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Free Agent Focus: Calgary Flames

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With free agency now less than a month away, many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign.  While the Calgary Flames have one or two key restricted free agents to deal with, they may have quite a few questions that will need answering among their unrestricted free-agent defensemen.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Andrew Mangiapane – Throughout his career, Mangiapane has done everything right and only continues to get better. A former sixth-round pick in 2015, he worked his way into permanent role in 2018-19 and solidified himself as a top-six forward this year and it showed, posting career highs in his second full season, scoring 17 goals and 32 points. He added another three goals in 10 playoff games this year. The 24-year-old is likely to get a raise after making $800K on his now-expiring entry-level deal. He has proven his value as a key future forward on this team.

F Mark Jankowski – There was a lot of hope for Jankowski, the team’s first-round pick from 2012, but his third season in the NHL was a bit disappointing. In fact, after his rookie campaign in 2017-18 in which the 26-year-old tallied 17 goals, he has seen a continual decline, posting 15 goals in 2018-19 and followed that up with just five goals this year and has seen his playing time continue to drop as he played just 11:06 of ATOI. And at 6-foot-4 and a bottom-line player, he doesn’t play much of a physical game with just 80 recorded hits over three full seasons. However, the team has to decide whether he is worth the $1.75MM qualifying offer to retain his rights.

Other RFAs: F Justin Kirkland, D Oliver Kylington, D Andrew Nielsen, G Tyler Parsons.

10.2(c) Players: F Glenn Gawdin, G Nick Schneider (ineligible for arbitration or an offer sheet)

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Travis Hamonic – The Flames gave up quite a bit to bring in the defensive-minded Hamonic back in 2017. While not particularly much of an offensive player, the 30-year-old blueliner is quite a defensive player and was second on the team in ATOI this season at 21:11. Of course, the team was without his services in the playoffs as he opted out due to COVID-19 and family concerns. His daughter has had a significant battle with a life-threatening respiratory virus in the past while Hamonic has a new baby boy as well. However, the blueliner also was dealing with an upper-body injury for a large chunk of the regular season as well. Will the team bring him back? He was quite an affordable commodity at $3.86MM for the last few years, but undoubtedly will be looking for a raise and how many years is Calgary willing to offer to someone who is already 30 years old? With a team as cash-strapped as Calgary, Hamonic may be too pricey to keep.

D Erik Gustafsson – With five unrestricted free-agent defensemen, the team is likely to have to make some tough decisions in the near future. The Flames picked up Gustafsson for just a third-round pick at the trade deadline, which looked like a steal when Hamonic opted out of the playoffs. The team was expecting to lean on the once-high scoring defenseman. Instead, Gustafsson got just third-pairing minutes and wasn’t a big contributor down the stretch, suggesting the team may move on from him. While the 28-year-old’s price tag likely has dropped since posting a 17-goal, 60-point season back in 2018-19 and then following that up with a six-goal, 29-point season this year, a reunion would seem less likely considering the team has limited means as it is.

D T.J. Brodie – A constant trade-rumor candidate last summer, Brodie has found a way to remain with the team and produce quality minutes and may be the best option for Calgary if they were able to re-sign just one starter in the offseason. While his minutes have declined significantly since 2014-15, he still can put of solid defensive numbers and potentially provide solid play for less than the cost of either Hamonic or Gustafsson. He is capable of playing either side of the ice and plays a game that might suggest he could play deeper into his career than other defensemen.

G Cam Talbot – The Calgary Flames added Talbot to their roster as a veteran backup for young David Rittich and instead, Talbot walked away with the starting job, playing in all 10 of the team’s playoff games with Rittich getting just 16:35 of ice time in the final game before they were eliminated by Dallas (he gave up three goals on six shots). Talbot, who posted solid numbers this year, with a 2.63 GAA and a .919 save percentage in 26 regular season games, put up even better numbers in those 10 playoff games, including a 2.42 GAA and a .924 save percentage. The 33-year-old UFA made it clear he is looking for a starting job, but is Calgary willing to give up on Rittich just yet? And are they willing to pay up to keep Talbot, who could have quite a few suitors after his impressive season?

