These Pending UFAs Have Increased Their Stock
The 2026 UFA class had been highly anticipated for quite some time free agency even opened this year. That excitement only grew through July and August as many potential UFAs didn’t sign extensions with their current clubs. However, that feeling was quickly dampened in the fall as players like Kirill Kaprizov, Connor McDavid, and Jack Eichel began signing new contracts, taking the energy out of the 2026 free-agent frenzy. While many stars have signed new deals, a noticeable group of talented players is still set to hit the open market on July 1, 2026, with some having significantly boosted their stock after a strong start to the season.
Jack Roslovic has encountered two difficult situations in the UFA market, with the first ending in him signing a one-year, $2.8MM deal with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2024. His second attempt this past summer saw him join the Oilers for one year at $1.5MM. This year’s outcome was quite unexpected, given that Roslovic played well last season with 22 goals for Carolina, yet a multi-year deal that suited him never materialized. Roslovic was not alone this summer; defenseman Matt Grzelcyk also couldn’t secure a multi-year contract that met his expectations, despite having a career-best season last year in Pittsburgh.
This summer, however, Roslovic seems to be positioning himself for a multi-year deal that has eluded him. Injuries could affect his market value, but through 23 games in Edmonton this season, the 28-year-old has scored 10 goals and added eight assists. He’s also averaging over three more minutes of ice time per game compared to his career average. These impressive stats could spark a bidding war for his services if he stays healthy and maintains his current level of performance for the remainder of the season.
Nick Schmaltz is another forward whose performance this season has increased his value. The 29-year-old has 30 points (12 goals and 18 assists) in 34 games, and he will likely exceed his current $5.85MM cap hit when he signs his next contract next summer. Schmaltz’s impending free agency puts the Utah Mammoth in a tough spot, as Schmaltz has recorded back-to-back 60+ point seasons and is on track to do so again, which could raise his next cap hit to around $9MM annually.
The Mammoth might not want to commit to that kind of deal for Schmaltz, which means they will either trade him before the trade deadline or let him walk for nothing at the end of the year. Utah reportedly held trade talks for Schmaltz last summer, and it doesn’t seem likely that a deal will be finalized soon, meaning Schmaltz might enter the open market at the best possible time.
Another forward whose future remains uncertain is Alex Tuch of the Buffalo Sabres. Tuch has scored 11 goals and 17 assists in 31 games and initiated contract talks at the beginning of the season, which puts the Sabres in a difficult position. The Sabres find themselves in a familiar spot at the bottom of the standings, and while Tuch has done his part, the team appears to be heading nowhere. If Tuch continues at his current pace, his value will only increase, which might be what the Sabres want if they plan to trade the Syracuse, New York native.
Two veterans nearing the end of their careers are Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Artemi Panarin of the New York Rangers. Both entered this season with significant questions about their futures, and so far they’ve performed well, raising even more questions about what lies ahead for them.
Evgeni Malkin seems to have no interest in playing anywhere in the NHL other than Pittsburgh. This could lead to some interesting contract negotiations after the season if he maintains his current level of play. Malkin is in the final season of a four-year, $24.4MM contract he signed in the summer of 2022. Many believed last summer that the 2025-26 season could be Malkin’s last in the NHL and possibly his final season as a player at all. However, with the 39-year-old experiencing a significant resurgence this season with eight goals and 21 assists in 26 games, there’s a chance he continues playing, especially if Pittsburgh remains competitive and has a role for him moving forward. Nobody could have predicted that the Penguins would start the season as they have. With more young players emerging and an incredible amount of cap space next summer, the short-term future for Pittsburgh actually looks quite promising. It seemed unlikely that Malkin would receive a contract offer from Pittsburgh next summer, but now it seems like a real possibility he returns, assuming he can maintain his current work rate.
