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East Notes: Hathaway, Aubé-Kubel, Nemec

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Flyers winger Garnet Hathaway has avoided a suspension for his elbow to the face of Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek in yesterday’s win. He didn’t go without punishment, though, and is now $5K lighter in the wallet after being fined the maximum allowable under the CBA by the NHL Department of Player Safety.

It marks the fourth season in a row that Hathaway has been fined by DoPS, and it’s the fifth fine overall of his 10-year NHL career. He was also suspended once for three games while with the Capitals in the 2019-20 season.

The incident in question occurred early in the second period of what ended up being a 7-5 win for the Flyers. While the Wild were cycling the puck on a power play, Hathaway elbowed Eriksson Ek in the face while battling for net-front positioning. Eriksson Ek had notably missed a pair of games earlier this month with a nasal fracture. Officials assessed Hathaway a minor penalty for roughing, not elbowing, on the play.

Hathaway, 33 next month, is in his second season as a Flyer and will be a UFA next summer after inking a two-year, $4.75MM deal in Philly as a free agent in 2023. He played in all 82 games last season, posting 17 points with a -7 rating while averaging 12:29 per game with a career-high 132 PIMs. He’s racked up 14 PIMs already this season in eight games, and he’s recorded three assists and 22 hits.

There’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

  • Sabres winger Nicolas Aubé-Kubel will make his return to the lineup tomorrow as expected, head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters, including WGR Sports Radio 550’s Paul Hamilton. Buffalo still needs to free up a roster spot before taking him off injured reserve. That corresponding move will likely be placing Zach Benson, who missed practice again today with his lower-body injury and has sat out the last two games, on IR. Ruff said he wasn’t sure where Aubé-Kubel would slot in for just his second game as a Sabre after sustaining a lower-body injury against the Devils in their season opener over three weeks ago.
  • 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec will watch his Devils from the press box for the third straight game tonight, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to the team’s Amanda Stein. Nemec hasn’t played since Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce returned to the lineup from their respective season-opening injuries and, at least for now, has been surpassed on the depth chart by 27-year-old Johnathan Kovacevic amid his hot start to the campaign. Acquired from the Canadiens in what was viewed as a minor trade at the time over the summer, Kovacevic has averaged over 21 minutes per night for the Devils thus far and has five assists with a team-high +4 rating through 11 games. Nemec, meanwhile, has struggled to be a factor with an assist and a -2 rating through nine appearances. His possession metrics have also tanked from last season when he posted a 50.2 CF% and a 53.7 xGF% with a team-high 105 blocks in just 60 appearances. This year, though, Nemec has a 42.0 CF% and 46.1 xGF%, struggling to control play at even strength despite receiving easier minutes.

Snapshots: Power, Benson, Othmann, Sharks

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The Sabres received some good news on the injury front today, as Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports that defenseman Owen Power was a participant in practice after leaving yesterday’s win over the Red Wings in the third period with an undisclosed ailment. It’s believed to be an illness that kept him out of the third period Saturday for all but one shift, Lysowski adds.

Power’s presence is certainly a major factor in helping the Sabres keep their forward momentum. They’ve now won three in a row to get out of a tough 1-4-1 hole they put themselves in to begin the season, climbing back to .500 and third place in the Atlantic Division. Power’s been a big part of the turnaround with a goal and five assists in his last four games, although he’s currently tracking with the worst possession metrics of his four-year NHL career (although not by a significant amount).

The 2021 first-overall pick has been skating on Buffalo’s de facto second pairing with Bowen Byram. 22 next month, Power is in the first season of a seven-year, $58.45MM extension he signed just over a year ago.

In less positive news, Buffalo remains without sophomore winger Zach Benson, who wasn’t seen at practice today while he continues to rehab a nagging lower-body injury (per WGR Sports Radio 550’s Paul Hamilton). He’s missed three games with the injury this season, including each of the last two. When in the lineup, the 19-year-old has no points and a -4 rating through six games – clearly not himself after recording 30 points in 71 games during his rookie campaign last year.