Other UFAs: F Austin Czarnik, D Derek Forbort, F Byron Froese, G Jon Gillies, F Ryan Lomberg, F Alan Quine, F Tobias Rieder, F Zac Rinaldo, F Buddy Robinson, D Michael Stone, D Rinat Valiev.

Projected Cap Space

The Flames only have about $16MM in available cap space and plenty of players they need to sign, including at least one or two defensemen and a starting/tandem goaltender. That doesn’t leave much money left for the team to spend on potential free agents unless the Flames find a way to move out some salary or some key players. Of course, with several rumors spreading about the availability of Johnny Gaudreau, it could be an interesting offseason for the Calgary Flames.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Juuso Valimaki Unlikely To Re-Join Flames This Year

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While there is an ever-growing list of players previously deemed to be out for the season that are now appearing likely to be available to their respective teams at some point in the upcoming expanded postseason, don’t expect young Calgary Flames defenseman Juuso Valimaki to join the trend. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports that Valimaki, who has missed the whole 2019-20 season, is not likely to re-join the Flames in their qualifying round match-up with the Winnipeg Jets or at any point in the playoffs should they advance. The risk, both to the player and team, outweigh the potential gains in this situation and Francis does not believe that Calgary will take the chance.

Health continues to be the major issue at hand when it comes to Valimaki. The 21-year-old defenseman suffered a torn ACL in his right knee during off-season training last summer. He underwent surgery in late August. By all accounts, including that of Flames GM Brad Treliving, recovery and rehab from ACL reconstruction is ten months to a year. While Valimaki has been participating in voluntary skates with his teammates in Calgary, he has yet to be medically cleared by the team’s medical staff. If he is on pace for the latter end of that expected timeline, Valimaki would not be prepared for game action by the time the knockout round is set to begin and would have to prove he is up to the physical requirements of playoff hockey should the Flames advance.

However, the non-medical reason behind not playing Valimaki may be even more compelling. As Francis details, Calgary has more long-term, team building considerations to take into account in the form of the impending 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. Assuming the Flames protect seven forwards and three defensemen in the draft, they would eliminate a very difficult decision if Valimaki does not play a game this season. The young blue liner used up his first season of pro competition as a rookie in 2018-19, but will not be credited with a year of service if he does not play this year. This would make him ineligible for draft exposure, as only those with more than two years of pro service may be selected. However, should Valimaki play even one game this year, he would require protection in next summer’s draft or otherwise would be picked off by Seattle. Francise believes that Flames defenders Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson are locks for protection and that Valimaki would be as well if eligible, leaving veteran captain and top defender Mark Giordano exposed and a very likely candidate to be selected.

Playing Valimaki this season is not worth that risk. The young defenseman is very talented but has not played competitive hockey in over a year and it is hard to imagine that his surgically reconstructed knee or even his conditioning would be ready for an immediate jump into postseason play. On top of that, the Flames have Giordano, Hanifin, Andersson, T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic, Oliver Kylington and Michael Stone to lean on, making Valimaki an expendable piece of this year’s playoff run, especially if it helps to maintain the roster for future title chances.

T.J. Brodie Released From Hospital

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November 21: Flames’ GM Brad Treliving issued an update on Brodie’s status:

TJ has been working out for the past several days and today skated on his own under the supervision of our medical staff. Over this past week he has had consultations with appropriate specialists in Calgary. To date all medical evaluations and testing have been reassuring. We still work to complete final testing and are optimistic he will re-join the team in the near future. TJ has been placed on injury reserve retroactive to November 14th.

November 15: After a scary incident at Calgary Flames practice, word has come down that T.J. Brodie is feeling better. Brodie collapsed and was convulsing on the ice before being taken to hospital, but today Dr. Ian Auld explained at a press conference that the incident was more likely related to fainting than to a significant brain issue. Several tests came back negative, though the team is still taking it slow and making sure he has fully recovered.