For Panarin, it’s not so much his play this season that has raised his profile, but rather the better options being taken off the table next summer. With many of the top pending UFAs now tied up in extensions, Panarin has risen on the list as one of the best offensive options available. The 34-year-old, for his part, remains a point-per-game player with 11 goals and 22 assists in 33 games, which should attract a healthy market despite his age by NHL standards. AFP Analytics is projecting a four-year, $41MM deal for Panarin, which, considering market conditions and his performance, looks pretty feasible.
On defense, arguably the top available player is Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames. Andersson had a tough year last season but has bounced back in 2025-26, which should give him a strong market if and when he hits free agency. The Flames have started poorly this year, opening up the possibility that Andersson becomes a key trade piece before the NHL Trade Deadline, giving him a chance to play meaningful hockey in the spring if he joins a contender. The 29-year-old has been used in more defensive roles this season but has still managed 22 points in 33 games, after recording just 31 points in 81 games last season. If Andersson maintains this offensive level, his cap hit could rise closer to $9MM a season on his next contract, likely the last major deal of his career. Some teams might hesitate because of his less successful past seasons, but for now, Andersson is hitting his stride at just the right moment.
A couple of honorable mentions to round things out include forwards Victor Olofsson, Jaden Schwartz, and Kiefer Sherwood. Olofsson signed his second straight one-year “prove it” contract this summer, signing with the Colorado Avalanche for a $1.575MM AAV. Since then, Olofsson has been a steady performer for the Avalanche, recording seven goals and 12 assists in 32 games. AFP Analytics projects a three-year deal at $3.41MM per year, which would be a nice bump for the 30-year-old.
A year ago, Schwartz looked like a player who would need to accept a significant pay cut when his current contract ends. The 33-year-old is currently earning a $5.5MM AAV in the final year of a five-year deal. After scoring 49 points last season, Schwartz is on pace for a 65-point season this year, which would be a career best. Considering that level of production, AFP is predicting a two-year deal worth just under $10.8MM, which would be a slight decrease from his next contract but not the huge drop expected a year ago.
Sherwood has become a bit of a goal scorer since joining the Vancouver Canucks in the summer of 2024 as a free agent. He is on track to surpass 20 goals for the first time in his NHL career (after posting 19 a year ago), and the timing could not be better since he is expected to hit the open market next summer. His lack of long-term NHL experience may somewhat limit Sherwood’s market value, as he was a late bloomer, becoming a full-time NHLer at the age of 28. He has just one season with more than thirty points (last year), but if he can do that again, he should still attract a team willing to offer a multi-year deal at an AAV that might surprise some people.
Flames Activate Zayne Parekh From IR, Recall Dryden Hunt
The Flames announced a pair of roster moves on Friday. Rookie defenseman Zayne Parekh was activated from injured reserve and subsequently loaned to Canada’s national junior team ahead of the 2026 World Junior Championship, which begins on Boxing Day in Minneapolis and St. Paul. They also added forward Dryden Hunt back to the active roster after reassigning him to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers yesterday – something they’re eligible to do because he played for the minor-league club last night.
Parekh, 19, is still finding his way in his first professional season. It’s unclear whether he’ll be added back to Calgary’s roster after the tournament or if they’ll opt to have him finish the season with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit. He’s ineligible for a full-time AHL assignment this season as a teenage player under the NHL-CHL transfer agreement.
His underwhelming first few games in the NHL don’t change his stature as the Flames’ top prospect, though. Selected ninth overall in the 2024 draft, Parekh led the OHL in points by a defenseman in back-to-back seasons before making Calgary’s roster out of camp this fall. Last year, he became just the 15th defender in OHL history to record a 100-point season and the first since Ryan Ellis hit 101 in 2010-11. But through 11 appearances in Calgary after scoring in his debut in Game 82 last season, he was limited to one assist and only averaged 14:46 of ice time per game.
