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Calgary Flames Expand Goaltending Department

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The Calgary Flames, perhaps taking a page from the Florida Panthers book, have created a new goaltending department in the front office, which will be led by Jordan Sigalet as Director of Goaltending. General manager Brad Treliving explained just what the department’s role in the organization will be:

The goal and mission of this change is to provide us with the best process to identify, draft, develop, procure and coach goalies for the Calgary Flames. We believe this structure and process will provide us with the best and deepest goaltending expertise throughout all parts of the organization.

Under Sigalet, who will focus on drafting and development of all the goaltenders in the organization, will be Jason Labarbera who has been named Flames Goaltending Coach. The former NHL goaltender comes to the Flames from the Calgary Hitmen where he served in a similar role for the past four years. Thomas Speer will continue to serve as a Development Goalie Coach for the Flames AHL affiliate in Stockton.

Labarbera, 40, played in 187 NHL games during his journeyman professional career, which took him through New York, Charlotte, Hartford, Los Angeles, Manchester, Vancouver, Phoenix, Edmonton, Oklahoma City, Rockford, Norfolk, Anaheim, and Lehigh Valley. He finished with a .907 save percentage at the NHL level and began work with the Hitmen almost immediately after retirement.

The Flames of course have struggled to find consistent goaltending at the NHL level for years but recently committed term and money to Jakob Markstrom in free agency. For the team to ever truly contend for another Stanley Cup they will need to find success in the crease, which Sigalet and Labarbera are now tasked with.

Latest On Travis Hamonic

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It’s been a long time since Travis Hamonic’s name was in the news, partly because of his own decision and partly because of the complete standstill of the free agent market. The veteran defenseman opted out of the NHL’s return to play this summer citing family reasons but was also injured before the original pause, meaning his last competitive game was way back on February 8 of this year. It’ll be almost a full year before he hits the ice again but at just 30 years old could still be an effective part of any team’s blueline.

While there hasn’t been much to speculate on, Hamonic’s name did come up in conversation today on TSN radio in Vancouver, when Bob Marjanovich explained he had heard that both the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames were interested. Both teams are currently dealing with cap crunches, so would need to move money out before signing Hamonic to a one-year deal, according to Marjanovich.

The idea of a one-year deal for Hamonic seems likely at this point, given how cash-strapped so many teams around the league are, but it does seem difficult for either Vancouver or Calgary to fit him in. The interesting part of the Canucks connection is that he would essentially be there to replace the outgoing Chris Tanev, who took his job as a defensively-minded right-handed defenseman in Calgary this free agency. But Vancouver is already over the cap ceiling and though they may be able to get some relief if Micheal Ferland can be moved to long-term injured reserve, it’s not like they have much money to throw around at free agents.

In Calgary, bringing Hamonic back could make some sense given the familiarity there after three seasons together, but he struggled at times in 2019-20 and again, was replaced by Tanev on the open market. The Flames also have Rasmus Andersson signed and ready to take on more responsibility, not leaving very much chance for Hamonic to really boost his value for a bigger contract next season.

There likely would be better fits for Hamonic elsewhere, including with the Winnipeg Jets, where the Manitoba native played his minor hockey. If any of those family concerns remain, perhaps a Canadian team would be the only place he would consider for the shortened season, given the division realignment and border protocols. The Toronto Maple Leafs were linked to him several years ago but added former teammate T.J. Brodie in free agency and don’t have much money, while the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators don’t really have obvious openings either.

Like the other high profile free agents remaining, Hamonic’s career is at something of a crossroads thanks to the COVID-affected market. He should be a sought-after commodity given his experience—Hamonic has averaged more than 20 minutes a night in each of his ten NHL seasons—but not faces a difficult search for playing time that he can use in the next offseason negotiations.

Juuso Valimaki, Barrett Hayton Recalled From Loan

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With training camp now right around the corner, players loaned all over the world will begin to make their return to North America. For the Arizona Coyotes, that means Barrett Hayton is on his way back, his loan ended with Ilves in Finland after eight games. Hayton registered four assists in his overseas stint and will return to the Coyotes with the hopes of becoming a full-time NHL player this season.

