The Calgary Flames have been as active as anyone this off-season but plenty of work remains.
GM Brad Treliving has five restricted free agent forwards - three of which filed for arbitration - he needs to get under contract, he'd like to get Mark Giordano re-signed before the season and they still need to add one or two depth defensemen.
While the Flames already have seven blue liners under contract - theoretically that is enough - Ladislav Smid is one of those seven and it's not known when (or if) he'll play for the Flames again.
That means the Flames need to sign (or trade for) at least one defenseman prior to the upcoming season.
Let's take a closer look at some depth options still available:
David Schlemko I have already made the case for re-signing David Schlemko but I'll hammer home some of the same points here.
Schlemko is a capable defender who drives possession and can hold his own at even-strength against mid-level competition. He's not going to put up many points but good things tend to happen when he's on the ice and it would cost very little to bring him back in the fold. He's also good at shootouts, which unfortunately are still a pretty big part of today's game.
Marek Zidlicky His best days are behind him but he's still a very productive player. Over the last two seasons Zidlicky has recorded 42 and 34 points while dressing in at least 81 games both years.
He's not a perfect player but his defensive game is adequate, he can play on the power play and he's another guy who can step up and eat some minutes if any of the big boys go down.
At 38 years of age he's likely willing to sign a one-year contract and at that term I think he could be a worthwhile addition.
Anton Volchenkov He is best known for his heavy hits and his shot blocking ability - traits generally possessed by blue liners who spend most of their shifts chasing play in their own zone - but he is actually a solid defensive defenseman who generally fares well in possession.
Like Schlemko he is not going to put up many points, however, he could provide good value on a short-term contract.
There are some other solid depth options out there - Lubomir Visnovsky is one that comes to mind - but these are a few blue liners I think Treliving should give consideration to if he's looking for depth on the back end.
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