Whatever momentum Parekh had ground to a halt on Nov. 7 against the Blackhawks when he sustained an upper-body injury. He hasn’t played since. Instead of an AHL conditioning stint or a direct reinstatement, he’ll get his feet wet again in Canada’s WJC training camp over the next couple of weeks after he was one of the most notable tournament snubs in recent memory last year.
As for Hunt, the 30-year-old is settling into a role as Calgary’s 13th forward with Samuel Honzek out for the season and Martin Pospisil still stuck on injured reserve. The journeyman has found some stability in the Flames organization, now in his third year there after he was initially acquired from the Maple Leafs in 2023. He’s got an 18-36–54 scoring line in 237 games for his NHL career, but has suited up just seven times for the Flames since the beginning of 2024-25.
Nonetheless, he remains a reliable, no-fuss press box option who lights up the minors when he’s there. He had a two-assist performance with the Wranglers last night against Coachella Valley to give him 18 points in 16 games on the year, looking to lock in his second straight season at or above a point per game. While more intriguing names long-term, like Matvei Gridin and Rory Kerins, are also lighting up the AHL circuit, Hunt’s development isn’t going to be interrupted by long spells in the press box if he’s not needed in the lineup.
Flames Place Jake Bean On Injured Reserve
The Flames moved defenseman Jake Bean to injured reserve earlier today, per Ryan Pike of Flames Nation. He’s missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury, his last outing being Dec. 6 against the Mammoth. He’s technically eligible to return for their next game against the Kings on Saturday, but will presumably miss more time than that.
This season has been a slog for the 27-year-old Bean. A first-round pick back in 2016, he’s been a frequent healthy scratch and has only played in 16 of Calgary’s 32 games. When dressed, he’s managed two points with a -7 rating while averaging 15:57 of ice time per game. He’s averaging a career-low 0.19 hits per game.
Despite the gaudy rating, the 6’1″ lefty has managed some good possession impacts. His 55.3% Corsi share ranks fourth on the team (min. 10 games), and his pairings with Brayden Pachal and MacKenzie Weegar have controlled 64.1% and 58.3% of expected goals at 5-on-5, respectively. He’s been the victim of abysmal shooting luck and goaltending, logging a PDO of 90.4 at even strength, which is second-worst on the team.
Calgary recalled Hunter Brzustewicz from the AHL earlier in the week in Bean’s absence. The 21-year-old was spectacular in his season debut last night against the Red Wings. He had a +1 rating and six shot attempts in 15:47 of ice time, and the Flames allowed just three shot attempts at 5-on-5 while he was on the ice. If that keeps up, Bean’s already diminished playing time may be gone entirely when he returns from injury.
The Calgary native is a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a two-year, $3.5MM deal as a free agent in 2024.
Calgary Flames Reassign Dryden Hunt
The Calgary Flames announced today that they have reassigned forward Dryden Hunt to the club’s AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. The move ends Hunt’s most recent NHL stint, a period that began on Nov. 17.
It was a bit of a curious recall for Hunt, as despite being on the NHL roster for nearly a month, he only managed to dress for two NHL games. Hunt played in Calgary’s road games against the Carolina Hurricanes and Nashville Predators on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2, respectively, but other than that two-game stretch spent the rest of his time on the NHL roster as a healthy scratch.
While Hunt surely would rather have been in head coach Ryan Huska’s nightly lineup, he did nonetheless benefit from his most recent recall. Hunt’s two-year contract carries an $825K NHL salary compared to a $400K AHL salary. He carries a $500K guarantee this season, meaning the time spent on the NHL roster will go a long way in helping Hunt push past that guarantee in terms of total compensation by the end of the year. Hunt’s recall also carried additional, albeit marginal long-term financial benefits, as he is credited for the games in which he was a healthy scratch for the purposes of his post-career pension.
