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Flames Place Daniel Vladař On IR, Recall Dustin Wolf

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Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg is reporting that the Calgary Flames have placed goaltender Daniel Vladař on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury and recalled netminder Dustin Wolf from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.

According to Julian McKenzie of The Athletic, Vladař’s injury occurred in warm-ups last night and not in any game action. The 26-year-old hasn’t played since a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on January 20th. The native of Prague, Czech Republic has struggled this season with a 7-7-2 record with a 3.27 goals against average and a .888 save percentage. While those metrics sometimes don’t paint the whole picture of a goaltender’s performance, Vladař’s underlying numbers have been poor as well. In 16 games this season, Vladař has posted a goals saved above expected of -6.7 (Money Puck).

Wolf hasn’t fared any better at the NHL level, going 1-2-1 in five games with a 3.46 goals against average and an .893 save percentage. His underlying numbers have been even worse as Wolf has given up 5.2 more goals than expected despite playing just five games. At the AHL level, Wolf’s numbers have been a different story, as the 22-year-old has appeared in 28 games and has a sparkling .927 save percentage to go along with a 2.27 goals-against average and an 18-7-2 record.

The Flames used an EBUG today at practice as they are out East to take on the New York Islanders tomorrow and Wolf has yet to arrive. There has been speculation that the club could move out a goaltender and it will be interesting to see if Vladař’s injury cools those rumors.

Calgary Flames Sign Martin Pospisil To Two-Year Extension

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The Calgary Flames have signed forward Martin Pospisil to a two-year, $2MM contract extension. The new deal will carry a $1MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season.

Pospisil has become a fan-favorite since playing in his NHL debut on November 4th. He scored his first career goal in his first game, kicking off a hot streak that saw Pospisil net three goals and five points in his first seven NHL games. He’s lost his scoring touch since, totaling just 11 points through 34 games up to this point. His role has become much grittier, with Pospisil tallying 23 penalty minutes since January 1st – more than any other Flame. He’s up to 37 penalty minutes on the season, ranking second on the team to Andrew Mangiapane.

Calgary drafted Pospisil in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft. He’s already played more NHL games than all but two players taken that round, behind Philipp Kurashev and Paul Cotter. Pospisil turned pro soon after getting drafted, playing 26 games with the Flames AHL affiliate, the Stockton Heat, in the 2019-20 season. He recorded 10 points and 56 penalty minutes that season – ranking third on the team in penalty minutes despite playing roughly 20 fewer games than anyone else in the top five.

Pospisil made his professional debut soon after his draft, playing in 26 games with the AHL’s Stockton Heat in the 2019-20 season. He quickly established himself as a physical presence, ranking third on the team with 56 penalty minutes, despite sitting out 29 of the team’s 45 games. That presence has followed him, with Pospisil setting a career-high 95 penalty minutes in 47 games during the 2021-22 season. He’s now proving his physicality at the top level, throwing hits at a rate greater than any other Flame and earning his first million-dollar contract.  That physicality got him into some trouble last night against Boston when he received a major penalty for cross-checking but Sportsnet’s Eric Francis relayed earlier today that there would be no supplementary discipline heading his way.

Latest On Noah Hanifin

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Flames defenseman Noah Hanifin’s agents are expected to present their decision on a contract extension to team management “in the coming days,” TSN’s Chris Johnston reports on Tuesday’s edition of “Insider Trading.” Hanifin, 27, is a pending UFA and would immediately become the top defenseman available on the trade market if the Flames make him available ahead of the March 8 deadline.

As of now, they haven’t done so. Hanifin has changed his willingness to sign an extension in Calgary multiple times over the past nine months, dating back to an initial report from TSN’s Pierre LeBrun in June that Hanifin would not sign a new deal.

Multiple teams have documented interest in Hanifin. The Panthers inquired about him soon after the June report went public, while the Coyotes showed interest in him as recently as December.

