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Morning Notes: Lindholm, Varlamov, Anderson

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Mans Karlsson of Hockey Sverige is reporting that Calgary Flames center Elias Lindholm spoke regarding his pending unrestricted free-agent status. Lindholm is less than six months away from hitting the open market and is currently sitting at number one on most hockey pundits’ trade target boards.

Lindholm conceded that he has had a hard time shutting out the noise around his contract status and the trade talk and it may have impacted his performance on the ice. The 29-year-old has just eight goals this season after posting 64 goals combined over the last two years. His assist numbers are in line with his average over the last two seasons (he has 22 helpers so far this season in 45 games) but he has been plagued by a shooting percentage of just 6.6%, which is far off from his career average of 12.1%.

There was talk earlier in the year that Lindholm was seeking a long-term deal with an average annual value of around $9MM, but that number might be a bit ambitious if the former fifth-overall pick continues to struggle to put the puck in the net.

Lindholm told reporters that he and the Flames have not discussed an extension since last summer, and while extensions can be worked out in a matter of days, it seems probable that the Flames and Lindholm could be headed in separate directions sooner rather than later.

In other morning notes:

  • Ethan Sears of The New York Post is reporting that New York Islanders’ injured goaltender Semyon Varlamov is back skating daily as he tries to work his way back into the lineup. Varlamov has been out of action since January 2nd with a lower-body injury and is progressing slowly. Ken Appleby has been replacing Varlamov in his absence but has seen just one period of action so far. Varlamov has been good this season posting a 6-4-2 record with a 2.78 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage.
  • Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports is reporting that Montreal Canadiens forward Josh Anderson is practicing this morning with the team and could return to the lineup tonight against the Boston Bruins after a four-game absence. Anderson has been out with a lower-body injury and practiced today on a line with Brendan Gallagher and Jake Evans. The 29-year-old has struggled this season with just seven goals and five assists in 41 games as his shooting percentage has fallen to just 7.5%, far off his career average of 11.2%. Anderson will reportedly be a game-time decision for the Canadiens today.

Flames' Martin Pospisil Out Roughly Two Weeks

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  • Flames rookie Martin Pospisil will avoid a long-term absence after taking a scary fall into the boards last night versus the Maple Leafs, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports. The 24-year-old will miss roughly two weeks, though, and will likely return soon after the All-Star break. He sustained an upper-body injury after his skates came together with those of Toronto superstar Auston Matthews, causing him to trip and fold awkwardly (video via Sportsnet, viewer discretion advised). The 2018 fourth-round pick has 4-7–11 in 33 games since being recalled from AHL Calgary in early November. In Pospisil’s absence, 23-year-old Adam Klapka (who stands at a hulking 6-foot-8 and 236 pounds) will make his NHL debut at home in tomorrow’s Battle of Alberta.

Flames Place Walker Duehr On Waivers

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January 18th: Duehr has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL.

January 17th: The Flames placed winger Walker Duehr on waivers for the purpose of assignment to AHL Calgary on Wednesday, TSN’s Chris Johnston reports.

Duehr, 26, played in 12 straight games to start the season but has seen minimal action since, playing in only 10 of Calgary’s last 35 games. An undrafted free agent signing out of Minnesota State in the spring of 2021, the bottom-six grinder posted 1-3–4 in 19 games this year while averaging only 7:58 per game before landing on the waiver wire.

Away from the puck, Duehr’s performance this year took a sizable step back from his 27-game stint in the Flames lineup in 2022-23. His 46.2% Corsi share at even strength is the worst on the team despite seeing minutes against easier competition, and his minutes on special teams this year are negligible.

Duehr is signed to a one-way deal that runs through next season, so the likelihood of him getting claimed is low. He signed a two-year extension worth $1.65MM last April after spending a decent chunk of the campaign on the Calgary roster, making the team out of camp this year as a result.

In 41 games with AHL Calgary last season, Duehr recorded 11-15–26 with a +5 rating. His middling offensive production in the minors suggests he won’t likely ever be a top-nine threat at the NHL level, but he has shown some skills that suggest he can be an effective fourth-liner in the future. This season, however, it hasn’t come to fruition, and he’ll return to the minors (if he clears) to round out his all-around game.

Calgary Flames Recall Adam Klapka, Place Dennis Gilbert On IR

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The Calgary Flames have recalled winger Adam Klapka to the NHL and placed defenseman Dennis Gilbert on injured reserve, retroactive to January 4th.