Now 30 years old, Hunt remains in the prime of what has been an admirable pro career. Hunt worked his way up from the AHL to the NHL, becoming a full-time player as the 2020s began. Hunt got into a career-high 76 NHL games for the New York Rangers in 2021-22, scoring a career-high 17 points. Hunt bounced around a bit after that season, returning to the AHL on a mostly full-time basis for 2024-25 in Calgary.
A strong year with the Wranglers (point-per-game in 49 games) helped Hunt climb the Flames’ call-up priority list, and he skated in a total of five NHL games last season, notching three assists. Now back in the AHL, Hunt will likely resume his status as one of the team’s most reliable scorers with the hope of earning another call-up as the season progresses.
Parekh Cleared For Contact
- Flames defenseman Zayne Parekh has been cleared for contact, notes Wes Gilbertson of the Calgary Sun (Twitter link). The rookie has missed more than a month due to an upper-body injury. However, it’s unlikely to be Calgary who immediately benefits from his return to health since Parekh will soon be joining Canada’s entry for the upcoming World Juniors. If he doesn’t go to their camp right away, he’d be eligible for a conditioning assignment with AHL Calgary, somewhere he’s ineligible to play for this season on a full-time basis.
Calgary Flames Recall Hunter Brzustewicz
According to a team announcement, the Calgary Flames have recalled defenseman Hunter Brzustewicz from the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Calgary had one open spot on their roster, so no corresponding roster move was necessary.
Brzustewicz, 21, was selected with the 75th overall pick by the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023 NHL Draft. He didn’t spend much time as a prospect for the Canucks. The following season, the Washington, MI native was traded to the Flames in the deal that sent Elias Lindholm to British Columbia.
His prospect value had increased significantly by that time. After scoring six goals and 57 points in 68 games for the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers during his draft season, Brzustewicz put up 13 goals and 92 points in 67 games the following season, leading the OHL in assists.
Since then, despite featuring in one game for the Flames last season, Brzustewicz has spent much of his time with the Wranglers. He didn’t crack the All-Rookie team last year, but he’s managed a respectable nine goals and 44 points in 93 games with a -8 rating.
It’ll be interesting to see how Calgary uses Brzustewicz throughout this recall. He’s a natural fit on the right side of the defensive core, though the Flames already have MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson as their top two options. Calgary may slot Brzustewicz into the team’s bottom-pairing, or pair him with Weegar, who is one of the best in the league at playing on his off-side.
Ivan Prosvetov Leaves Game With Injury
- The Calgary Flames got an injury scare to one of their organizational netminders last night. Ivan Prosvetov, currently playing for the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, left last night’s game with under eight minutes remaining in regulation (Twitter Link). There have been no further updates to his status. Regardless, he finished the game with the win, stopping 31 of 33 shots.
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Flames Extend Craig Conroy, Other Front Office Members
Nov. 28: The Flames announced Conroy’s two-year extension through 2027-28 and revealed they’ve given deals of the same term to virtually their entire core front office: president of hockey operations Don Maloney, AGM Dave Nonis, and AGM Brad Pascall.
Nov. 26: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Calgary Flames are nearing an extension with General Manager Craig Conroy. Ryan Pike of Flames Nation relayed a note from Sportsnet’s Eric Francis indicating it’s a two-year agreement.
It’s a relatively expected outcome for the third-year front office leader. Outside of his nine-year career with the Flames on the ice in the early to mid-2000s, Conroy had spent the nine years preceding his appointment as the team’s General Manager as Calgary’s Assistant General Manager. Putting it all together — Conroy has spent the last quarter-century involved with the Flames in some capacity.
Embarked on a retool for his tenure up to this point, the Flames have yet to bear the fruits of Conroy’s labor. In the first few years as General Manager, Conroy shipped out several veterans, such as Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, and Jacob Markström, among others.
There’s consensus that Conroy has used the returned assets to good use. Although they haven’t returned to postseason contention under his stewardship yet, many rankings from before the 2025-26 season indicate that the Flames have a top-10 prospect pool in the league.