In 20 games last year, Hayton scored one goal and four points. He was allowed to leave and participate in the World Juniors, where he captained Team Canada to a gold medal but suffered a shoulder injury in the process. When the Coyotes returned for the postseason bubble, Hayton suited up three times but failed to record a point. Selected fifth overall in 2018, the 6’1″ forward has plenty of offensive upside and a work ethic to take him far, if given the opportunity. He’ll try to take over as one of the leaders in Arizona this season.

Ilves has also announced that the loan of Juuso Valimaki has ended and the Calgary Flames defenseman will also be traveling back to North America. Valimaki played in 19 games and registered 19 points, a great sign after missing the entire 2019-20 season with injury. The 16th overall pick in 2017, Valimaki had looked ready to take on a full-time role in the NHL when he suffered a major knee injury, tearing his ACL in offseason training. He didn’t play a single game last season but after an outstanding performance in Finland, he looks ready to bounce back as if he missed no development time at all.

Latest On 2020-21 Schedule And Rosters

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Nothing is official between the NHL and NHLPA on a format for the 2020-21 season, but progress is being made. As reported earlier today, financial negotiations – including a proposal of compliance buyouts – have been put to rest and the two sides will move forward with the terms agreed upon in the CBA. There is still work to be done on an agreement of numerous other details for the season, but both sides seem optimistic about a January 13 start date and some players, like New Jersey’s Nico Hischier, are already planning their returns to North America in preparation.

As for what comes next in the planning process, TSN’s Frank Seravalli, Darren Dreger, and Pierre LeBrun spoke at length about possible roster changes for the coming year in the latest edition of “Insider Trading”. Given the risks associated with the potential for a Coronavirus breakout in a locker room, as well as the health complications of adding players to the roster via recall, it seems likely that rosters will be expanded and taxi squads may be implemented for this season. Seravalli specifically notes that active rosters could grow to 26 and taxi squads of four could bring the total group of available players for each team to 30. There is also the possibility that the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, and Vancouver Canucks could be given an exception for larger taxi squads, as their AHL affiliates play outside of Canada and adding to the roster would be a long and involved process. He mentions that the other Canadian teams do not share this problem, as their AHL teams play in Canada and are expected to have their own division this season. The group did not address the salary cap implications that an expanded roster may have, but expect that taxi squad members will be paid AHL salaries but receive NHL benefits.

Regardless of the safeguards that the league puts in place with rosters as well as travel and gameplay, it seems inevitable that there will be cases of Coronavirus among NHL players and personnel this season. As the NFL season has shown, that can cause quite the confusion when it comes to scheduling. So while many expected the 2020-21 season to be condensed due to the delayed start, TSN’s insiders report that the schedule will actually have numerous off days built in to accommodate make-up games.

For now, each side continues to discuss all options internally – the NHLPA Executive Board met today and the NHL Board of Governors is set to meet later this week – while negotiating with one another. As noted earlier today, the new target date to begin play is January 13 with training camps for all teams likely to begin on January 3 and almost certainly a uniform period of quarantine for all prior to arrival at camp (Dreger believes eight days of isolation will be required). As such, the clock is ticking and the hope is that the two sides can have all the details hammered out sooner rather than later now that their financial debate has been resolved.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Calgary Flames

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avert total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2020-21 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Calgary Flames

Current Cap Hit: $80,489,166 (under the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Dillon Dube (one year, $778K)
D Juuso Valimaki (one year, $894K)