This is the first recall of Klapka’s young career, with the 23-year-old signing with Calgary following the end of Liberec’s 2021-22 Czechia Extraliga season. That was Klapka’s first professional season after two years with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm. He performed admirably in Czechia’s top league, recording 18 points and 72 penalty minutes in 44 games.

The showing was enough to earn a contract in North America, with Klapka spending the last two seasons with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. The winger has totaled 46 points in 96 minor league games and ranks fifth on the Wranglers in scoring this year with 21 points in 33 games

Klapka now joins the Flames roster in the absence of Gilbert, another young pro that, this season, has managed to carve out a role solely in the NHL for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old defender has appeared in 28 of Calgary’s 44 games this season, managing seven points and 16 penalty minutes. Gilbert was formerly drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks with the last pick of the third round in 2015, going just a handful of picks before players like Nicolas Roy and Mathieu Joseph.

Klapka is expected to serve as Calgary’s extra forward on Thursday, delaying what would be his NHL debut – something the young winger is certainly hoping for on this recall.

Flames Place Dennis Gilbert On Injured Reserve

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Earlier today, Ryan Pike of Flames Nation reported that the Calgary Flames have placed defenseman Dennis Gilbert on injured reserve. Since the original injury took place on January 4th, Gilbert has already met the required satisfactions to enter play, but since he is not ready to return, this transaction in particular will give Calgary some roster flexibility for the foreseeable future.

In a related report, Pike also points out that with Gilbert as well as Jacob Markstrom missing some time for the Flames, Walker Duehr’s waiver placement earlier this afternoon, and Oliver Kylington working his way back on an LTI conditioning loan, there will be plenty of moving pieces for Calgary in the next few days.

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Calgary Flames Recall Dustin Wolf

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With regular starting netminder, Jacob Markstrom, out for the next few days with a lower-body injury, the Calgary Flames have recalled top goalie prospect Dustin Wolf to fill the crease void. This will mark the third call-up for Wolf this season, with the other two coming as emergency loans in early November and December, respectively.

For Wolf, it is hard to name a more anticipated goalie prospect throughout the league. Last season playing for the Flames AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, Wolf rather famously produced a 42-10-2 record in 55 games, maintaining a .932 save percentage and 2.09 goals against average. His production over the course of last season was good enough to earn him the Les Cunningham Award, Aldege Bastien Memorial Award, Harry Holmes Memorial Award, President’s Award, and First Team All-Star honors.

Although his numbers are technically down this year in the AHL, he is once again getting off to a tremendous start. In 23 games played for the Wranglers, Wolf is once again carrying a solid 16-6-1 record, while carrying a .929 SV% and 2.27 GAA. Throughout his previous two call-ups to the Flames, Wolf has managed to play in five games, touting a 1-2-1 record with a .893 SV% and 3.46 GAA.

In recent weeks, there have been conflicting reports throughout the NHL that Calgary may entertain offers for Markstrom at this year’s trade deadline, although the proposed deal would require a large amount of assets headed back to the Flames. At any rate, whether it be by moving out Markstrom for a massive return, or finding a landing spot for backup goalie, Daniel Vladar, the sense around Calgary is that the Flames will need to make a move in the near future to clear out a full-time role for Wolf at the NHL level.

Pacific Notes: Markstrom, Kuznetsov, Golden Knights

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With trade season now in full swing, one member of the Calgary Flames who has found his name mentioned in several rumors is goaltender Jacob Markstrom. As the Flames enter a transitionary period in their organization, and with goalie prospect Dustin Wolf ready to make the jump to the NHL, the logic behind moving Markstrom has never been more clear for Calgary.

However, in an article by James Nichols of NJ Hockey Now, he includes a quote from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman pouring cold water on the idea of the Flames moving Markstrom as he says, “From what I understand, Calgary has a very high bar here in terms of they’re not going to bother Markstrom with just anything. It would have to be something massive for them or somewhere they absolutely believe Markstrom would want to go before they would even consider going to him. I think that’s where things stand with Markstrom, the Flames, and anything right now”.

Assuming that Friedman is accurate, Calgary’s asking price for Markstrom may push too many teams away, although something could come together over the offseason. With teams such as the Carolina Hurricanes, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils all looking to upgrade their situation in the crease, it would be incredibly rare for a team to part with a substantial amount of assets during the regular season.

