- On today’s 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman touched on a pair of teams who could be in the market for additional help up front if the opportunity should arise: the Calgary Flames and the Minnesota Wild. Friedman mentions the Flames as a team who may want to add another scorer into the mix if they don’t believe the players in camp with them now can be that player. In addition to several intriguing prospects, Calgary has veterans Sonny Milano and Cody Eakin in camp on PTOs with the team having $1.487MM in available cap space. Worth considering, the Flames did claim forward Radim Zohorna off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier today. Also mentioned were the Wild, who dealt star winger Kevin Fiala, knowing their cap situation would likely prevent them from signing him long-term. Ultimately, they’re left with $5.738MM in cap space and needing to recover at least some of what they lost in Fiala, who posted 85 points in 82 games last season.
Flames Rumors
Calgary Flames Claim Radim Zohorna
The Calgary Flames have claimed Radim Zohorna off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zohorna, though not cut by the Penguins yet, had been placed on waivers yesterday along with several players ticketed for the minor leagues. He won’t be at risk of that now, as he joins the Flames and will have to stay on the NHL roster.
Zohorna, 26, was kind of a surprise add to waivers yesterday after his performance last year and potential upside. The 6’6″ forward had six points in 17 games with the Penguins, adding 23 hits in the process. That kind of physicality and size should fit right in with the Flames’ bottom-six if he can earn himself regular playing time in Calgary.
Though he played wing for most of his time in Pittsburgh last year, Zohorna does have the ability to play center as well. In fact, he was skating between Danton Heinen and Kasperi Kapanen earlier today as a potential fill-in for Teddy Blueger, out for the time being. Whether he’ll be used in that capacity in Calgary remains to be seen but between him, Adam Ruzicka, Cody Eakin, and Trevor Lewis, the team has several options for the middle of the ice on the fourth line.
One player that likely benefits from the claim is Ryan Poehling, who figures to mix in as the team’s depth center now. While Jeff Carter and Blueger are both getting closer to a return, a young player like Poehling could get some more looks in the meantime.
Injury Updates: Bruins, Ducks, Flames
The Boston Bruins issued two injury updates, one of which could have a major impact on the team’s calculations for their opening-night roster. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery told the media today that top prospect Fabian Lysell was out day-to-day, with a target returning to play Wednesday against the New York Rangers. He also revealed that star winger Taylor Hall was injured and would be out with a week-to-week designation.
It’s the Hall injury that’s most significant here, especially since the team is already without winger Brad Marchand due to injury. This leaves the Bruins without their top two left wingers to start the season, absences that could significantly alter the complexion of the team’s top-six early in the year. With Hall and Marchand out, it’s possible that players such as Jake DeBrusk and Pavel Zacha are leaned on more heavily to create offense, and this injury could also increase the odds of Lysell making the team for at least a nine-game trial.
Some other injury updates from across the NHL:
- The Anaheim Ducks issued injury updates on two of their players: Trevor Zegras and Urho Vaakanainen. For Vaakanainen, the team said that he was released from the hospital on Friday and “continues to improve.” For Zegras, the team revealed that he is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury but will be on the ice for today’s activities. This is good news for Vaakanainen, who hopefully is on the path to a safe recovery after he suffered a scary injury Friday when he was stretchered off the ice.
- The Calgary Flames issued three injury updates today, regarding forwards Emilio Pettersen and Martin Pospisil, as well as defenseman Dennis Gilbert. Per the team, all three players are considered day-to-day as they continue to battle for roles in training camp.
Waivers: 10/2/22
It’s expected to be another busy day on the waiver wire today as teams continue to trim down their rosters. We’ll keep track of the players being placed on waivers here.
Buffalo Sabres (via NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, awaiting team announcement)
Calgary Flames (via team release)
F Clark Bishop
F Ben Jones
F Matthew Phillips
D Colton Poolman
D Nick DeSimone
G Oscar Dansk
Carolina Hurricanes (via NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston, awaiting team announcement)
Dallas Stars (via PuckPedia)
F Riley Tufte
F Marian Studenic
D Alexander Petrovic
Edmonton Oilers (via team release)
Florida Panthers (via Florida Hockey Now’s George Richards, awaiting team announcement)
Los Angeles Kings (via PuckPedia)
Ottawa Senators (via team release)
F Rourke Chartier
F Jake Luccini
D Dillon Heatherington
Pittsburgh Penguins (via team release)
F Alexander Nylander
F Radim Zohorna
F Drake Caggiula
D Xavier Ouellet
G Dustin Tokarski
Seattle Kraken (via team release)
F Jesper Froden
F Cameron Hughes
F Kole Lind
F Max McCormick
F Austin Poganski
F Andrew Poturalski
F Brogan Rafferty
F Carsen Twarynski
D Gustav Olofsson
G Magnus Hellberg
St. Louis Blues (via team release, PuckPedia)
F Nathan Todd
F Will Bitten
D Luke Witkowski
D Steven Santini
Washington Capitals (via team release)
F Beck Malenstyn
F Garrett Pilon
D Gabriel Carlsson
D Dylan McIlrath
D Bobby Nardella
G Zachary Fucale
Latest On MacKenzie Weegar
There’s certainly no doubt over whether MacKenzie Weegar wants to stay in Calgary. The Flames’ newcomer has made it very clear that he wants to sign an extension, and soon.