There is no timetable for Brodie’s return and in the meantime the Flames have recalled Oliver Kylington from the AHL. In order to fit him in, Juuso Valimaki has been moved to long-term injured reserve.

Brodie is an extremely important part of the Flames’ defense, but obviously everyone involved is concerned with his long-term health.

Adam Lowry Suspended Two Games

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The Department of Player Safety has decided that Adam Lowry deserves supplementary discipline for his hit on Oliver Kylington during the Heritage Classic on Saturday night. Lowry has been given a two-game suspension for the incident. As the accompanying video explains:

This is boarding. It is important to note that from the moment Kylington collects the puck from behind the net, Lowry sees nothing but his back. While we acknowledge Lowry’s assertion that he anticipated Kylington opening up as he came up ice so that Lowry could deliver a legal check, the onus is on Lowry to adjust course when that does not happen. 

The Calgary Flames defenseman did not suffer a major injury on the play and was back at practice today, but Lowry does still qualify as a repeat offender given he was suspended in March of this year.

It’s been a tough start to the season for Lowry, who is still without a point through the first 12 games. While he has never been a very offensive player, he has contributed consistently over the years even in a limited role. Where his real value lies however is in winning faceoffs, killing penalties and adding a dose of physicality, exactly what got him in trouble this time. The team will have to deal without his presence for a pair of games.

Winnipeg’s Lowry To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety announced that Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry will have a hearing Monday for boarding Calgary’s Oliver Kylington.

The incident happened in Calgary’s zone at the end of the second period during the Jets’ 2-1 overtime victory at the outdoor Heritage Classic at Mosaic Stadium Saturday evening. Once time expired in the second period, Lowry put his shoulder right into Kylington’s head (video here). The 26-year-old received a two-minute minor for boarding, while Kylington seemed to escape any major injury as he returned and played in the third period.

Lowry has had issues with behavior before. He was suspended two games back in March of 2019 for cross-checking Nashville’s Filip Forsberg. He also received a one-game suspension in his rookie season in 2014 for boarding Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta.

Minor Transactions: 10/22/19

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The NHL has a wild Tuesday night on tap with ten games on the schedule, including the Anaheim Ducks traveling to Nashville to prove they’re not just an early-season mirage. The Ducks are off to a 6-3 record to start the year, while the Predators, considered by many to be a Stanley Cup contender in the Western Conference, have recorded a more pedestrian 4-3-1 record through their first eight games. As teams prepare for all the action tonight, we’ll be here keeping track of all the minor moves around the hockey world.

  • Griffin Reinhart has signed a one-year deal with Kunlun Red Star of the KHL according to Igor Eronko of Sport-Express. While that certainly wouldn’t have been included in the minor notes a few years ago when Reinhart was a top prospect, he can no longer be considered one. Selected fourth overall in 2012, the 25-year old defenseman has played just 37 games at the NHL level, not many of them very well. He recorded 16 points in 75 games for the Chicago Wolves last season and had skated with the Belleville Senators this year on a professional tryout.
  • The Calgary Flames have flipped Oliver Kylington and Alan Quine again, recalling the former while assigning the latter to the minor leagues. The Flames are expected to welcome back Andrew Mangiapane tonight, meaning they didn’t have room for the extra forward.
  • After placing Jonathan Ericsson on waivers, the Detroit Red Wings made a few other transactions. Evgeny Svechnikov has been recalled, while Alex Biega was assigned to the Grand Rapids Griffins. Adam Erne has also been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to October 18th.
  • The Dallas Stars have sent Rhett Gardner and Joel Hanley back to the minor leagues, though that is likely more to do with banking cap space than anything else. The Stars do not play again until Thursday, and a recall can be expected before then unless Roman Polak and Blake Comeau are both ready to return.

Evening Notes: Ristolainen, Pastrnak, Andersson

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Just a week ago, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen implied that he might be better off on another NHL team in an interview with a Finnish newspaper. However, Sabres general manager Jason Botterill has made it clear that the franchise expects Ristolainen in training camp next month, according to Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington.

Botterill said while his discussion with Ristolainen are private, the team has worked hard to put the 24-year-old in the best situation possible for success in the future.