More from around the league:

  • Rangers left-wing prospect Brennan Othmann was left off the opening night roster and will now be out of action for the next little while. He’s expected to miss four to six weeks with an upper-body injury, AHL Hartford head coach Grant Potulny said last night (as relayed by USA Today Sports’ Vince Z. Mercogliano). It’s an unfortunate damper on a raucous start for the 21-year-old, who had five points (2 G, 3 A) and a +2 rating through three minor-league games. The 2021 first-round pick made his NHL debut last season, going without a point and registering six shots while averaging 9:05 through three games.
  • The Sharks certainly weren’t expected to climb much higher out of last place this year, but few expected last season’s disastrous 19-54-9 record to not see any improvement. Unfortunately, a coaching change and significant roster turnover haven’t changed San Jose’s fortunes, at least so far. They’ve become the first team in NHL history to start back-to-back seasons with nine-game losing streaks, a stat first-year head coach Ryan Warsofsky called “truly embarrassing” following a 7-3 defeat at the hands of the hands of the Golden Knights last night. “I don’t think anyone’s happy by any means,” Warsofsky said post-game (via San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng). “There’s a lot of emotion in that locker room, frustration, anger, it’s tough right now.“

Rangers Reassign Jake Leschyshyn

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Oct. 27: The Rangers assigned Leschyshyn back to Hartford on Sunday morning, the team announced. He didn’t play in last night’s 2-1 win over the Ducks, instead serving as a healthy scratch. He could continue to serve as an extra forward for the next little while but will likely only be summoned to the Rangers’ roster on game days, allowing them to accrue additional cap space while Leschyshyn is off the roster.

Oct. 26: The Rangers didn’t waste much time filling the roster spot created by Friday’s assignment of winger Matt Rempe to AHL Hartford.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Jake Leschyshyn has been recalled from the Wolf Pack.

The 25-year-old was a full-time roster player for the better part of a year and a half between Vegas and New York, who claimed him off waivers in early 2023.  However, he only got into one game with the Rangers last season, spending the rest of the year in Hartford where he had eight goals and 11 assists in 47 games.  He has suited up five times for them this season, collecting three points so far.  For his career, he has played in 77 NHL contests, notching two goals and four assists in 10:15 per game of playing time.

With a cap hit of just $766.7K, Leschyshyn actually costs less than the league minimum on the cap which will help them as they look to stay out of LTIR and continue to accrue cap space.  He’s in the final year of his contract and will need to play at least three NHL games for him to be eligible for restricted free agency this summer.  If that doesn’t happen, he can hit the open market next summer as a Group Six unrestricted free agent.

Golden Knights Activate William Karlsson, Move Victor Olofsson To IR

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The Golden Knights activated center William Karlsson from injured reserve before last night’s win over the Sharks, per the NHL’s media portal, and as evidenced by his pair of points in his season debut. Right-winger Victor Olofsson was placed on injured reserve in a corresponding move.

It’s all good news for Vegas, as Olofsson was already listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. His IR placement is retroactive to Oct. 15, so he can come off IR anytime. The transaction doesn’t impact his timeline for a return in the slightest.

Karlsson’s return is a significant boon to a Golden Knights squad already leading the league with 4.67 goals per game. After yesterday’s 7-3 thrashing of San Jose, Vegas sits atop the Pacific Division with a 6-2-1 record and a +14 goal differential, third in the league behind the Rangers and Jets. Captain Mark Stone leads the league outright in scoring with 17 points (4 G, 13 A) in nine games, while Jack Eichel is tied for second with 15 points (3 G, 12 A). Vegas’ stars have been dominant enough early on to quiet any concerns about the significant hits to their depth scoring over the offseason. However, players like Brett Howden (five goals) and Pavel Dorofeyev (seven points) are also doing their part as they settle into consistent top-nine roles.

The 31-year-old Karlsson is one of two expansion draft selections remaining on Vegas’ roster, joining defenseman Brayden McNabb. Now in his eighth season with the team and his 11th NHL campaign overall, he’s coming off his best offensive showing since his unfathomable 43-goal, 78-point breakout during the Knights’ inaugural season. Last year marked the first time he’d hit the 30-goal and 60-point plateaus since then, and he also won a career-best 56.2% of his draws. Karlsson’s possession metrics remained strong, logging a 51.8 CF% and 57.1 xGF% with 46 blocked shots, placing 18th in Selke Trophy voting. It was the first time he’d received consideration for the award since the 2017-18 and 2018-19 campaigns.

With Karlsson back, Vegas has its full complement of centers – Eichel on line one, Tomáš Hertl on line two, Karlsson on line three, and Nicolas Roy on line four. That’s a rare sight for a team that’s been plagued by its big-name forwards missing significant time with injuries over the past few seasons. For now, though, they have no restrictions up front aside from Olofsson’s absence and remain out of LTIR.

Karlsson had been out of action since the Knights’ exhibition schedule with an undisclosed injury.

