and ranking third on the team with 14.05 hits per 60 minutes.

Bishop, 28, had a goal and a minus-two rating in six games since being recalled on Jan. 23. He’s been a healthy scratch in Calgary’s last two contests after logging his first NHL action since February 2022. He, Hunt, Rory Kerins, and Adam Klapka are a few of the names the Flames have rotated into bottom-six roles while they deal with season-ending ACL tears for Justin Kirkland and Anthony Mantha and a lengthy absence for Connor Zary due to a knee injury.

Trade Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames

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With the 4 Nations Face-Off break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We continue our look around the league with the Calgary Flames.

This season hasn’t quite gone as many anticipated in Calgary.  But unlike some underachieving things, not going as expected is actually a good thing.  The Flames went into the season as expected sellers but instead enter tonight’s action with a share of the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference.  As a result, we’ve seen them make one buyers move already although they could look to play both a buying and selling role as the deadline approaches.

Record

26-20-7, T-4th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Long-Term Buyer, Possible Short-Term Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$78.698MM on deadline day, 1/3 retention slots used, 44/50 contracts used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: FLA 1st*, NJ 1st, COL 2nd, CGY 3rd, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th
2026: CGY 1st, VGK 1st, CGY 2nd, CGY 3rd, VAN 3rd, CGY 4th, CGY 5th, CGY 6th, CGY 7th

*-Depending on how the Draft Lottery falls, it’s possible that Florida’s first-round pick will go to Montreal in which case Calgary would keep their own.  There is also a remote chance that the pick won’t be conveyed to the Canadiens until 2026.  This is from the Sean Monahan trade in 2022.

Trade Chips

There’s a big difference between what teams want Calgary’s trade chips to be and what they’re actually going to be.  It was recently reported that the Flames have been receiving calls on top veterans Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, and Rasmus Andersson but GM Craig Conroy has been rebuffing those efforts, telling inquiring teams that those players aren’t available.  While Andersson’s contract is up after next season, early indications are that the team believes they can get him signed to an extension.  So those players, as well as their other top ones, are off the table.

It’s not a great group of rental players for Calgary as many of the ones on shorter-term deals were moved out already over the past 13 months or so.  But one that might draw some interest is goaltender Daniel Vladar.  After undergoing hip surgery last season, he has played a bit better this season, shaving more than a half-goal off his GAA while adding six points to his save percentage.  Early on, he was platooning with top prospect Dustin Wolf but the youngster has taken full hold of the top spot now.  At $2.2MM and on an expiring deal, Vladar could be a lower-cost acquisition for a team looking for extra depth or a short-term option if one of their options goes down.  While it might seem strange for a team with playoff hopes to move a goalie, they do have one in the minors who is more than making a case for an extended look.

That player is Devin Cooley.  The 27-year-old is signed through next season at the league minimum and has been dominant with AHL Calgary this season, posting a 2.24 GAA and a .928 SV% and playing a big role in putting the Wranglers atop the Western Conference at the All-Star break.  If Vladar is moved, Cooley will likely get the chance to make a case for the full-time backup spot next season.  But it’s also possible that teams will come calling about Cooley with the intent of evaluating him for their own second-string slot next season.  The Flames would undoubtedly need another AHL goalie as part of any return but if there are teams who feel he’s NHL-ready (or want to keep their goalie costs down), he might actually have more suitors than Vladar.

Among their healthy veterans on expiring deals, the most notable ones are blueliner Tyson Barrie and center Kevin Rooney.  Barrie, on a $1.25MM deal, has been a frequent healthy scratch and his value, if there is any, would be for a late-round pick at most.  Rooney hasn’t had a great year but he can kill penalties and play with some grit.  He’s the type of late-deadline depth addition a couple of teams might consider and with a $1.3MM price tag, he’d be affordable but again, the return would be minimal.  They also have the RFA rights to Nikita Okhotyuk, the 24-year-old playing in the KHL but has 67 career NHL games under his belt.  If Calgary wants to add a low-cost addition, he’s someone they could potentially dangle instead of parting with a draft pick or prospect.  But all things considered, if the Flames aren’t selling, they don’t have much in the way of physical trade options to work with.