Other notes:

  • Staying in Calgary, the Flames announced earlier today that they have sent down defenseman Yan Kuznetsov to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. Kuznetsov was recalled for the second time this year on January 9th and would make his NHL debut the same day against the Ottawa Senators. Skating in just under 12 minutes of the game against Ottawa, Kuznetsov was held scoreless in his debut, as he put two shots on the net and also blocked one.
  • After sending him down earlier this morning to make way for Brendan Brisson, the Vegas Golden Knights have recalled forward Byron Froese on an emergency basis due to the possibility of Chandler Stephenson missing time with an illness (X Link). Producing a 3-7-0 record in their last 10 games, the Golden Knights’ depth continues to be tested, as more and more of their typical players continue to miss games for the team.
  • In more news coming from Vegas, both Adin Hill and Jiri Patera are not ready to return to the team, although both goaltenders are currently skating (X Link). Relying on goaltender Logan Thompson heavily over the last few weeks, the Golden Knights are now relying on their fourth-string goaltender to serve in the backup role, as 23-year-old, Isaiah Saville was recalled yesterday on an emergency basis.

Oliver Kylington Loaned To AHL On Conditioning Basis

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01/10/24: The Flames have issued a positive update on Kylington’s progress. He’s “trending towards playing” in the Wranglers’ game tomorrow night against the Ontario Reign. Should he end up playing, it will be Kylington’s first game action since May 2022.

01/04/24: The Calgary Flames have announced that defenseman Oliver Kylington has been sent to the team’s AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, for the purpose of a conditioning assignment.

Following that announcement, the Flames issued a statement from Kylington which reads as follows:

I feel I’m in a good place with my mental health and ready to take another step forward. Returning to Calgary has been the right decision. I’ve felt tremendous commitment from Flames ownership, management, and my teammates, and I am appreciative of the support and resources made available to me. I also thank my family, friends, and the fans for their encouragement. I’m looking forward to getting on the ice in a team environment and back to my everyday life. I have missed it very much.

Kylington has not played since 2021-22, as he missed all of last season and so far all of 2023-24 for personal reasons. In early December, Flames head coach Ryan Huska gave an update on Kylington’s status, communicating that the Swedish blueliner was still a long way away from returning.

Now, according to today’s announcement, it appears Kylington is now far closer to a return to the NHL than it seemed a little more than a month ago. Kylington’s conditioning stint can last up to six days, or three games, whichever period is longer, although the Flames can request an extension of two games if they decide that would be necessary for Kylington’s fitness to play in the NHL.

Kylington, a pending UFA, has a $2.5MM cap hit that is currently placed on LTIR. The Flames would need to activate him off of that last to get him back onto their roster, though that shouldn’t be a major issue as CapFriendly currently projects them to have more than enough cap space to do so. The team also currently has an open roster spot on its 23-man roster.

As for where Kylington could slot in once he returns to the Flames’ lineup, it’s not immediately clear whether he’d immediately return to playing alongside veteran Chris Tanev. Tanev is currently playing next to Noah Hanifin, so it could be that Kylington takes Jordan Oesterle’s spot alongside MacKenzie Weegar, or Dennis Gilbert’s spot next to Rasmus Andersson.

In any case, this development is an extremely positive one for the Flames. The left side of their defense is notably thinner than their ironclad right side, so adding a player who scored 31 points in 73 games during his last NHL season will certainly help matters there.

Flames GM Craig Conroy Comments On Deadline Plans

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It’s been another disappointing season for the Flames, who sit 12th in the Western Conference with a .500 record and are down to a 19% chance of making the playoffs, per Hockey Reference. Early-season optimism around extending their many pending unrestricted free agents has now turned into trade discussions for most, already moving fan-favorite blueliner Nikita Zadorov out the door to the Canucks earlier this season.

The team has an extremely well-rounded offense with 11 players scoring over 20 points thus far, but they haven’t received top-end production from the higher-ups in their lineup. Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri currently hold a tie for the team lead in points with 32, and their 30th-ranked power play certainly isn’t helping them in the goal-scoring department. They’ve slipped significantly in terms of limiting quality scoring chances against under first-year head coach Ryan Huska, too, leading to an uncharacteristically low 23rd-place defense despite a bounce-back year from starter Jacob Markström.

On track to miss the postseason for the second straight season in the post-Johnny Gaudreau/Matthew Tkachuk era, it’s no surprise multiple Flames have found themselves in trade rumors regardless of their contract status. GM Craig Conroy commented on what’s unfolded thus far and what we can expect to see from the Flames in the coming months in an interview with The Athletic’s Eric Duhatschek published this morning. Asked about whether the Flames would go full scorched-earth at the trade deadline and ship out multiple high-caliber names without immediate replacements, the first-year manager expressed hesitancy.