Brad Marchand Denies Report On Extension

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9:48 PM: Marchand himself has rejected the earlier report from Friedman. In a short conversation with Matt Vautour of Mass Live Sports, Marchand said, “I’m not big about talking about contract stuff in the media. But that report from Elliotte is false. Elliotte is just wrong. That’s about it“.

8:46 PM: A few moments ago on Sportsnet’s ’Saturday Headlines’ segment, Elliotte Friedman reported the Boston Bruins are close to extending their captain Brad Marchand. Friedman indicated the extension would be a three-year term but didn’t offer any insights on the deal’s salary.

It’s a distinct change of mood in Boston after Marchand and head coach Jim Montgomery passionately exchanged pleasantries in last week’s overtime loss against the Utah Hockey Club. A turnover by Marchand led to a game-tying goal by Utah (the goal was later overturned upon review) and Mongtomery was visibly frustrated with Marchand’s response.

Both Marchand and Montgomery downplayed the interaction with the latter saying, “Between Marchy and I, there didn’t need to be a conversation. Him and I are both emotional people. I’m not ecstatic with myself about it, but I don’t think about it afterwards and neither does he. He’s a pro. He’s a great player that does so many good things for us, and he has high expectations as well. So, for us, that’s over and done with“.

The frustrations are understandable for a Bruins team struggling out of the gates. Boston holds a 3-4-1 record through eight games but appears headed toward a victory against the Toronto Maple Leafs this evening.

It’s difficult to say Marchand hasn’t been a part of the problem either. The entire blame can’t be placed on his shoulders but his play on the defensive side of the puck continues to depreciate and he’s only managed five assists this season.

There’s understandable expected regression for a player heading into his age-37 season on his next contract. Still, the Bruins have continued to rely upon Marchand well into the back half of his career. Since his age-31 season in 2019-20, Marchand has scored 139 goals and 370 points for Boston in 348 games (excluding this year’s results) while averaging just over 19 minutes of ice time per night.

His playoff exploits are well-known, and it could be one of this extension’s major contributing factors. Marchand hasn’t carried Boston back to the Stanley Cup Final since turning 31 but has been one of the most consistent postseason talents in franchise history scoring 26 goals and 55 points in 49 games from 2020 to 2024.

Marchand’s extension in Boston should be the first in a line of several for the team this season. The Bruins organization still needs to craft new deals for forwards Trent Frederic, Morgan Geekie, and John Beecher by the start of the 2025-26 season but signing their captain to an early extension puts momentum in the right direction.

Calgary Flames Activate Yegor Sharangovich From IR

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The red-hot Calgary Flames are getting a major offensive jolt off the injured reserve. The team announced they’ve activated Yegor Sharangovich from the injured reserve shortly before tonight’s matchup against the Winnipeg Jets.

Calgary didn’t need to make a corresponding roster move before the game tonight thanks to yesterday’s demotion of youngster Matthew Coronato. There are big expectations for Sharangovich in southern Alberta this year after a solid 31-goal, 59-point performance in the 2023-24 season.

Contractual expectations were added as well. The Flames signed Sharangovich to a five-year, $28.75MM extension this past offseason which begins at the end of his current deal marking a large commitment from an organization that was previously thought to be heavily retooling.

He hasn’t been able to build on any of those expectations yet this season. Sharangovich fell awkwardly into the boards of the Flames’ final preseason game, necessitating a move to the team’s injured reserve with a lower-body injury to start the year. Calgary’s offensive has been more than fine without Sharangovich up to this point. They’re off to a 5-1-1 record through seven games and sit ninth in the league in GF/G with 3.57.

He’s already reassumed his role on the team’s top line next to Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko. He’s been left off the scoresheet tonight so far after two periods against the Jets but has registered two hits on the night.

Flyers Recall Alexei Kolosov, Emil Andrae; Place Cameron York On IR

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7:04 PM: The Flyers organization confirmed the transaction of Andrae and Kolosov’s recall. Additionally, the team announced they’ve placed York on injured reserve as he will miss the next few weeks with an upper-body injury.

6:49 PM: The Philadelphia Flyers have recalled defenseman Emil Andrae and goaltender Alexei Kolosov from the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, per Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco. Di Marco adds that Kolosov is expected to start for the team on Sunday, though NHL.com’s Kevin Kurz wasn’t ready to ensure that role. Kolosov stands as one of many high-profile goalie prospects in Philadelphia’s system. He’s started all four of Lehigh Valley’s regular season games so far this season, allowing 13 goals on 104 shots – good for an .875 save percentage.