Additionally, Conroy had the task of finding a new bench boss for Calgary, ultimately landing upon Ryan Huska ahead of the 2023-24 campaign. Before this season, Huska had a 79-66-19 record as the Flames’ head coach, averaging 89 points a year.
Unfortunately, Calgary has seemingly taken a step backward this season. Finishing one regulation win outside of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Flames currently find themselves in 31st place with an 8-13-3 record. Much of that has to do with a lethargic offense, which has averaged 2.38 GF/G.
At any rate, Flames ownership appears happy with the work Conroy has done thus far and is giving him additional time to see the organization through the rebuild. Given their position in the standings, Conroy will have his work cut out for him leading up to this season’s trade deadline, as the Flames could once again offload several veteran players.
The Flames Have To Pick A Direction
The Flames are expected to be active in the trade market, but don’t expect a complete teardown. Team president Don Maloney opposes the idea, telling Sportsnet’s Eric Francis that a last-place finish is “the farthest from our mind.”
Calgary has tasted precious little playoff action over the last decade and a half, appearing in the postseason just five times since 2009 and not at all in the previous three seasons. This lack of meaningful hockey likely means that the fans and the franchise don’t want to stomach a full-scale rebuild that could mean another three to five consecutive seasons – at least – without playoff action.
That being said, floating the idea of stripping the roster down to the studs isn’t surprising given that the Flames have hit the bottom of the standings and have some veteran players who probably aren’t part of the team’s future. Defenseman Rasmus Andersson is a pending UFA and will attract plenty of interest from contending teams as the season approaches the trade deadline. Nazem Kadri remains a top target for teams, although Calgary seems relatively lukewarm about trading the veteran center, with Maloney commenting that Calgary needs more Kadri’s and not less. Most of the trade speculation isn’t the main issue on the ice, but it’s definitely a consideration for some players. Last year, Calgary seemed ready to take a step forward this season, but after a rough start, the rest of the year’s outlook appears uncertain.
Calgary experienced a quiet summer, leaving them uncertain about their short and long-term plans. They are not a contender at the moment, but they also do not appear fully committed to a rebuild, creating an interesting dynamic similar to the one the Capitals had a few years ago. Back then, they made forward-looking moves in the interim, hoping to retool on the fly.
That strategy proved very successful for Washington last season, as they became one of the top teams in the NHL. It seems to be a blueprint other teams are adopting to avoid the lengthy rebuild that became common in the 2000s and 2010s. While it has worked for Washington and helped the Penguins through part of this season, it’s a gamble because the risk is becoming a non-playoff team that neither qualifies for the postseason nor gets a high draft pick. That’s where Pittsburgh has been over the past three seasons, and a similar situation occurred with the Flames before trading Jarome Iginla to the Penguins in 2013.
Calgary has several desirable players who could bring future assets in the trade market. The aforementioned Andersson and Kadri are the top trade chips, but the Flames also have several other pending UFAs. Forward Ryan Lomberg and defenseman Jake Bean are both in the last years of their contracts, and although neither is a high-impact player, they should have a market as the deadline nears. Lomberg is a former Stanley Cup winner who doesn’t get much ice time in Calgary and is a frequent hitter. He has just three goals and 11 assists in 100 games as a member of the Flames, but he wasn’t signed for his scoring. Despite being undersized at just 5’9”, Lomberg plays a high-energy game and can get under opponents’ skin. All of these traits are highly valuable during the playoffs, which should make him an easy trade for the Flames, but he might not return much in a deal.
Bean is another player on an expiring deal who probably won’t fetch much if Calgary decides to move him. The 27-year-old has been a virtual non-factor since signing a two-year, $3.5MM deal in 2024, with nine points and a -7 rating in 77 games. For someone whose puck-moving ability is his calling card, that’s simply not enough output. As such, he’s become a frequent healthy scratch, only skating in three of Calgary’s last 11 contests.