In Eric Francis’ new piece for Sportsnet, Weegar’s agent (and uncle) Matthew Ebbs explains that while they will be open to some discussions during the season, they would much prefer getting something done before it starts. Weegar “doesn’t want to be dealing with [it] in the media room” according to Ebbs, who notes how his client doesn’t want to be a distraction.
The 28-year-old Weegar is in the final season of a three-year, $9.75MM contract he signed in 2020, and is arguably one of the biggest bargains in the league. After scoring 44 points in 80 games last season, while averaging more than 23 minutes a night, he is likely looking for a substantial raise on the $3.25MM cap hit he’ll carry this year. An unrestricted free agent next summer, the Flames also have an incentive to get a contract done as soon as possible. Calgary witnessed exactly what can happen when you wait, watching Johnny Gaudreau leave them to test the open market.
Interestingly, while the Flames don’t have much extra cap space for the 2023-24 season, they are about to gain a huge amount of flexibility the year after. That’s when the salary cap is expected to take a sharp upward turn, and Mikael Backlund, Elias Lindholm, Tyler Toffoli, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, and Oliver Kylington are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency. Though some of those names will be extended, others could be flipped for future assets and cap space, in order to facilitate new contracts for Weegar and fellow newcomer Jonathan Huberdeau, who signed an eight-year, $84MM extension soon after arriving in Calgary.
That flexibility starts to disappear with every new contract, however, meaning that signing Weegar will likely close the door on at least one of those expiring veterans. The Calgary front office is trying to navigate the loss of two 100-point players in one summer without having to need to rebuild the core, and every financial decision will have drastic ramifications on the rest. While Weegar wants it done as soon as possible, it’s a delicate dance for the Flames over the next 24 months.
Training Camp Notes: Stone, Biakabutuka, Mangiapane
Injury troubles plagued the Vegas Golden Knights last season, something they can ill-afford a repeat of in 2022-23. There’s some good news on that front regarding one of their star players, though, as right wing Mark Stone skated in a contact jersey today for the first time during training camp.
The Golden Knights will count on Stone to have a rebound year as their captain, especially with their offensive depth thinning. The 2021 Selke Trophy finalist and 2019 runner-up played in just 37 games due to injury last season, registering nine goals, 21 assists, and 30 points. Hopefully, the serious back injuries that plagued him last season don’t become a long-term issue for the 30-year-old.
- Somewhat of a rarity these days, a player attending camp on an amateur tryout might do well enough to earn a contract within the organization. Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen notes that the Red Wings have been impressed with defenseman Jérémie Biakabutuka, with head coach Derek Lalonde complimenting his skating and compete level. The 20-year-old is set to return to the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders next season but could receive an NHL entry-level contract from Detroit or receive an AHL offer from the Grand Rapids Griffins when his season is over.
- Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was a full participant in camp today after missing the first four days of group skates with what the team called a “minor lower-body injury.” He made his return to scrimmages skating on a line with newcomer Nazem Kadri, a role he’s likely to reprise in the regular season as well. Mangiapane is coming off a career-high 35 goals and 55 points.
Snapshots: Extension Talks, Sutter, Border Mandates
There are several players around the league that have been involved in extension talks over the summer, including the likes of MacKenzie Weegar and Bo Horvat. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet touches on several of these situations in the latest 32 Thoughts podcast, giving his thoughts on whether in-season negotiation will be an option.
In Weegar’s case, Friedman notes that there is a feeling that once the season begins, extension talks will be shelved to the end of the year. The 28-year-old defenseman is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and is coming off a career-best 44 points last season. While Horvat’s situation is a bit murkier, Friedman believes that David Pastrnak of the Boston Bruins is open to talking throughout the year.
- Another important member of the Calgary Flames is in the final year of his contract but he isn’t a player. Friedman believes that Darryl Sutter will likely be extended at some point, as his three-year deal approaches expiry. Sutter was hired in 2021, making the first year of his deal the end of the 2020-21 season, and has had a strong effect since returning to Calgary. Under his leadership, the team went from missing the playoffs with a sub .500 record in 2020-21 to winning the Pacific Division and reaching the second round.
- The Canadian government is dropping all vaccine requirements for non-citizens entering the country as of October 1, meaning that unvaccinated players in leagues like the NHL, NBA, and MLB should now be able to travel with their teams for games in Canada. Last season, for instance, the Detroit Red Wings were forced to leave Tyler Bertuzzi behind when they went on road trips north of the border, something that may well have cost him the team lead in scoring, given the pace he produced at through 68 games. Hopefully, the league will not need to deal with these limitations in the future, as health officials continue to reduce restrictions.