Kolosov, 22, moved to the AHL at the end of last season, playing in two games with the Phantoms and allowing six goals on 52 shots. The spot starts came after Kolosov spent the season starting for the KHL’s Dynamo Minsk, where he posted a .907 through 47 games. It was his second season of starting for Dynamo, having posted a .912 in 42 games the year prior – after growing through the team’s junior ranks. He’d ultimately total a .909 save percentage through 120 games, and four seasons, at Russia’s top-level – though he became popular with strong performances for Team Belarus internationally. He joined the team at the World U18 Championship in 2019, Division A of the World Junior Championships in 2020 and 2022, and the World Championship in 2021. Of all of the international trips, it was the 2022 Division-A World Juniors that saw Kolosov shine the brightest – posting a .932 save percentage and flawless record through five games.

While Kolosov joins the battle for starting minutes, Andrae will once again return to the fight for a blue-line role. The 22-year-old defender played in four scoreless games with Philadelphia last season, but ultimately spent the bulk of his season in the minors. His 32 points in 61 games led all Phantoms defenders in scoring and brought Andrae up to 38 points in 71 career AHL games. He recorded an assist in his sole AHL appearance this year, and will now back the Flyers D-corps as they prepare for weeks without Cameron York. Andrae will fight for games with Erik Johnson and Yegor Zamula.

Bill Hay Passes Away At Age 88

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Former Chicago Black Hawks player Bill ’Red’ Hay has passed away at the age of 88. Hay played through eight seasons in the NHL before pursuing a career as the Calgary Flames’ chief executive officer, then Hockey Canada’s President and chief operating officer. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder in 2015 and honored in the ’Order of Hockey in Canada’ in 2021. He was born into a rich hockey family – the son of Charles Hay, who also served as Hockey Canada’s president at one point. Hay’s uncle Earl Miller was also a prolific hockey pro, playing six seasons in the IHL and five seasons in the NHL, including a tenure with the Black Hawks 20 years before his nephew would join the team.

Red Hay jumped into hockey prominence well ahead of his pro career. He played junior hockey with the Regina Pats in 1952 and 1954 – interrupted by a brief five games at the University of Saskatchewan. He recorded 78 points in 62 WJHL games with Regina and supported the team to a runner-up finish for the 1955 Memorial Cup, where his tournament-leading 23 points in 15 games weren’t enough to top a Toronto Marlboros roster led by Mike Nykoluk. With a hardy juniors career out of the way, Hay moved to Colorado College in 1955 and joined their hockey team in 1956. He’d proceed to have two legendary seasons with the Tigers program, totaling 153 points in 69 games with the school and leading them to an NCAA Tournament Championship in 1957. That stands as the most recent championship in Colorado College’s men’s hockey history, though the team continues to play at a top level today.

Hay would move to the senior WHL for a year with the Calgary Stampeders in 1958, then kick off a career with the NHL’s Black Hawks in 1959. He was an immediate sensation, recording 55 points in 70 games as a rookie – enough to beat out Murray Oliver, Ken Schinkel, and 19-year-old Stan Mikita for the 1960 Calder Trophy. Hay’s production grew through the next two seasons, even supporting Chicago to a Stanley Cup win in 1961. That season motivated Hay to a career-year in 1961-62 – when he tallied 63 points in 60 games – though he’d ultimately lose out in a return to the Cup Finals, getting trumped by a Maple Leafs program spearheaded by Frank Mahovlich and Dave Keon. Hay’s success continued beyond the disappointing end, and he’d ultimately total 386 points in 506 games, and eight seasons, with Chicago. His playing career came to a close in 1967, when a 31-year-old Hay was selected by the St. Louis Blues in the 1967 Expansion Draft – and opted to pursue a managerial career rather than play for his franchise’s new rival. He was named Calgary’s CEO and Hockey Canada’s president in the early-1990s, serving as an instrumental piece of the merge between Hockey Canada and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association years later.

Hay was born into a successful hockey family and properly carried the torch through over 40 years in high-end roles. His influence carries on through the success of Colorado College, the Calgary Flames, and Hockey Canada as a whole. Pro Hockey Rumors sends our condolences to his friends, families, and all those impacted by his half-century career influencing top hockey.