Potential Bonuses

Dube: $32.5K
Valimaki: $425K
Total: $457.5K

After being recalled in mid-November, Dube was up to stay with Calgary, playing in 45 regular season games as well as all ten playoff games.  While he’s projected to be a full-time regular next year, it’s unlikely that he’ll command a significant raise on his next deal unless he’s able to grab a top-six role which isn’t likely at this stage of his career.  Valimaki missed all of last season while recovering from knee surgery.  As things stand, he should slot in on the third pairing but with how much development time he has lost, a bridge contract next offseason is quite likely for him.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Sam Bennett ($2.55MM, RFA)
F Josh Leivo ($875K, UFA)
D Nikita Nesterov ($700K, UFA)
F Joakim Nordstrom ($700K, UFA)
G David Rittich ($2.75MM, UFA)
F Derek Ryan ($3.25MM, UFA)
F Dominik Simon ($700K, UFA)

It wasn’t a good regular season at all for Bennett who looked like he was heading straight towards non-tender territory for the 2021 offseason.  Then the playoffs came where he was much better.  A full-season showing like that would have him well-positioned for a raise next offseason but if not, Calgary could still view his $2.55MM qualifier as too rich for them.  Ryan’s point per game average was comparable to that of his previous two seasons which is a positive.  However, with the state of the market now, his deal has gone from decent value to a slight overpayment and considering he’ll be 34 when his next contract begins, it’s difficult to see him getting a raise next year.  Leivo was well on his way to a career year before a fractured kneecap derailed things and resulted in him needing to take a show-me deal.  This has the potential to be one of the better bargains from free agency and if he stays healthy and produces around a 30-35-point level, he’ll be in good shape for a nice raise next year.  Simon and Nordstrom are likely to be fourth line or depth players and barring a surprise offensive uptick, both will be looking at similar amounts a year from now.

Nesterov’s return to the NHL came as a bit of a surprise but it’s a no-risk move for the Flames.  Offensively, he can contribute but he will need to show some defensive improvement to have an opportunity to land a more prominent contract next summer.  Rittich’s chance of getting a better deal next offseason is certainly in jeopardy after the year he had and the fact he is now cemented as a backup goaltender.  Calgary may be able to look to sign him (or someone else) for a bit cheaper next year to free up a bit more wiggle room.

Two Years Remaining

F Johnny Gaudreau ($6.75MM, UFA)
D Mark Giordano ($6.75MM, UFA)
F Andrew Mangiapane ($2.425MM, RFA)
F Matthew Tkachuk ($7MM, RFA)

Gaudreau’s value certainly took a dip last season but while he didn’t come close to the 99-point mark again, he still was in the top 50 in scoring league-wide.  His playoff performances have underwhelmed but at 27, there’s little reason to think he isn’t going to be an impact player for several years to come.  Unless his output drops again, he’s still looking at a pricey deal on his next contract and whether or not it’s a small raise or cut will depend on his ability to approach his 2018-19 levels.  Mangiapane’s first full NHL season was a strong one as he carved out a top-six role.  Assuming he can hold onto that, he’ll be in line for a raise with arbitration rights two years from now.

Tkachuk is going to be one of the more intriguing RFA cases of the 2022 cohort.  He’s still subject to the old rules for qualifying offers which means Calgary must tender a $9MM qualifying offer.  Under the old cap environment (one that had frequent increases), that was still significant but now, it’s even more important.  The Flames can take him to arbitration which could potentially lower the cost but the minimum award would be $7.65MM and chances are that Tkachuk will perform well enough to do better than that.  He also has the option to just file for arbitration himself or accept the qualifying offer; either route would walk him to UFA eligibility at 25 in the prime of his career.  Accordingly, GM Brad Treliving will almost certainly be wanting to start extension talks as soon as possible (the first official day of the 2021-22 campaign).

Giordano saw his point production decline sharply last season but the 2019 Norris Trophy winner is still a fixture on the top pairing for the Flames.  His price tag is more than reasonable but he will be hard-pressed to command a similar deal two years from now when he’ll be entering his age-39 season.  He’ll be eligible for bonuses in one-year deals at that time and that will probably be the route that teams will want to go with him.