“There is a balance between short- and long-term,” said Conroy. “You don’t know what you’re going to get for certain assets that you have — or what’s to come. Or maybe somebody here wants to re-sign with you. All those things are still out there… You want to get your young guys in, but you want to put them in an environment with some veteran guys that can show them how the NHL works. Because there’s going to be ups and downs with the (Connor) Zarys, the (Martin) Pospisils and the Dustin Wolfs.”

Reading between the lines, it’s clear Conroy isn’t chomping at the bit to give the keys to the team’s rookies just yet. Zary, namely, has had quite an impressive stint since being recalled from the AHL early in the season, posting nine goals and 21 points in 31 games while assuming top-six minutes and tying for fourth on the team in goals. But this is the 22-year-old’s first run in the NHL, and it’s been an injury-plagued and inconsistent development path for the 2020 24th overall pick. Conroy reiterated his desire to not let major assets walk for nothing, and players like top-line center Elias Lindholm and defenseman Noah Hanifin will still likely find new homes by March 8, but his approach for the future allows the Flames to take money back in those deals in the form of serviceable veterans.

However, what Conroy’s retool plan means for Wolf is less clear. A couple of teams have called about Markström, per a report last night from The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, but the Flames haven’t been shopping him. The 33-year-old has two seasons remaining after this with a $6MM cap hit and a no-movement clause, meaning whether a deal comes to fruition is entirely out of Conroy’s control. Despite his menial 11-11-2 record, Markström’s advanced numbers are squarely back in the above-average territory this season with a .908 SV% and 10.3 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. It’s not the form he displayed en route to his second-place Vezina Trophy finish in 2021-22, but his GSAx figure ranks ninth in the NHL at the time of writing. If the Flames still have the intention to try and return to the playoffs in the next few seasons with some personnel changes, it doesn’t make much sense to trade away a cost-effective top-ten goalie.

Wolf’s .930 SV% and four shutouts in 21 games with AHL Calgary this season speaks for itself, though, even if his short time in the NHL this year (five games played, 1-2-1 record, .893 SV%) wasn’t all that promising. He’s still just 22 years old and deserves a spot on the roster sooner rather than later. It would surprise no one to see Conroy aggressively step up efforts to move backup netminder Daniel Vladar, who’s been one of the worst in the league this season with a .883 SV% but an inexplicably higher points percentage than Markström with a 6-5-2 record in 13 appearances.

There’s plenty of time yet for the Flames, though, who have just under two months until the deadline. If they do intend on being active players, which seems like an accurate assessment by all accounts, Conroy needs the runway to form what will likely be multiple financially complex deals.

Flames Have Received Trade Interest In Jacob Markstrom

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With several teams looking for help on the goalie market, we’ve seen several veterans speculated as possible fits, including John Gibson, Jake Allen, and Kaapo Kahkonen, among others.  But some teams appear to be aiming higher as David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that at least two teams have called the Flames about the potential availability of veteran netminder Jacob Markstrom.

The 33-year-old is in his fourth season with Calgary after signing with them as an unrestricted free agent back in 2020.  Since then, his performance has run somewhat hot and cold with years of being in the top ten statistically and one – last season – where he had a save percentage well below the league average, checking in at just .892.

This season, Markstrom has been fairly inconsistent as well but a good showing lately has elevated his season numbers to a GAA of 2.67 and a save percentage of .908, numbers that are a considerable improvement over a year ago.  However, the Flames find themselves on the outside looking in at a playoff spot heading into tonight’s action, fueling speculation that GM Craig Conroy could be one of the more prominent sellers over the next couple of months.

That said, many of the speculative moves Calgary could make revolve around veterans on expiring contracts which is not the case with Markstrom.  He has two more seasons left after this one at a $6MM price tag, one that wouldn’t be the easiest for many playoff-bound teams to fit in on their books.  While retention is possible, multi-year retention doesn’t happen too often and there’s no guarantee that Conroy would be open to the idea.  It’s also worth noting that Markstrom has a full no-move clause.

Calgary has top prospect Dustin Wolf biding his time in the minors with the Wranglers and he is clearly their goalie of the future.  While many have wondered if Daniel Vladar would be the one to move to make room for Wolf on the roster, it’s also possible that the Flames take the bigger step and deal their current starter.  If Conroy decides to make Markstrom available, it’s quite likely that a few more teams will be looking to inquire about the cost over the coming weeks.

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