Atlantic Notes: Ekblad, Barkov, Pacioretty, Subban

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The Panthers have been busy on the extension front early on this season.  They signed Carter Verhaeghe on opening night, recently inked Paul Maurice to a new deal, and are in discussions on an extension with Sam Bennett.  However, according to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, it has been quiet when it comes to potential talks with their other prominent UFA, defenseman Aaron Ekblad.  The 28-year-old is in the final season of what was a record-setting contract at the time for a blueliner coming off an entry-level deal, paying him $7.5MM per season.  Despite being banged up with injuries the last few years, it stands to reason that a new pact should come in somewhat close to this one which Florida might not be able to afford if they keep Bennett.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Still with Florida, center Aleksander Barkov took part in a full practice for the first time since sustaining his lower-body injury, one that’s believed to be a high-ankle sprain, notes George Richards of Florida Hockey Now. While he has been ruled out for tonight’s game, the 29-year-old could be cleared to return on Monday against Buffalo.  Barkov has potted at least 68 points in the last three seasons and has an assist in two games so far in 2024-25.
  • Maple Leafs winger Max Pacioretty will return from his lower-body injury tonight versus Boston, relays TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). The 35-year-old has played in five games so far this season, scoring twice.  Pacioretty is owed a bonus of just over $313K when he reaches the 10-game mark and even with Toronto not playing him full-time, he should be able to hit that over the next few weeks as long as he stays healthy.
  • The Grand Rapids Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Red Wings, announced that they’ve released goaltender Malcolm Subban from his PTO deal. The 30-year-old played in 35 AHL games last season, posting a 3.12 GAA and a .901 SV%.  Subban also has played in parts of nine NHL seasons spanning 87 appearances where he has a 3.10 GAA and a .898 SV% and will now look to catch on elsewhere.

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Calgary Flames

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Navigating the salary cap is one of the most important tasks for a front office.  Teams that can avoid 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 often see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 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 PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Pacific Division, next up is the Flames.

Calgary Flames

Current Cap Hit: $69,288,958 (below the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

F Matthew Coronato (one year, $925K)
F Samuel Honzek (three years, $918K)
F Connor Zary (one year, $863K)

Potential Bonuses
Coronato: $850K
Honzek: $500K
Zary: $212.5K
Total: $1.5625MM

When he was with the Flames, Coronato’s role and production were limited and he was deployed the same way early on this year before being demoted earlier this week.  With that in mind, a short-term bridge deal is likely coming his way, one that shouldn’t cost much more than his current deal.  Meanwhile, his bonuses are unlikely to be met.  Honzek made the team out of camp, playing his first four NHL games but has already landed on IR.  It’s too early to forecast what his next deal will be while his bonuses aren’t likely to be reached unless there is a portion split off for games played.

Zary, meanwhile, is a bit more established after getting into 63 games last season where he averaged over half a point per game.  He’s at a better rate in the early going this year while ranking in the top five for ATOI.  Someone with this type of profile could land a longer-term agreement which would likely push past the $5MM mark.  The safer bet here would be a bridge deal, however, one starting with a three.  If he stays at his current pace, he should easily reach his one ‘A’ bonus.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

D Kevin Bahl ($1.05MM, RFA)
D Tyson Barrie ($1.25MM, UFA)
D Joel Hanley ($787.5K, UFA)
F Adam Klapka ($775K, RFA)
F Andrei Kuzmenko ($5.5MM, UFA)
F Anthony Mantha ($3.5MM, UFA)
D Brayden Pachal ($775K, UFA)
F Kevin Rooney ($1.3MM, UFA)
G Dan Vladar ($2.2MM, UFA)

Kuzmenko is one of the more intriguing potential unrestricted free agents this coming summer.  His first year was quite impressive with 39 goals and 74 points but there was still some uncertainty about his repeatability, leading to this contract.  That wound up being wise for Vancouver as Kuzmenko struggled last season to the point of being a cap dump to the Flames.  To his credit, he played better after the swap and is off to a good start this season.  If he gets back to that 30-goal mark and shows that last year was the outlier, he could still land a contract around this price point with a bit more term this time around heading into his age-29 year.  But if he struggles again, something closer to $4MM might be where he lands.

Mantha didn’t have a strong market this past summer, leading to this contract where he’s hoping to play a big role and show that he’s worth a pricey long-term agreement.  He’s off to a decent start early on and the perceived upside might still be there.  If he rebounds, something in the $5MM range could happen; otherwise, he could stay around this price tag.  Rooney has had a very limited role with the Flames over his first two-plus seasons with them.  Accordingly, he should be closer to the league minimum moving forward.  Klapka has seen fourth-line action in his limited NHL minutes.  Accordingly, while his qualifying offer is for just under $814K, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Calgary offer a deal for the minimum with a higher AHL salary next time.