There was renewed optimism for an extension after Hanifin publically reversed course during the 2023 preseason, saying he was “absolutely” willing to remain in Calgary. Multiple sources reported the Flames and Hanifin made progress on an eight-year extension carrying a $7.5MM AAV ($60MM total value), but the team then paused contract talks with all pending UFAs after a 2-6-1 skid to start the season. The two sides have not engaged in further talks, but the deal is reportedly still on the table for Hanifin if he opts to extend.

Johnston doesn’t know which way Hanifin’s camp will sway, although one option is ruled out: letting him walk for nothing in July. “If Calgary is not able to reach some kind of contract extension with Hanifin, they will use the time between now and March 8th to find a suitor somewhere to trade him,” Johnston said.

The good news for Calgary is that Hanifin is having one of the best seasons of his career. He’s third among a deep Flames defense corps in scoring, but his nine goals and 26 points through 50 games have him on pace to crack the 40-point plateau for the second time in the last three years despite a decrease in power-play time.

Hanifin is also logging the most minutes of his career at 23:33 per game – a figure that will increase as the deadline draws closer based on his recent usage. He’s seen significant penalty kill time with positive possession control results relative to his teammates, too. However, at even strength, his 49.6% Corsi share is a career-low.

Combine his potential on-ice impact with his bargain-bin $4.95MM cap hit, which Calgary could easily retain up to 50% of, and they’ll likely net their second first-round pick of deadline season after fetching one from the Canucks as part of the return for center Elias Lindholm last week – if Hanifin doesn’t sign an extension, of course.

Hockey Canada Issues Updates On 2018 Investigation

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Earlier today, after the London Police Service held a press conference regarding the investigation into several players of the 2018 U20 Team Canada roster, Hockey Canada released several updates of their own. The major takeaway from the report is that all members of the 2018 U20 Team Canada roster remain suspended from Hockey Canada-sanctioned events, pending an appeal process started in 2023.

For this specifically, Hockey Canada is investigating whether or not any team members breached the organization’s code of conduct and what sanctions should be imposed on the individual players. With respect to the investigation and the legal process, Hockey Canada was unable to comment further and did not give a clear timeline as to when the appeals process may reach its conclusion.

Depending on the timeline, this will bar all players from the 2018 U20 Team Canada roster from playing in any international events, except the “4 Nations Face-Off” in 2025, as it is an NHL-sanctioned event. Without getting into the specifics, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hockey Canada, Katherine Henderson was quoted as saying:

“Hockey Canada recognizes that in the past we have been too slow to act and that in order to deliver the meaningful change that Canadians expect of us, we must work diligently and urgently to ensure that we are putting in place the necessary measures to regain their trust, and provide all participants with a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment on and off the ice”.

Outside of Hockey Canada, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers will receive cap relief for players currently on leave who have been charged in the 2018 Team Canada legal proceedings. Without specifying how much cap relief the teams would receive, it is reasonable to assume that the full dollar amount of each player’s contract will now be taken off the books for the foreseeable future, meaning $2.3MM, $2.2MM, and $3.98MM, respectively.

Flames Place A.J. Greer On Injured Reserve, Recall Three

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3:14 p.m.: Calgary did indeed recall three forwards today: Pelletier is on his way back to the NHL, along with Kevin Rooney and Cole Schwindt, who will fill the team’s vacancies at center. The team also confirmed Greer’s IR placement in a team release.

2:34 p.m.: The Flames moved winger A.J. Greer to injured reserve on Sunday, per the NHL’s media site. Greer is one week into an eight-week recovery timeline for a foot fracture sustained on Jan. 25 against the Blue Jackets.

Today’s news doesn’t affect Greer’s return timeline. However, it does bring Calgary’s roster size back down to 20 out of the maximum 23 after claiming defenseman Brayden Pachal off waivers from the Golden Knights earlier in the day.