Three Years Remaining

F Milan Lucic ($5.25MM, UFA)*
F Sean Monahan ($6.375MM, UFA)

*- Edmonton is retaining another $750K on Lucic’s deal

Like Gaudreau, Monahan is coming off of a big drop offensively which had some wondering if he’d be moved if Treliving opted to shake up his roster.  That didn’t happen and instead, he’ll have an opportunity to try to re-establish himself as a fixture on the top line.  Still just 26, Monahan could be an intriguing free agent three years from now with impact centers not often making it to the open market.  Lucic, meanwhile, is viewed as having one of the worst contracts in the league.  Unfortunately for Calgary, the structure of the deal (frontloading with signing bonuses) makes it effectively buyout-proof so this is one they’re probably not going to be able to get out of unless they can find another bad contract for bad contract swap.

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Poll: Who Would Win An All-Canadian Division?

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Earlier today, the Toronto Raptors announced that they will begin the upcoming NBA season in Tampa after their request to play at their home arena was denied by the Canadian government. Because of the travel restrictions between the U.S. and Canada, it always seemed impossible for the Raptors—the league’s lone Canadian franchise—to be hosting American-based teams in Toronto. A long quarantine is still required when you enter the country, meaning the logistics of holding NBA games was going to be incredibly difficult.

In the NHL, however, there may be a way around those difficulties. The league includes seven Canadian-based teams, meaning they could play each other in a realigned divisional structure to start the regular season. The seven teams are based all across the country, but would theoretically not need to quarantine between cities—though this is certainly not a guarantee, especially given Toronto’s increased restrictions today.

The idea of an All-Canadian division has been speculated about since the beginning of the offseason, with the general consensus being it would be necessary to get through the 2020-21 season. Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver would be battling it out to be “King in the North.”

If that division does happen this season, who does it benefit? Which team would be the ultimate winner, and who would face an even more difficult task?

The Canucks, Oilers, and Flames all already play each other in the normal Pacific Division, but none of them were able to top the Vegas Golden Knights this year for the first seed. Perhaps if they get away from the expansion powerhouse, they would be even more successful.

The Maple Leafs, Senators, and Canadiens are in the same boat, battling in a tough Atlantic Division that also included two of the league’s best teams. The Boston Bruins had the best record in the NHL when the season was put on pause, while the Tampa Bay Lightning won it all in the bubble. Getting away from the Bruins especially might be a blessing for the Maple Leafs as they try to finally get over the first-round hump.

Or perhaps it’s the lone Central Division team in Winnipeg who would get the biggest boost. The Jets have been an excellent squad for the last several years, but are in a powerhouse of a division with the St. Louis Blues, Colorado Avalanche, and Dallas Stars all finishing ahead of them in the standings this year. Sure, the other Canadian teams may not be pushovers, but all seven Central teams were included in the 24-team postseason bubble, with the last-place Blackhawks even upsetting the Oilers in the qualification round.

Perhaps who gets the biggest boost is too tough to answer, given the changing rosters all around the league. But if an All-Canadian division does happen, who will come out on top? Make your prediction below and jump into the comment section to explain your thoughts!

[Mobile users click here to vote!]

Eetu Tuulola Loaned To Vasterviks IK

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November 16: After playing in 11 games with Vasterviks, the player Tuulola had replaced returned from injury, pushing him off the roster. The Flames have found him a new team, loaning the young forward to SaiPa in Finland’s top league until training camps begin in North America. Tuulola had four points in 11 games during his time in Sweden and will try to keep that production going with his new club.

September 22: The Calgary Flames have loaned another prospect overseas, this time sending Eetu Tuulola to Vasterviks IK in the Swedish second league. Tuulola just finished his first season in North American pro hockey, scoring 23 points in 50 games for the Stockton Heat. He’ll be eligible to return to the Flames when NHL training camp opens.

Tuulola, 22, is an interesting prospect after rising from a sixth-round draft selection in 2016. His offensive game has drastically improved since then while maintaining the same work ethic and drive that put him on Calgary’s radar in the first place. Interestingly he already has plenty of experience playing at a high level in Europe, though he won’t be returning to Finland’s Liiga where he spent parts of three seasons before coming to the Heat. Instead he’s headed to the Swedish Allsvenskan where he will try to continue to hone those offensive instincts and polish his overall game.