Barrie had a rough year last season and despite a track record of being a solid offensive producer from the back end, his market basically cratered to the point of needing to take a PTO.  With a limited role early on, it’s hard to project much of a raise at this point unless he can secure a full-time spot.  Bahl is more of a throwback stay-at-home defender and the lack of offensive numbers will hurt him.  Still, he’s viewed as part of their longer-term plans so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a four or five-year deal come his way with a price tag starting with a three.

Hanley hasn’t played much in the NHL in recent years but he has also been a full-time NHL player since the 2020-21 campaign, albeit primarily in a seventh role.  That’s likely to keep him around the minimum next time out, probably again on a one-way price tag.  Pachal has also spent a lot of time in the sixth or seventh role and while he’s getting a chance to play more regularly in Calgary, it’s still on the third pairing.  Accordingly, it’s hard to see him landing much more than $1MM next summer.

Vladar struggled considerably last season before undergoing hip surgery.  If he were to repeat the same type of performance this year, he’d be looking at closer to half of this price point.  However, indications are that he’s now healthier than he was the last couple of years and is off to a good start in limited action.  Given the ups and downs, he’s probably not going to be able to command top dollar for a backup option but the two-year, $6.6MM deal Laurent Brossoit received from Chicago this summer might be doable if Vladar has a bounce-back year.

Signed Through 2025-26

D Rasmus Andersson ($4.55MM, UFA)
F Mikael Backlund ($4.5MM, UFA)
D Jake Bean ($1.75MM, UFA)
F Ryan Lomberg ($2MM, UFA)
D Daniil Miromanov ($1.25MM, UFA)
F Martin Pospisil ($1MM, RFA)
G Dustin Wolf ($850K, RFA)

At 35, Backlund is nearing the end of his playing days but he still played top-line minutes last season and is averaging even more early on this year.  As long as he can hold down a regular spot in the top six and be his usually strong self defensively, Calgary will do well with this deal.  If that holds up through next season, another short-term contract in this price range could happen.

Lomberg was brought over from Florida in free agency on a deal that will be tough to justify from a value perspective as this contract for a player coming off a seven-point season isn’t much bang for the buck.  However, GM Craig Conroy identified that he wanted to add some grit and the fact it cost this much to get him suggests he had a relatively strong market.  Pospisil wound up on a bridge deal after only securing a regular NHL spot last season.  Even so, it’s a team-friendly agreement and if he shows he’s capable of more offensively, it will be a significant bargain.  If he can move into a top-six role – something they’ve already experimented with – he could triple this (or more) in 2026.

At the time Andersson’s deal was signed, it looked a bit risky.  He hadn’t recorded more than 22 points in a season and had yet to average 20 minutes a game.  However, it has worked out arguably better than Calgary could have hoped for.  His offensive production has improved considerably, topped by a 50-point effort in 2021-22.  He has become an all-situations player who has played on the top pairing for the last few years.  That alone will help give him a very strong market in free agency before even considering the fact he’s a right-shot player, the side that is always in premium demand.  A max-term deal with an AAV starting with a seven looks like a given at this point, if not more.

Bean came to his hometown team after being non-tendered by Columbus, taking a pay cut in the process to do so.  Once touted as a high-end prospect, he has settled in more as a depth defender to this point in his career.  This price tag for a regular on the third pairing is manageable but he’ll need to find a way to at least get into a number five slot if he wants to beat $2MM again next time out.  Miromanov was acquired and quickly extended last season, giving him some security and Calgary a low-cost two-year look at a player who had shown flashes of upside in his limited action with Vegas.  At this point, establishing himself as a full-timer is the first goal, one that would allow him to stay around this price tag.  If he works his way into a fourth or fifth role between now and then, doubling this (or a bit more) could be doable.

Wolf already looks like quite a bargain given some of the other contracts promising but unproven goalies have signed recently (with an AAV higher than Wolf’s total contract value).  He’s their goalie of the future and if he locks down the starting role by then, his next deal should vault past the $5MM mark at a minimum.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Blake Coleman ($4.9MM, UFA)

Coleman had a breakout performance last season, notching 30 goals while passing the 40-point mark for the first time of his career.  From a value perspective, this price tag would be a bargain if he could maintain that type of output.  Of course, his point total is usually in the 30s and at that level, this is an above-market contract.  That said, with the role he fills and Calgary’s cap space, it’s not an overpayment they’re probably too concerned about at this point.

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