18 of those 20 players are skaters, but after moving Greer to IR, the Flames only have 10 forwards on the active roster. They now have roster space to recall as many as three forwards ahead of their Feb. 6 game against the Bruins, which marks their return from their bye week and the All-Star break.

One of those recalls will likely be 2021 13th overall pick Matthew Coronato, who has exploded for 32 points in 30 games with AHL Calgary during his first pro season. He’s scored only once in 15 NHL appearances this year in top-nine minutes, but he should get an extended look on the NHL roster for the rest of the season in the wake of the Elias Lindholm trade.

A center will likely be on his way up from the AHL as well, given Lindholm’s immediate replacement, Andrei Kuzmenko, will suit up on the wing. Offseason pickup Yegor Sharangovich, who’s tied for the team lead in goals with 20, will shift to center to close out the year in Lindholm’s absence.

Today’s news could also be a precursor to a Jakob Pelletier recall. The 22-year-old has two goals and an assist in four games with AHL Calgary after returning from a shoulder injury sustained late in training camp and, if the Flames feel he’s undergone enough conditioning at the minor-league level, could add to his NHL games-played total in the coming weeks.

Flames Claim Brayden Pachal Off Waivers From Golden Knights

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The Flames claimed defenseman Brayden Pachal off waivers from the Golden Knights on Sunday, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Calgary confirmed the news in a media release shortly thereafter.

Pachal, 24, has logged a career-high 17 games played for Vegas this season. His first NHL goal came in an early-season win over the Sharks on Oct. 12.

A minor-league mainstay over the past few seasons in AHL Henderson, Pachal cracked the Golden Knights’ opening night roster in October with season-opening injuries keeping Alec Martinez and Zach Whitecloud out of the lineup. As injuries continued to affect the Vegas blue line, Pachal slipped down the depth chart behind 23-year-old Kaedan Korczak, who’s recently found a home in the team’s top four alongside Brayden McNabb in the absence of Shea Theodore.

After the Golden Knights claimed 2019 first-round pick Tobias Björnfot off waivers from the Kings in early January, there was even less of a role for Pachal on the NHL roster. As such, he was a healthy scratch in 11 straight games before the All-Star break, last skating in a Jan. 4 contest against the Panthers.

Calgary is likely parting ways with pending UFA blue liner Chris Tanev (and potentially Noah Hanifin) ahead of the March 8 trade deadline, leaving them with a lack of NHL-caliber defenders to take them through the stretch run. Claiming Pachal off waivers is likely made with that foresight in mind. He’ll compete with depth defensemen such as Dennis Gilbert and Jordan Oesterle for bottom-four ice time and should allow the Flames to keep younger prospects like Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov developing in the minors.

Pachal’s October goal is his only point this season, averaging 14:37 per game with a -2 rating and 18 shots on goal. Only two full-time Golden Knights – Martinez and Brett Howden – have a worse Corsi share at even strength than Pachal’s 44.2% mark despite a low quality of competition.

Despite the underwhelming possession metrics, the Flames believe he can develop into a defensive contributor down the stretch. GM Craig Conroy said Sunday that Pachal “will be an asset to our penalty kill” and called out his 6-foot-2, 202-pound frame as something to like (via Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson).

Pachal also has a history of occupying leadership roles, serving as Henderson’s captain from 2021 to 2023 and as captain of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders in the 2018-19 season. He played in one postseason game last year, Vegas’ series-clinching Game 5 win against the Jets in the First Round, on his way toward getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.

This is not the Flames’ first run-in with Pachal, who turned pro out of juniors in 2019 after signing an entry-level contract with Vegas as an undrafted free agent. As Flames Nation’s Ryan Pike points out, Pachal attended Flames development and prospect camp in the summer of 2018.