His older brother, Joni Tuulola a Chicago Blackhawks draft pick, also returned to Europe earlier this month when he signed a new deal in Finland. Luckily for the Flames, their Tuulola has two years remaining on his entry-level deal and will have to come back if they want him to compete for an NHL spot.

Calgary Flames Re-Sign Glenn Gawdin

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November 13: Gawdin was loaned to EHC Visp Lions in Switzerland after signing with the Flames, but after playing just a single game with the team he is apparently on his way back. According to the team’s press release, Gawdin will be returned because of a potential training camp, an interesting development given how much uncertainty still surrounds the next NHL season.

October 14: The Calgary Flames have taken care of a little business, signing Glenn Gawdin to a one-year, two-way contract. The deal will carry an NHL salary of $700K, and brings back one of the Flames restricted free agents. Because of his service time limitations, Gawdin was actually not eligible for arbitration (or an offer sheet, though that would have been very unexpected anyway).

Now 23, Gawdin was a fourth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues back in 2015 but actually never signed with the organization. Instead, after going back to junior for several years, he ended up signing with the Flames and has spent the last two years with the Stockton Heat.

Though he hasn’t yet made his NHL debut, it might be coming sooner than you think. The young forward scored 47 points in 53 games for Stockton this year and was included in the return to play group (though failed to make the final 31 players who traveled to the bubble). If his strong play in the minor league continues, Gawdin could be an injury call-up this season for the Flames if they need a little offense inserted into the lineup.

Flames Considering Shifting Elias Lindholm To Center On Full-Time Basis

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  • The Flames are considering shifting Elias Lindholm into a full-time center role, notes Sportsnet’s Eric Francis. While he was drafted as a middleman, the 25-year-old has spent considerable time on the wing as well.  It’s worth noting that Lindholm and Mikael Backlund (another center) are their two longest-signed players up front with contracts running through 2023-24.  If they do go ahead with the transition and it goes well, it could potentially create some questions surrounding the long-term future of Sean Monahan, a player who has already been in trade speculation at times this offseason.

Minor Transactions: 11/03/20

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Today is a big day for news, what with the NFL trade deadline and the MLB’s announcement of the Gold Glove winners of course, but the hockey world has managed to slip a few notable minor moves in as well. The NHL free agent market has quieted down, but other leagues continue to make roster transactions. Take a look:

  • The AHL’s Stockton Heat have added a very talented collegiate player to their 2020-21 roster in former Bemidji State University captain Adam Brady. In an interview with the Smart Sports Podcast’s Darryl Smart, Brady announced that he had signed his first pro contract. While it would not have been a surprise to see Brady draw NHL interest, he states his excitement to be joining the Calgary Flames’ affiliate. A near point-per-game player in his senior season, Brady recorded a total of 81 points in 112 games over three seasons at Bemidji State. Although he is older than the typical NCAA free agent at 25, the skilled center should bring a pro-ready game that will make him an effective player immediately.
  • Vladimir Sobotka did not last very long in the NLA. After his contract with the Buffalo Sabres expired back on October 9, Sobotka signed a temporary contract with SC Rapperswil-Jona in Switzerland. Since then, he played in four games and recorded two assists. However, he didn’t do enough to earn a full-time roster spot. The Lakers announced today that they have declined the option to extend Sobotka’s contract. The veteran NHLer, who also has experience in the KHL and in his native Czech Republic, will be back on the hunt for another landing spot.
  • In contrast, another former Boston Bruin has found employment overseas. Jordan Caron, who has bounced between Germany, Russia, and Switzerland over the past few years, has signed with Austria’s Villacher SV of the IceHL. The team announced the addition of the veteran forward, who will likely play a major role for the club. Caron has been a productive two-way forward in Europe as he was in the AHL, but could never translate that ability to the NHL in stops with Boston, Colorado, and St. Louis.

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