But they do have cap space.  More than any other team than Columbus, in fact.  Conroy might be able to add some extra draft picks by taking on an expiring contract or being a third-party retainer to facilitate another team’s trade.  If they don’t do anything goaltending-wise, their open cap space might be their best chip to play.

Team Needs

Left-Shot Top-Four Defenseman: Usually, it’s the right side of the back end that teams often need to upgrade at.  But with Weegar in the fold long-term and the Flames believing they can re-sign Andersson, that side should be in good shape for a while.  (One of their top prospects, Zayne Parekh, also shoots from the right.)  But the left side isn’t anywhere near as secure.  Jake Bean, Kevin Bahl (currently injured), and Joel Hanley are among those who have seen top-four time on the left side of the back end and that’s not a core group of a contender.  If Conroy wants to make a short-term buyer move, adding a rental who can fill that void would go a long way.  Failing that, it will be near the top of their to-do list over the summer.

Continue Growing Young Core: Conroy has talked before about wanting to add more players around the same age as some of their younger core group.  That played a role in their recent pickups of Morgan Frost (25) and Joel Farabee (24) while also leveraging some of their financial flexibility.  It’s fair to say that a longer-term roster goal will be to try to continue to add players around that age.  Those generally don’t move too often in-season but expect Calgary to kick the tires on more moves like their recent one with Philadelphia.

Photo courtesy of Imagn Images.

Flames Recall Ilya Solovyov

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The Flames announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled defenseman Ilya Solovyov from AHL Calgary. He takes the roster spot of Kevin Bahl, who was placed on injured reserve last week following an upper-body injury.

It’s Solovyov’s first recall of the season after playing 10 NHL games last year and subsequently clearing waivers during training camp. The 24-year-old lefty has emerged as a top-pairing AHL option with the Wranglers this season, ranking second on the team with a +18 rating and posting six goals and 15 assists for 21 points in 41 games.

That two-way play will earn him a look on the NHL roster for the first time since last April. The 2020 seventh-rounder didn’t look entirely out of place in his first big-league audition, posting three assists in 10 games for the Flames in 2023-24 while averaging 15:54 per game. His 46.1 CF% at even strength wasn’t impressive but wasn’t abysmal, either, and he blocked 17 shots and laid 14 hits during his time in the lineup as well.

Solovyov was a restricted free agent for most of last summer before returning to Calgary on a two-year, partial two-way deal that converts to a one-way pact for 2025-26. It’s clear the Flames see NHL upside in the 6’3″ Belarusian, and he could be set to enter the lineup in place of struggling veteran Tyson Barrie on Thursday against the Avalanche.

Flames Won't Move Top Veterans, Optimistic They Can Extend Andersson

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Heading into the season, many expected the Flames to be selling before the trade deadline.  Instead, they made a move to add, picking up Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost from Philadelphia.  But that hasn’t stopped teams from calling Calgary GM Craig Conroy about his top veterans, center Nazem Kadri and blueliners Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar.  However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that Conroy is telling inquiring teams that he doesn’t plan to move those players.  Kadri and Weegar are signed to long-term contracts but Andersson’s expires in 2026, making him extension-eligible as of July 1st.  Friedman adds that Calgary is getting more confident that they can get a new contract in place with the 28-year-old who will be eyeing a sizable raise from his current $4.55MM AAV.

Flyers’ Daniel Briere Breaks Down Trading Joel Farabee, Acquiring Andrei Kuzmenko

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The Calgary Flames and Philadelphia Flyers recently pulled off a lofty trade that sent close friends Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost up North and struggling wingers Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier back South. The deal is still leaving plenty of wake, which Flyers’ general manager Daniel Briere broke down the deal in a press conference on Saturday, captured by Charlie O’Connor of All Phly and the Phly Flyers Podcast.

Briere started by emphasizing how difficult parting with a pair of roster forwards was. He shared that a slow season was enough to push both players down the depth chart and that they were at risk of losing their spot in the top nine to younger players. Frost ranked fourth on the Flyers in scoring with 25 points in 49 games – putting him on pace to match the 41 points he scored last season. Farabee was far less productive, with just 19 points in 50 games – a far cry from the 50 points he scored last year. While neither player were offensive black holes, they weren’t showing signs of improvement on a Flyers offense looking towards the future, which could have led towards players like Bobby Brink or Tyson Foerster getting the preferred minutes.