Calgary Flames Sign Brett Ritchie
Sep 21, 3:59 pm: The Flames have made Ritchie’s signing official, bringing him back to Calgary for his third season with the team. The contract is a one-year, one-way deal with a cap hit of $750,000.
Sep 21, 10:00 am: Ritchie appears on the Flames training camp roster, though the team has not officially announced the deal yet.
Sep 19: Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports that the Calgary Flames are close to bringing back winger Brett Ritchie on a one-year deal.
Ritchie will return to the Flames for a third straight season. This time, though, he won’t have to work his way in on a PTO as he did last season.
Since the 2020-21 season, Ritchie’s had seven goals, five assists, and 12 points in 73 games in a Flames uniform. The 29-year-old forward has a total of 72 points in 341 career games since debuting in 2014-15 as a member of the Dallas Stars.
He’s played sparingly in Calgary, but he’s the type of fourth-line energy forward that head coach Darryl Sutter loves. While he likely won’t be playing for more than 45 games per season, that’s fine given his very limited ice time. He’ll be competing for a bottom-six role shared by Trevor Lewis and PTO invite Cody Eakin.
For the Flames, it continues to show they’re not quite ready to have young players make the next step. They also brought Sonny Milano into camp on a PTO today, who should earn a spot in their top-nine forward group to add to their excellent depth. For players like Jakob Pelletier and Matthew Phillips, though, it’s likely another season of conditioning in the AHL.
Calgary Flames Sign Adam Ruzicka
Another day, another RFA down. The Calgary Flames have signed Adam Ruzicka to a two-year contract. The deal will be a two-way contract in 2022-23, one-way in 2023-24, and carries a cap hit of $762.5K.
Ruzicka, 23, made it to the NHL as a part-time player last season, suiting up 28 times and scoring ten points. The fourth-round pick has been impressive in the minor leagues and comes with the size and strength that can make him a valuable part of the Darryl Sutter system. With the ability to play center or the wing, he could immediately find a spot with this Calgary team, filling out the bottom-six with some extra scoring ability.
In fact, should he fail to find a spot with the Flames in training camp, Ruzicka would be a prime candidate to be snatched off of waivers. Sending him back to the minor leagues would risk him to the rest of the league, meaning at worst he probably becomes the team’s 13th forward to start.
With Cody Eakin and Sonny Milano in camp on professional tryouts, however, that isn’t guaranteed, meaning he’ll have to perform up to standards in the preseason. The Flames will have a different look to their forward group this year without Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, or Sean Monahan, but it’s not like those spots are up for grabs.
For the young Ruzicka, a two-year deal at the league minimum provides some stability and actually represents the best way to get into the lineup. With the Flames right up close to the salary cap ceiling, they usually can’t afford to carry expensive extras. Being the cheapest player on the roster has some advantages, and if Ruzicka can establish himself as a full-time player, a bigger deal awaits in restricted free agency two years from now. Of course, if he fails to do so, he could qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2024 instead.
Calgary Flames Sign Sonny Milano To PTO
After scoring a career-high 14 goals and 34 points, Sonny Milano finally has a training camp to attend. The Calgary Flames will bring Milano in on a professional tryout. As with any PTO, this doesn’t mean Milano is actually on the Flames, only that he will be attending camp. It is, however, an opportunity for the team to get comfortable with the player and for the player to showcase himself to the entire league.
Milano, 26, was left unqualified by the Anaheim Ducks this offseason, thanks to a breakout campaign that likely would have led to a large arbitration award. The young forward would have needed a qualifying offer of $1.8MM and would have secured much more than that given his strong offensive totals from last year.
Playing nearly the entire season on the wing of playmaker extraordinaire Trevor Zegras (and a good chunk more with solid offensive players like Rickard Rakell and Troy Terry), Milano made the best of his opportunities. Still averaging just over 15 minutes a night, he nearly doubled his career points total, and potted 14 goals, a number he had hit as a rookie in 2017-18 but come nowhere near since.
There have always been questions about Milano’s overall impact on a game, his tendency to try highlight-reel plays instead of more traditional options, and a habit of drifting to the perimeter, but there is no doubt that he has the skill to play at a high level. The fact that he hasn’t found a contract yet likely has more to do with him searching for a good fit than the phone not ringing.
Whether he can find that fit in Calgary is unclear. For a player that will need powerplay time and minutes with top-end players to be effective, the Flames roster looks awfully crowded. Even with the losses of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary can ice a top-six that includes Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, Andrew Mangiapane, Elias Lindholm, and Tyler Toffoli. Blake Coleman, Mikael Backlund, and Dillon Dube are all capable of moving into those roles as well, while the veterans like Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis patrol the bottom six.
So while Milano may be deserving of an NHL contract, it will be interesting to see whether it ends up being the Flames that sign him. For now, he’ll attend training camp with the team, and get a chance to remind them of the skill that scored two goals in three games against Calgary last season.