Andersson, Lomberg, and Bean are the Flames’ notable UFAs this season, but apart from Andersson, they won’t significantly contribute to building future assets. This puts the team in a tricky position if they don’t plan to move Kadri. Should they trade their UFAs, keep everyone else, and wait until next summer to restart their rebuild? Should they approach next summer with caution, like they did this past year? Or should they completely tear down the roster and rebuild around Dustin Wolf and their younger stars? Flames general manager Craig Conroy will need to answer these questions soon, as the answers will shape the team’s direction. It’s okay to change course if circumstances change, but if Calgary doesn’t develop a clear plan soon, it risks losing its direction.
Nobody expected them to be Stanley Cup contenders this season, but the hope was that the young players would continue to develop. Since it’s still early in the season, there is time for that to happen. Some players have already moved up to the NHL (Wolf, Matt Coronato, Zayne Parekh), with more expected to follow in Cole Reschny and Hunter Brzustewicz. However, it’s fair to question whether the Flames will have enough top-tier talent when they’re ready to compete, which makes it essential to gather future assets for current veterans – especially when those veterans likely won’t be part of the Flames’ next competitive window.
The Kadri discussion is confusing, but it might be the Flames playing a long game to get the best value for the 35-year-old. Calgary doesn’t have many top-tier players to trade, and Kadri could be one of their last chances to acquire valuable pieces for the future. After posting an impressive 35 goals and 32 assists in 82 games last season, Kadri has started slowly this season with just four goals and 10 assists in 22 games. While his numbers look to be dropping off, it is fair to point out that he is shooting just 5.6% this season, compared to 12.5% last year and 10.9% over his 17-year NHL career. If he regresses to the mean, he should still pot 25 goals this season and will remain in demand on the trade market.
Calgary might hit a boiling point soon if they keep losing, and it could turn into a situation where they try to move every player over 30 who isn’t Mikael Backlund. While that might be the plan, it’s hard to see anyone trading for Jonathan Huberdeau and his hefty contract. But a player like Blake Coleman might generate some interest (with money retained), or even defenseman MacKenzie Weegar could be moved, despite still having plenty of term left on his deal. Coleman has actually garnered the most tangible interest of the Flames’ trade chips thus far in the season and has already been linked to a return to the Devils.
Regardless of what Calgary does, it’s hard to imagine them continuing the season in their current direction. They have more young players coming up and still have veterans who can perform at a high level. While Huberdeau’s contract isn’t going to age well, the rising salary cap will lessen its impact.
Flames Reassign Sam Morton
The Flames announced today that center Sam Morton has been sent back to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Since he’s only been rostered for eight days and played three games since clearing waivers during the preseason, he doesn’t need them today.
Morton, 26, is in his second pro season after inking with the Flames as an undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State in 2024. The Colorado native was the Mavericks’ captain in his final season – his sixth year of NCAA hockey, thanks to COVID – and broke out for 24 goals and 34 points in 37 games to be named the CCHA’s Player of the Year and make himself a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Morton’s age meant he had no trouble adjusting to the pro game. He rattled off five goals and seven points in 13 AHL games to end 2023-24 on a tryout with the Wranglers and then had 20 goals and 45 points in 70 games for them in his first full pro season in 2024-25. That led the Flames to call the 6’0″ pivot up to make his NHL debut in the final game of last year’s regular season, and he notched his first goal in the process.
This season, Morton went unclaimed on waivers on his way down to the Wranglers but took the training camp cut in stride. He had a 4-8–12 scoring line through 16 games, good for sixth on the team, before earning a call-up last week.
Calgary gave Morton a brief trial as the fourth-line center, but that job will now go to waiver claim John Beecher. In three games, he went an impressive 16-for-24 (66.7%) on faceoffs but didn’t record a point and had a -1 rating, averaging just 9:20 per game. The Flames were outshot 11-10 and outchanced 9-8 in Morton’s 5-on-5 minutes.