Pro Hockey Rumors

With the regular season now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team accomplished over the offseason.  Next up is a look at the Calgary Flames.

The Flames remain in a rebuilding phase and have seen early signs of progress through young, rising players making an NHL impact. Their prospect pool is mid-ranked due to several players graduating, but they still have some promising prospects likely to impact the NHL very soon. Calgary finds itself in a peculiar position: it isn’t tearing everything down completely, but as its competitive window begins to open, it lacks the depth of prospects to support its NHL roster fully. General manager Craig Conroy faces a challenging task, but the Flames have some skilled young players to develop around.

Draft                                                  

1-18 – C Cole Reschny, Victoria (WHL)
1-32 – C Cullen Potter, U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
2-54 – C Theo Stockselius, Djurgårdens IF J20 (J20 Nationell)
3-80 – D Mace’o Phillips, U.S. National U18 Team (NTDP)
5-144 – LW Ethan Wyttenbach, Sioux Falls (USHL)
6-176 – RW Aidan Lane, St. Andrew’s College (U18 AAA)
7-208 – D Jakob Leander, HV71 J20 (J20 Nationell)
7-211 – LW Yan Matveiko, CSKA Jr. (MHL)

With their first pick in the NHL Entry Draft, the Flames chose a two-way center in Reschny, who is considered comparable to Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti. Reschny isn’t very tall, but he’s an explosive skater who isn’t afraid to stickhandle through traffic, even if bigger players might bump him off the puck. He’s creative with the puck and possesses a high hockey IQ. The Flames hope Reschny develops into a top-six playmaker, capable of playing a responsible defensive game as well.

With their second first-round pick, the Flames chose another center in Potter, who has a similar build to Reschny and is also a two-way player. That’s where many of the similarities between Potter and Reschny end, as Potter is more of a blue-collar guy and tends to outwork his opponents. He’s a skilled faceoff guy, can kill penalties, and is reportedly a good team guy in the dressing room. The Flames are probably hoping Potter develops into a top-nine center, which makes sense since he’s not a high-end scorer and has a ceiling in the middle six.

With their second-round pick, Calgary chose Stockselius from Sweden. Once again, the Flames selected a center, and in Stockselius’s case, he was picked primarily for his skill and passing ability. His skating isn’t exceptional, and he isn’t huge, but he’s a clever player who can work through traffic and make passes in tight spaces.

For their third-round pick, Calgary selected defenseman Phillips, a mobile two-way defender who already appears NHL-ready. Phillips isn’t outstanding with the puck and often makes too many turnovers under pressure, which can lead him to force breakout passes or dump pucks into areas where his teammates can’t retrieve them. Despite struggles with puck handling, Phillips is an excellent defender who can close gaps quickly with his strong skating and isn’t shy about battling in the corners and in front of his net.

Trade Acquisitions

None

UFA Signings

F Mikael Backlund (two years, $6.5MM)^ (extension)
C Clark Bishop (one year, $775K)*^
D Nick Cicek (one year, $775K)*
D Joel Hanley (two years, $3.5MM)^
D Dryden Hunt (two years, $1.65MM)*^
C Justin Kirkland (one year, $900K)^
G Ivan Prosvetov (one year, $950K)

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

The Flames had a quiet summer on the UFA market, opting to sign a few veterans on short-term deals. The most notable move was signing Backlund to a two-year contract worth $3.25MM per season. The 36-year-old doesn’t score many goals and isn’t the playmaker he once was, but he remains a reliable depth scorer who can play solid defense, create plays, and handle tough deployments. He is also a strong leader, having served as the Flames’ captain since September 2023, and appears happy to finish his career in Alberta, having signed for two more seasons that will see him through to the end of a 20-year tenure in Calgary.