But it wasn’t easy for Briere to part with Farabee’s lofty $5MM cap hit. Briere shared that many teams were interested, but that they all wanted the Flyers to retain some part of Farabee’s deal. That would be a hard pill to swallow given Farabee still has three more seasons on his deal, and the Flyers already have a retention spot occupied by Kevin Hayes. Calgary was the only team willing to take on Farabee’s full contract, which may have influenced the overall strength of Philadelphia’s return. Briere emphasized that the biggest asset gained by this swap was cap flexibility, so finding a trade partner with cap space was a top priority. The Flyers leave this deal with a projected $24.3MM in available cap space for this summer, though they’ll have four restricted free agents – Foerster, Pelletier, Cameron York, and Noah Cates.

And while the focus on cap space may have earned Philadelphia a lighter return, they’ve still landed a player to watch. Briere shared that the team was planning to negotiate with Kuzmenko when he entered unrestricted free agency this summer. Kuzmenko has a noted connection with star Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov, having played with the Calder Trophy candidate with the KHL’s SKA St. Petersburg in the 2021-22 campaign. Having another compatriot in Philadelphia could be a nice spark for Michkov – but the Flyers will first have to hope Kuzmenko gets past his menial 15 points in 37 games this season. He scored 46 points last year, split between Vancouver and Calgary – a number that’d leave far more impact on the Flyers lineup.

Briere closed by noting that this move was made with the future – particularly this summer – in mind. He says that the Flyers’ rebuild is at the point of aggressively adding to the roster, and the team is hoping to take full advantage of their cap flexibility on the open market. In the meantime, they’ll get a chance to test Kuzmenko’s fit before having to extend him beyond this year – and get the boom-or-bust upside of Pelletier to boot.

Flames, Flyers Swap Andrei Kuzmenko, Joel Farabee

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Jan. 31: Both teams officially announced the swap late last night. It’s the Flames’ own 2025 second-rounder and their 2028 seventh-rounder heading to the Flyers.

Jan. 30: The Flames and Flyers are working on a trade that will send winger Andrei Kuzmenko to Philadelphia, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet adds that winger Jakob Pelletier is heading to the Flyers as part of the swap. Heading Calgary’s way in return are forwards Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost, Seravalli reports. Friedman adds that the Flyers were on Kuzmenko’s 12-team no-trade list, but he waived the clause to make the move happen. Finally, Seravalli reports a second-round and seventh-round pick are headed to the Flyers along with Pelletier and Kuzmenko to complete the trade.

To put things plainly, Kuzmenko is a pending unrestricted free agent needing a change of scenery. The soon-to-be 29-year-old has struggled to stay in the lineup this season despite a $5.5MM cap hit. While he missed some time due to a lower-body injury in December, he was recently a healthy scratch for a three-game stretch and has been limited to 37 of Calgary’s 49 games overall. In those appearances, the Russian sniper is averaging just over one shot on goal per game and has converted at a career-worst 10.3% rate, working out to only four goals and 11 assists for 15 points.

That dip in production is evidence of the 5’11” winger’s inconsistency, but he’s shown flashes of proper top-six play since arriving in the NHL as an undrafted free agent signing by the Canucks in 2022. He erupted for 39 goals and 74 points in his rookie season while playing primarily on Elias Pettersson’s wing, shooting at a league-high 27.3% and averaging over 16 minutes per game with strong possession metrics (52.9 CF%, 55.2 xGF% at even strength).

Kuzmenko landed a rich two-year, $11MM extension midway through his rookie campaign as a result of his efforts, but it’s been marred by up-and-down play. His production dropped to eight goals and 21 points through the first 43 games of the 2023-24 campaign before he was sent to Calgary in the deal that sent Elias Lindholm to the Canucks. He rediscovered his sharp-shooting ways after the move to Alberta, ending the season with 14 goals and 11 assists for 25 points in 29 appearances. He was the second-most productive Flames forward after the swap on a per-game basis, trailing only Nazem Kadri (36 points in 33 games).