He’s under contract through the 2024-25 season at a $775K cap hit after signing a two-year, $1.55MM extension with the Golden Knights in June 2023. His deal is a two-way pact carrying a minimum guaranteed salary of $200K this season, but it converts to a one-way deal next year. Calgary had three open roster spots before making this transaction and nearly $1.5MM in projected cap space, so no corresponding transaction is necessary to execute the claim.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Flames And Canucks Also Discussed Chris Tanev

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The Flames and Canucks had discussions about including Chris Tanev in Wednesday’s Elias Lindholm trade, reports TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link).  However, in the end, he was pulled out of those discussions with Calgary deciding it was better to move him in a separate swap.  Tanev, a top shutdown defenseman, is expected to be one of the most sought-after blueliners heading into next month’s trade deadline with as many as ten teams believed to be interested.  He’s on an expiring contract with a $4.5MM AAV and while the Flames got away without retaining in the Lindholm trade (or the Nikita Zadorov one earlier this season), it feels like there’s a good chance they’ll need to pay this contract down up to the maximum of 50% if they’re going to maximize their return.

Afternoon Notes: Lindholm, Zellweger, Hertl

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The Vancouver Canucks are hoping that Elias Lindholm can stick around, with the team’s President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford sharing that, “Lindholm could be a rental. He could be a long-term guy. In an ideal world, we’d like to keep him.” The Canucks acquired Lindholm on Wednesday, sending the Calgary Flames Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, Joni Jurmo, and a first and fourth-round draft pick in return.

Lindholm’s contract extension has been heavily discussed throughout the season, with reports from the summer sharing that he could be asking for as much as $9MM per year on a new deal. That’s likely changed after what’s been a slow season for Lindholm, who has only managed nine goals and 32 points through 49 games – continuing his decline in scoring since scoring a career-high 42 goals and 82 points in 82 games during the 2021-22 season. The 29-year-old will look to regain his former scoring touch – and his value on an extension – now on a Vancouver Canucks team that ranks second in the league in scoring.

Other notes from around the league:

  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent top defensive prospect Olen Zellweger to the minor leagues. This move is likely to get Zellweger ice time while the Ducks have an eight-day break for the All-Star Break. Zellweger has appeared in the first four NHL games of his career since getting the first recall of his career on January 23rd. He’s recorded one assist and a +2 in those outings, still looking for the first goal of his career. The 20-year-old is in his first pro season, after spending the last four seasons in the WHL. He’s had a hot start to his professional career, ranking third among rookie AHL defensemen in scoring with 25 points through 34 games.
  • Top San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl, who has been out for the team’s last two games, shared with media that he will play in Saturday’s NHL All-Star Game. This will be Hertl’s return from a lower-body injury that’s held him out since January 27th. The 30-year-old has scored 15 goals and 34 points through 48 games this season, leading the Sharks in both categories.

Trade Deadline Primer: Calgary Flames

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With the All-Star break approaching, the trade deadline looms large and is about a month and a half 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.

The Flames came into this season with some major decisions to make on several key pending free agents. Now with the season over halfway done Calgary has only signed Mikael Backlund to an extension and has made the bold move of trading center Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks for several future pieces. The Flames will likely move any pending free agents that they can’t sign to an extension over the next few weeks but probably aren’t looking to go into a full-scale rebuild as they have multiple veterans signed to long-term deals. General manager Craig Conroy is likely looking to retool his group and leave his mark on the club he took over last summer, and given their position in the standings and the players that can be made available, Calgary is sure to be a team to keep your eye on as we head into the deadline season.

Record

22-22-5, 6th in the Pacific

Deadline Status

Conservative Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$6.85MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 43/50 contracts used, per CapFriendly.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2024: CAL 1st*, VAN 1st, CAL 2nd, CAL 3rd, CAL 4th, VAN 4th*, CHI 5th*, CAL 6th,
2025: FLA 1st*, CAL 2nd, CAL 3rd*, CAL 5th, CAL 6th, CAL 7th,

*Conditions on 2024 1st round pick, 2025 1st round pick, 2025 3rd round pick: (CapFriendly)

If CGY’s 2024 1st round pick is between 20 and 32, MTL can take that pick instead.
In the event CGY receives FLA’s 2025 1st-round pick:

If both CGY AND FLA’s picks are NOT top 10, MTL will receive the better of the CGY and FLA 2025 1st-round picks. Result: TBD.