The Flames also signed veteran defenseman Hanley to a two-year deal. The 34-year-old joined Calgary via a waiver claim in March 2024 after six seasons with Dallas, and he performed well in 53 games this past year to earn an extension. The $1.75MM AAV is the biggest payday of Hanley’s career by a wide margin and was a fitting reward for the best season of his career last year. Hanley isn’t flashy and is limited with the puck on his stick, but he protects the front of the net, battles hard for every puck, and is a reliable penalty killer. The Flames could do much worse than Hanley on their bottom pairing, as he offers a dependable, steady presence and should serve as a good leader for the team’s young players. However, given the state of the team’s defense, they may play him higher in the lineup for long stretches of the season.

Apart from retaining some veterans, the Flames didn’t do much to bring in new talent, mainly opting for AHL and depth players. Kirkland was their most significant signing, and given that he is 28 and has played only 30 NHL games before this season, he is unlikely to have a significant impact this year. Late bloomers do exist, and it’s possible Kirkland is one of them, but the most likely scenario is that Kirkland becomes a fringe player for the Flames and makes little impact at the NHL level.

RFA Re-Signings

D Kevin Bahl (six years, $32.1MM)
RW Matt Coronato (seven years, $45.5MM)
C Morgan Frost (two years, $8.75MM)
C Rory Kerins (one year, $775K)*
RW Adam Klapka (two years, $2.5MM)
D Yan Kuznetsov (two years, $1.625MM)*
C Sam Morton (one year, $775K)*
D Jeremie Poirier (one year, $775K)*
C Martin Pospisil (three years, $7.5MM)
G Dustin Wolf (seven years, $52.5MM)
C Connor Zary (three years, $11.325MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

The Flames made significant moves this summer to secure their core young players. Securing goaltender Wolf was a top priority, and the Flames managed to sign the 24-year-old to a deal that will keep him into his 30s. Wolf was outstanding last season, playing in 53 games with a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average. He was a strong Calder Trophy contender, finishing second in voting, and lived up to the expectations that came with his NHL debut. Wolf’s numbers in the AHL were exceptional, so his NHL start isn’t surprising to anyone. While the Flames believe they have their franchise goalie locked in, there’s always concern about goaltenders given their unpredictable performance. There’s no reason to think Wolf’s play will suddenly decline, but he is undersized, and due to the volatility of the position, nothing is guaranteed. On the bright side, Wolf’s $7.5MM extension could age very well if he continues to reach his potential, especially with the increase in the NHL salary cap.

Bahl was another defenseman signed long-term, agreeing to a six-year deal worth $5.35MM per season. Given the current state of the Flames’ roster and the fact that they haven’t drafted any left-handed defensemen at the top of the draft in a while, it seems likely that Bahl will be at the top of the Flames’ defensive core for the foreseeable future. Bahl brings very little offensively, but on the defensive side, he is highly effective, ranking in the 94th percentile in denying entries into Calgary’s defensive zone (as per JFresh). He was also in the 76th percentile for even-strength wins above replacement on defense. Bahl is an effective player, and should continue to be throughout the duration of his deal.

Coronato was another piece that the Flames extended long term, this time for seven years. The 22-year-old made a significant leap in his development last season, scoring 24 goals and providing 23 assists in 77 games. His 47 points marked a 38-point increase from the previous season, in which he had three goals and six assists in 34 games. There are no guarantees that Coronato becomes an elite sniper, but he at least appears to be a reliable secondary scorer who can be a nuisance on the forecheck. If he can do that, then the contract will be reasonable; if he evolves into a first-line sniper who scores 30-40 goals annually, it will be an incredible bargain in the long run.

With Zary, the Flames chose a more cautious approach, signing a three-year bridge deal. Zary took a step back last year after scoring 34 points as a rookie, finishing with just 27 points (13 goals and 14 assists) in 54 games this past season. The 24-year-old didn’t showcase the same puck-handling ability last season as he did the year before and sometimes struggled with turnovers. Like Coronato, Zary applies pressure on the forecheck and isn’t afraid to crash the net for rebounds, which should benefit him if he can build more strength. His bridge deal gives Zary the chance to prove to the Flames he is part of their core moving forward, and it could lead to a big payday if he develops into a consistent 25-30 goal scorer.