But as in Vancouver, Kuzmenko hasn’t been able to carry his production over into year two with his new club. His minus-seven rating ranks fourth-worst on the team, but possession metrics paint a much rosier picture. His 53.6 CF% at even strength is sixth on the team and fourth among forwards, while his expected +1.9 rating is fifth. He’s not generating nearly enough individual offense to make his strength as a scorer shine through, but he’s not been a meaningful liability away from the puck, either.

Philly picks up an inconsistent but high-ceiling option on the wing in Kuzmenko, and they pick up a similar but younger archetype in Pelletier. Selected in the first round by the Flames in 2019, he’s only just beginning to break through as an impact NHLer. The 23-year-old has only 10 points in 37 career appearances entering the season and even cleared waivers on his way down to the minors at the beginning of the season. He’s gotten more chances in the NHL lineup as the campaign has progressed, though, and has earned an everyday role in the lineup over the last six weeks.

Since first being recalled at the beginning of December, Pelletier is tied for sixth on the Flames in scoring with 11 points (4 G, 7 A) in 23 games. He also has a team-high +10 rating during that span despite averaging only 12:57 per game. There’s significant upside with both players, especially if thrust into consistent top-six roles.

The Flyers also open up some long-term flexibility by dealing Farabee, who’s had similar struggles to Kuzmenko this season, to Calgary. He costs slightly less than Kuzmenko against the cap – $500K, to be exact – but is signed through the 2027-28 campaign. Philadelphia will get out of Kuzmenko’s deal in a few months and also open up short-term cap space by swapping the $2.1MM Frost for a six-figure Pelletier.

Farabee has a much longer NHL track record than Kuzmenko despite being four years younger, but he’s also failed to flash the ceiling Kuzmenko has. His career-highs only check in at 22 goals and 50 points, both set last season while skating in all 82 games for Philadelphia. The 2018 first-rounder has 90 goals and 201 points in 383 career outings for the Flyers since entering the league six years ago.

At 24 years old (25 in a few weeks), Farabee fits the Flames’ retooling timeline better than Kuzmenko, and even if his $5MM cap hit is steep for his inconsistent production, he’s cost-controlled in the event he breaks out. This season has been difficult for Farabee, who’s shooting at a career-worst 8.1% and has eight goals with 11 assists for 19 points through 49 games. That’s the worst point-per-game pace of his career by a decent margin, and his possession impacts are also among the worst on the Flyers. While the cost control could be a gift if he returns to a 50-point pace in top-nine minutes, Calgary is taking on a significant amount of risk with three more seasons left on his contract.

They do pick up a promising young center in Frost, matching the type of player general manager Craig Conroy has been looking to acquire since their hot start to the season. Calgary was among the teams to check in with the Sabres on Dylan Cozens’ availability, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic said a couple of weeks ago, but Frost is a much lower-risk option contractually as a pending restricted free agent with a $2.4MM qualifying offer.

Frost, 25, was a first-rounder in 2017 and ranks fifth on the Flyers in scoring with 25 points (11 G, 14 A) through 48 games. He was an eyebrow-raising healthy scratch on a few occasions early in the season but has played every game since Nov. 23. He’s on pace to produce in the 40-50 point range for three years straight now, averaging north of 15 minutes per game and steadily improving in the faceoff circle. His 51.6% win rate on draws this season is a career-high and immediately ranks tops among Flames with at least 100 attempts this season.

The Flames ended up with a net cap gain of $800K in the swap, a negligible figure considering they entered the night with nearly $44MM in current space, per PuckPedia. No corresponding transactions will be required to execute the deal with an equal number of roster players changing hands, either.

Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period was the first to report the Flames were sending draft picks to the Flyers to complete the deal.

Flames’ Kevin Bahl Out Week-To-Week

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The Calgary Flames have designated defenseman Kevin Bahl as out week-to-week with an upper-body injury per TSN’s Salim Nadim Valji. Bahl suffered what appeared to be a head injury after receiving a big hit against the boards from Minnesota’s Jakub Lauko in Calgary’s Saturday night win. Bahl has missed the Flames’ two games since. He’ll now be a candidate for injured reserve, while the Flames will get assured for carrying eight defenseman on their roster leading into the weekend.