“We’re continuing to try to set this team up where we’re putting ’Risto’ in positions to have success,” Botterill said. “Yeah, he wants to win. We also want to put him in a situation where he plays very well, and that’s what we’ve tried to do with some of the acquisitions, add depth to our defense, add competition to our defense.”

The Sabres do have options in front of them as the team has an overload of defensemen on the right side and a dearth of scoring options on the forward lines, suggesting that a trade could solve problems for both the Sabres and Ristolainen, who finished the season with 43 points, but also with an NHL-worst minus-41 plus/minus.

  • Boston Bruins President Cam Neely said that while Bruins forward David Pastrnak seemed to lose confidence late in the playoffs on their Stanley Cup Finals run, he isn’t worried that it will be a long-term issue, according to NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty. Pastrnak, who still held the team lead tied for nine goals and 19 points in 24 playoff games, but wasn’t dominant in the playoffs like he was during the regular season. Neely believes that Pastrnak should only benefit from his struggles and become a better player. “Then you get to the conference final and the finals and it’s tough hockey out there,” said Neely. “I look at Pasta and he’s grown from the first playoff experience to this last one, and I expect even more growth out of him moving forward. I understand losing confidence, but I don’t understand losing confidence and not shooting. That’s what I’d talk to him about.”
  • The Athletic’s Darren Haynes (subscription required) writes that while the Calgary Flames lost a lot when Juuso Valimaki was injured after tearing his ACL during offseason training, the team does have some young players who are ready to take that next step to fill in the holes that they lost. The scribe writes that Rasmus Andersson might be ready to move into a more permanent top-four role. Andersson started taking minutes away from veteran T.J. Brodie last year and even has seen some power play time. Youngster Oliver Kylington also has shown that he’s ready for a bigger NHL role despite some of his defensive deficiencies.

Calgary Flames Looking At Trade Options On Defense

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After learning that Juuso Valimaki will miss a considerable amount of time following ACL surgery, the Calgary Flames are in a bit of a pickle. The team needs to clear some cap room in order to sign Matthew Tkachuk, but can’t afford to send out T.J. Brodie to do it anymore. With Valimaki out their defensive depth is razor thin, which is why Flames GM Brad Treliving told reporters including Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet that the team will “be looking externally” for an addition on the blueline. Treliving did mention Oliver Kylington as an internal option.

While this news comes right as rumors swirl around Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, the Flames would need to move out even more money if they brought in an expensive option like the young Finn. Ristolainen carries a $5.4MM cap hit for the next three seasons, a deal that would leave very little room to sign Tkachuk. The most obvious move now would be trading Michael Frolik, who is on the final year of his deal and has been involved in trade talks in the past. In fact, Frolik was expected to be included in a deal that would have brought Jason Zucker to Calgary at the trade deadline, though that transaction was never completed.

There are certainly no shortage of defensemen the team could go after, but if they want an inexpensive player who can make the same kind of impact that was expected of Valimaki this season they will need to give up more than just Frolik. Those kind of players are few and far between, and usually cost quite a bit in trade if they are even available.

Of course there is always the free agent market as well, though it’s not clear if Treliving wants to go down that route. Veterans like Dion Phaneuf, Dan Girardi, Adam McQuaid and Ben Lovejoy are out there still, along with younger options like Ben Hutton and Alex Petrovic. None of those seem like perfect fits, although they would likely come at a reasonable cost.

One player to consider may be Boston Bruins defender Kevan Miller, who was recently included in some trade speculation thanks to another cap crunch. The Bruins have their own financial troubles when it comes to signing restricted free agents, given they still need to get new contracts done with Charlie McAvoy and Brandon Carlo. The pair of young defenders are huge parts of the team’s future, and with Miller on the final year of his contract he could be moved out to make a little extra room. The 31-year old carries a $2.5MM cap hit, though his right-handedness may be an issue for the Flames, who already have Brodie, Travis Hamonic and Rasmus Andersson who normally line up on the right.