Departures

D Jonathan Aspirot (signed with Boston, one year $775K)*
D Tyson Barrie (retired)
F Anthony Mantha (signed with Pittsburgh, one year $2.5MM)
F Kevin Rooney (signed with Utah, one year, $775K)*
D Ilya Solovyov (claimed off waivers by Colorado)
G Dan Vladar (signed with Philadelphia, two years $6.7MM)

*-denotes two-way contract

Calgary didn’t suffer any significant losses this summer, only losing a few depth veterans to unrestricted free agency. Arguably, their most crucial loss is Mantha, a player who barely dressed last season because of injury. The 31-year-old forward played just 13 games last season, scoring four goals and three assists in what was his only season with the Flames, and it seemed he could have been a good fit if it hadn’t been for an injury that kept him out for most of the year. Mantha signed with the Penguins in the off-season and has looked very good alongside Evgeni Malkin and Justin Brazeau, recording six goals and five assists in 12 games. If Mantha can maintain this pace, he could be looking at a healthy raise next summer.

The Flames also lost goaltender Vladar to the Philadelphia Flyers in free agency. With Wolf’s emergence, the Flyers probably saw a $3.35MM backup goalie as a luxury they couldn’t afford. Vladar’s stats were quite average during his four-year stint with Calgary, though his underlying numbers were less flattering as he tended to have a negative goals saved above expected. His size was always interesting, but considering his stats, Calgary probably made the right decision by letting the 28-year-old move on.

Barrie had a solid career as an offensive defenseman but hasn’t been effective in the NHL for quite some time. Last year with the Flames. Barrie struggled and recorded just a goal and two assists in 13 games. It wasn’t that long ago that the Toronto Maple Leafs traded Flames center Kadri for Barrie, hoping he would be a catalyst from their back end. However, he never lived up to those expectations and moved on to the Oilers before finishing with Nashville and finally Calgary. The Flames won’t miss the veteran, given his limited production, and are better suited to let a youngster fill in Barrie’s spot on the depth chart.

Salary Cap Outlook

Despite arguably possessing the worst contract in the NHL (Jonathan Huberdeau at $10.5MM annually), the Flames are currently $13.38MM under the salary cap (according to PuckPedia). This provides them with plenty of flexibility during the season and could keep them active, depending on how their campaign unfolds. If Calgary is in the hunt for a playoff spot, they might be cautious buyers or even aggressive ones, depending on their standings position. However, given the state of their roster, that seems unlikely. Still, if they decide to move out a pending UFA like Rasmus Andersson, they could retain salary since they have two retention spots remaining and ample cap space to facilitate a move.

Key Questions

Will the Flames trade Nazem Kadri?

Kadri remains a highly productive center in a league full of teams needing help down the middle. He has three years remaining on his contract at a reasonable $7MM per season and posted 67 points in 82 games last season. At 35, some teams may be deterred by his age, but his strong start to the year suggests his production is unlikely to decline soon. However, paying a player $7MM annually until he’s 39 is a significant gamble, even with the rising salary cap. Kadri probably doesn’t fit the Flames’ contention window, and the best time to get maximum value for him is likely over the next nine months.

Are they rebuilding or retooling?

I don’t have the answer here, and it’s not clear if the Flames do either. Calgary underwent a clear teardown just a few years ago when it traded away Noah Hanifin, Jacob Markstrom, and several other veterans. However, they still kept many of their older players, and this could be the season where they make their direction clear. With Andersson, Ryan Lomberg, and Jake Bean heading for free agency next summer, the plan should become evident before the season ends.

Are their young players good enough to build around?

The short answer is no —at least not yet. Calgary has some promising young players, but outside of Wolf, no one appears destined to become an elite-level talent, and there are reasons to doubt Wolf will be either. Obviously, the young players on the roster are very talented. Still, if the plan is to rebuild, there are many young teams ahead of them, and Calgary will need to embrace a complete teardown or find a way to accelerate the process quickly.

Photo by Brett Holmes-Imagn Images