Bahl is in the midst of a career year. He has scored 14 points in 47 games, already surpassing his career-high 11 points in 82 games set last season. That boost in scoring has come in tandem with a strong defensive presence, helping Bahl gradually climb the lineup in his first season with the Flames. He has averaged just over 21 minutes of ice time each game, making him the team’s third-most utilized defenseman behind Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. Bahl also ranks third on the blue-line in blocks (79) and hits (67). It’s been beyond an encouraging season for the 24-year-old, who was traded to the Flames alongside a first round draft pick in exchange for Jacob Markstrom this summer. Bahl had previously spent the last three seasons trying, and failing, to earn secure ice time in the Devils defense. Now on a blue-line decimated by Calgary’s 2023-24 trading of Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin – Bahl seems to finally be finding his footing at the top flight.

Calgary has recalled Tyson Barrie from an AHL conditioning stint to fill in for Bahl. Barrie played his first game since early November on Tuesday. He recorded one assist, a -1, and one penalty in 17:20 of ice time. That’s certainly a welcome return for the 14-year-veteran who only had two points in nine games this season entering the contest. Barrie will now have a chance to prove he still belongs in the NHL, even at the age of 33, with big minutes opened up in Bahl’s absence.

Flames Recall Tyson Barrie, Adam Klapka

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The Flames announced Tuesday they’ve recalled forward Adam Klapka from AHL Calgary and reinstated defenseman Tyson Barrie from his conditioning loan. They only had one open active roster spot, but that’s all they needed since Barrie still counted against the limit during his short-lived demotion.

Barrie could have stayed in the minors for up to 10 more days on his conditioning stint, but he once again finds himself available to dress in an NHL contest. That hasn’t happened since Nov. 12, though, the reason behind his first AHL action in 11 years. The offensive-minded veteran scored once and added a pair of assists in two appearances for the Wranglers over the weekend.

After signing Barrie to a one-year, $1.25MM deal following a successful PTO during training camp, Calgary has only played him in nine of their 48 games this season. The 33-year-old posted a goal and an assist with a minus-two rating while averaging a career-low 15:20 per game. He’ll now return to a battle for minutes with depth defenders Jake Bean, Joel Hanley, Daniil Miromanov, and Brayden Pachal – a battle he’s clearly lost thus far.

The hulking 24-year-old Klapka comes up to replace upstart Rory Kerins as a fourth-line option after the latter was demoted yesterday. The 6’7″ Czech forward skated in six games for Calgary over the first two months of the campaign, going without a point but recording 20 hits in 8:29 of average ice time. He ranks among the AHL club’s point-per-game leaders this season with 25 through 29 appearances, though.

Calgary Flames Reassign Rory Kerins

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For the second time in two weeks, the Calgary Flames announced they’ve reassigned forward Rory Kerins to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. However, given they’re down to 13 healthy forwards after losing Walker Duehr to waivers last week, Kerins should return to the Flames’ active roster tomorrow.

Kerins debuted in the NHL relatively quickly especially given he was a sixth-round pick of the Flames in the 2020 NHL Draft. He scored 16 goals and 32 points in 54 games in AHL Calgary last year during his first full season of AHL hockey.

The Flames finally recalled Kerins in early January after he started the AHL campaign at a point-per-game pace. He’s continued his productivity in the NHL, tallying four assists through his first five NHL contests.

Although today’s move is likely a paper transaction, Kerins shouldn’t expect to have a spot on the Flames’ roster for the rest of the season. He’s only one of two waiver-exempt forwards aside from Matthew Coronato and Calgary will need to open a roster spot for Connor Zary once he returns from his left knee injury.

Still, Kerins shouldn’t be any worse off once he returns to a full-time role with the Wranglers. They are on pace to qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs for the third consecutive year after relocating from Stockton, CA ahead of the 2022-23 AHL season. Kerins would assist in that endeavor and help the Wranglers reach beyond the Division Finals for the first time.

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