In any case, there are things to come for Treliving and the Flames who will likely have to pivot any trade talks they’ve had over the last few weeks and months while also hammering out a new deal with Tkachuk.

Calgary Flames Will Likely Have To Move Out A Veteran

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In the next few months, the Calgary Flames and their general manager Brad Treliving will have quite a few decisions to make as they must sign restricted free agent Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett and Andrew Mangiapane as well as sign two goaltenders for their NHL roster, all with just $14.5MM to work with.

The challenge will come with Treliving’s most important challenge as Tkachuk’s next contract could take up more than half of that money. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis writes that the 21-year-old power forward could net himself a contact that could compare with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl’s eight-year, $68MM contract that he signed in 2017 at $8.5MM AAV. And that number could even be higher as Tkachuk’s numbers are even better than Draisaitl’s was as Tkachuk has 21 more goals and 37 more points after three seasons.

At that cost, Francis writes, the team will undoubtedly have to move either Michael Frolik and/or defenseman T.J. Brodie to free up enough cap room to accomplish the other tasks on their offseason to-do list. Frolik would be an obvious choice as he was a candidate to be traded earlier this year at the trade deadline as the 31-year-old forward hasn’t been happy with his lack of playing time under head coach Bill Peters. While his numbers, 16 goals and 34 points, weren’t that off his usual totals, his ATOI dropped to his lowest levels in years at 13:22. He also was a healthy scratch at several points during the season, prompting both he and his agent to request a trade. Frolik is entering his final year, but at $4.3MM next season, the team might find it challenging to unload a bottom-six player at that cost without taking back a similar contract.

Another candidate for a trade could be Brodie. Despite playing his entire career in Calgary and often working on the team’s top pairing alongside Mark Giordano, the team suddenly has a surplus of both veteran defensemen as well as three intriguing young players who are going to push for playing time in Rasmus Andersson, Juuso Valimaki and Oliver Kylington. That could make Brodie, the Flames’ most intriguing asset on the team as he enters the final year of his contract at $4.65MM, a reasonable cost for a team looking for a top-four defenseman.

Calgary Flames Sign Defenseman Alexander Yelesin

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Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, especially when it comes to the Flames. After weeks of speculation, Calgary has officially announced that they have signed Russian defenseman Alexander Yelesin to an entry-level contract. It is a two-year, maximum ELC for the 23-year-old blue liner, who is expected to compete for a starting job immediately next season in Calgary.

Back in April, following the Flames’ unexpectedly early exit from the postseason, head coach Bill Peters spoke vaguely about several expected import players that he believed could be factors for the team in 2019-20. NHL insiders quickly identified goaltender Artyom Zagidulin and Yelesin as two of those players. While Zagidulin had already signed, Yelesin had yet to put pen to paper on a contract, fueling the anticipation of this pact. The two sides finally got that deal done today, with Yelesin being cut from Team Russia at the IIHF World Championships likely playing a role.

In Yelesin, the Flames are adding a KHL All-Star from this past season, considered one of the most reliable defensemen in the league. Yelesin is not a flashy player by any means – his offense is modest and his size is average – but he is nothing if not consistent. The 5’11”, 195-lb. defenseman was a force on the back end on a regular basis for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl this season, playing strong, safe defense and leading all defensemen in games played, while also contributing ten points. Yelesin, who is also a valued right-shot defender, hopes that he can bring that same reliable defensive game to Calgary. If there’s a knock on Yelesin though, it is that he can get into penalty trouble, which he will have to work on as he transitions to the faster, stronger NHL.

With Yelesin in the fold now, Calgary has incredible depth on the blue line already – and the off-season hasn’t even begun. If anything, expect the Flames to potentially shed a defenseman this summer rather than add. Without any further moves, Yelesin would have to compete for a roster spot with veteran Michael Stone and fellow European youngsters Rasmus Andersson, Oliver Kylington, and Juuso Valimaki just to get play time on the bottom-pair behind a top-four of Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie, Travis Hamonic, and Noah Hanifin. That’s likely more competition than the Flames would like to enter camp with, although too much depth never hurt anyone.

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