If CGY’s pick is top 10, AND FLA’s pick is NOT top 10, MTL receives FLA’s pick. Result: TBD

*Conditions 2024 4th round pick:

1.) The 4th round pick becomes a 3rd round pick (VAN) if Vancouver makes it to the conference finals. 
2. If the pick remains a 4th, Calgary will receive the better of the two picks that Vancouver currently owns (VAN & NJD).

* Conditions 2024 5th round pick:

Calgary will receive the best of the 5th-round picks that Chicago owns.

Trade Chips

As mentioned earlier, the Flames have some big decisions to make in the next few weeks on the futures of pending free agents Noah Hanifin and Christopher Tanev. There have been whispers of trade rumors regarding Hanifin dating back to last summer when he was lukewarm to the idea of signing a long-term extension with the Flames. Fast forward to today and no traction has been made on a deal which increases the likelihood that the 27-year-old gets dealt. Hanifin will be looking at a lucrative max-term deal with any suitor and could fetch a sizable haul for Calgary which would give them a lot of assets to use in a retool or a rebuild.

Tanev is in the same spot as Hanifin, albeit he is seven years older and has a few more miles on his body. Tanev won’t be seeking the same term as Hanifin but comes with a lot more risk given that he is on the back nine of his career. Tanev has been connected to several teams through trade rumors and will be looking to cash in on what could be the last lucrative extension of his career. He will also fetch a good haul for the Flames should they choose to move on and trade him.  Of course, any players they deal will need to be replaced in the summer if the Flames have any plans to retool and go for it again next year.

The Flames look to be a seller this trade deadline and have already made a bold move trading Lindholm. If they can get full value for Hanifin and Tanev, they could position themselves nicely for the future and whichever direction they choose to take the franchise.

Team Needs

The Flames have some sizable long-term commitments on the books and could find it difficult to replace their departing players via free agency this summer. They are currently slated to have $25.5MM in cap space heading into the summer which will go quickly given the holes in the lineup they would be looking to fill. If they are looking to win with the group they have, which has been the stated goal of management, they may look to acquire roster players in exchange for pending free agents at the deadline.

1) A Top Center: The Flames had a top center until yesterday, although Lindholm was probably better suited as a second-line center. This leaves Calgary with Nazim Kadri and Backlund as their one and two centers which probably has both men playing above their skillset. Top-line centers are one of the hardest players to acquire, which means Craig Conroy will have to get creative if he wants to retool. Conroy has expressed belief that the team can win with their current group, but in order to do so he will have to find a way to fill a big hole with minimal cap space and other pressing lineup issues that will need to be addressed. Conroy probably won’t find a top-line center before the deadline, but if he is looking for one this summer he could acquire pieces at the trade deadline that he could flip later in the year for immediate help.

2) Two Top-Four Defensemen: Last summer, the Flames tried to re-sign Hanifin and then re-engaged the defenseman this past November and nearly agreed to an eight-year extension. However, since that time not much information has come out about where the negotiations stand leading pundits to believe that Calgary will trade the Boston, Massachusetts native. The same talks have swirled around Tanev which would open up two massive holes on Calgary’s defense should they both be moved. Calgary could explore upgrades this offseason in free agency but would find it difficult to replace Hanifin and Tanev. The other option could come via trade, which would be possible if they continue adding to the futures cupboard heading into the trade deadline. Calgary could also explore a player like Jakob Chychrun, who has a year left on his deal with the Ottawa Senators. However, it would leave Calgary in the same position this summer that they were in with Hanifin and Tanev.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Vancouver Canucks Acquire Elias Lindholm

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The Vancouver Canucks announced that the team has acquired forward Elias Lindholm from the Calgary Flames. In return, the Canucks will send Andrei Kuzmenko, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Joni Jurmo, a first-round pick in 2024, and a conditional fourth-round pick in 2024. The Flames have also confirmed the deal.

Being a part of the Flames organization for the better parts of six seasons, Lindholm has turned into an effective two-way threat across the league. During his time in Calgary, Lindholm played in a total of 418 regular season games, scoring 148 goals and 357 points in the process. His best offensive output came during the 2021-22 season, scoring 42 goals and 82 points in all 82 games, helping the Flames finish third place in the Western Conference.

With their eyes already set on the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs in this deal, Lindholm brings limited postseason experience. Over his five full seasons in Calgary, Lindholm managed to take part in the postseason in three of those seasons, going as far as the Western Conference semi-finals. In 27 postseason games, Lindholm has scored eight goals and 17 points as well as a 55.5% success rate on the faceoff date, a bit of an improvement over his 53.3% regular season average throughout his career.

It will be interesting to see how exactly the Canucks deploy Lindholm, as J.T. Miller has shown considerable effectiveness as the team’s second-line center. With Lindholm’s versatility up and down the lineup, the team may opt to move either player to the wing to keep them both in the top six. Nevertheless, now tied at the top of the league standings, it will be increasingly difficult for any opponent to match up against a combination of Lindholm, Miller, Elias Petterson, and Brock Boeser on any given night.

After the deal was first reported, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported that no extension talks have been discussed between Lindholm and the Canucks. If Vancouver is indeed viewing him as a rental, the Flames received quite a haul for an asset the Canucks may only have for a few months.

Originally, Calgary was reportedly on Kuzmenko’s 12-team no-trade list, but LeBrun later confirmed that Kuzmenko signed off on his inclusion in the deal. Not fitting into Rick Tocchet’s system in Vancouver, the Canucks have been looking to move on from Kuzmenko for nearly the whole season.

In the first season of a two-year, $11MM extension signed with Vancouver last season, Kuzmenko brings much-needed offensive prowess to the top of the Flames’ lineup. In a forgotten season last year for the organization, Kuzmenko finished fourth on the team in scoring, putting up 39 goals and 74 points in 81 games.

Setting aside some healthy scratches earlier in the year, Kuzmenko has still produced respectably this season, scoring eight goals and 21 points in 43 games. Furthermore, Kuzmenko’s powerplay abilities have led him to 17 goals already in his young career, which should help a Flames powerplay unit that currently sits 29th in the NHL.

As far as the prospects heading to Alberta, Brzustewicz was originally drafted 75th overall by the Canucks in last year’s draft. Suiting up for the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL this year, Brzustewicz appears to be somewhat of a diamond in the rough. In 47 games played for the Rangers, Brzustewicz has scored eight goals and a whopping 61 assists, which is an impressive 17 more than the next closest player. With the Flames set to miss several defensemen to either trade or free agency by next season, the right-handed shooting Brzustewicz could feature in the lineup as soon as next year.

Jurmo, another defenseman, was also a third-round selection of Vancouver going 82nd overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. Not having made his professional debut in North America yet, Jurmo does not bring a similar offensive pedigree to the table as Brzustewicz. Nevertheless, standing at 6’4″, Jarmo can cover large swaths of ice for the Flames defensive core. Still playing in his native Finland, Jurmo has scored a total of four points in 35 games split between Ilves and KooKoo of the Finnish Liiga this year.

In the draft picks, the first-round selection acquired in the deal will undoubtedly be at the bottom of the draft, given that Vancouver is on pace to win this year’s President’s Trophy. Owning both their own and the New Jersey Devils’ fourth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Canucks will be able to choose which pick exactly ends up in Calgary.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was the first to report that talks were intensifying between Calgary and Vancouver. 

Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff was the first to confirm that Lindholm was headed to the Canucks. 

Friedman was the first to report that Brzustewicz would be headed to Calgary. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.

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