Can you remember the last time the Calgary Flames went through an offseason without making a big splash?
Whether it’s on the trade market, unrestricted free agency, or a risky hiring; part of the identity within the organization is giving fans something to talk about over the summer.
Last year, the Jacob Markstrom Saga finally came to an end. The six-foot-six starter was dealt for a 2025 first round pick and defenceman Kevin Bahl. Tenacious puck retriever Andrew Mangiapane was also shipped out to Washington for a second in that same draft.
The year before, the organization promoted Craig Conroy to the role of general manager. Conroy then selected Ryan Huska to serve as head coach of the team moving forward.
2022? Tkachuk traded for Weegar, Huberdeau and a first. Kadri signed. Johnny walked. Monahan traded. The end of something special in Calgary.
2021? We can tack on Darryl Sutter’s hiring in March. Erik Gudbranson and Nikita Zadorov were hand-picked by Sutter to keep the peace from the back end.
It goes on and on. 2018, James Neal and the Hanifin/Lindholm blockbuster. 2015, Dougie Hamilton. You can track this habit back to June 24, 2006 when Darryl Sutter, general manager at the time, acquired play-making winger Alex Tanguay in exchange for defenceman Jordan Leopold and second round picks in 2006 and 2007.
Being notably aggressive in June-July has made off-seasons fun in Calgary in the “New NHL” era. Oft-times, it’s been more fun to follow what the team does on June 1 than taking in what they end up accomplishing in the Spring.
Such is the life of a team that has reloaded their roster with top ten picks only once in the last 20 years.
That being the five-year span from 2013 to 2018 when the team brought in Sean Monahan, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Sam Bennett; all picked within the first six selections of their respective draft years.
Which is why we may have a nice change of pace this summer.
We’re starting to see things lining up. First, the Flames have a cemented forward group in terms of contracts going into next season.
Sharangovich-Kadri-Zary (RFA)
Huberdeau-Frost (RFA)-Coronato
Farabee-Backlund-Coleman
Lomberg-______-Klapka
Add up-and-comers Rory Kerins, 23, William Stromgren, 21, and Sam Morton, 25, to the mix and you have a full house.
The Flames may find a way to bring back UFAs Justin Kirkland and/or Anthony Mantha, but the bottom line is that in order to get someone new into the lineup, you’ll have to kick someone else out.
Things certainly get a bit more dicey on the blue line. Calgary currently has six signed defencemen as well as Kevin Bahl (who will sign an RFA extension this offseason) if you include 2024 ninth overall pick Zayne Parekh. The common belief among media and fans is that Rasmus Andersson has played his last game as a Flame. The two sides don’t appear close on a number and term when it comes to an extension following next season.
It is also believed that offensive defenceman Daniil Miromanov is on his way out with a year left on his two-year contract.
Elliotte Friedman reported that the undrafted 27-year-old was being shopped during a
32 Thoughts podcast in early March prior to the NHL Trade Deadline.
“I think they’re trying to find a place for Miromanov,” said Friedman. “He’s not really playing. He’s still a pretty young guy, wants to play. I think that they probably try to find somewhere for him.”
Conroy didn’t find a way to move the six-foot-four offensive defenceman before the deadline, but may find him somewhere once the dust settles on July 1.
Given that 20-year-old Hunter Brzustewicz looked ready to seize a full time NHL spot in game 82, it would be best if Conroy made room for him to have time to develop chemistry with a defence partner
in camp and not after the season has kicked off.
OK. So Calgary has a spot or two open for next season, but has the personnel to fill those spots internally. Also, Justin Kirkland was a revelation in the first half and may be the guy to fill the vacant fourth line center role depending on his recovery from a torn ACL.
Beyond the roster, do we have any other indications that we won’t be seeing the annual summer splash?
Eric Francis, often privy to far more Flames happenings than the public, seems to be preparing the fan base for a
day of not much on July 1.
“The two most attractive UFAs out there that the Calgary Flames, I think, will make a big pitch on are guys in house,” said Francis during
The Eric Francis Hour last friday. “I think Dan Vlidar and Justin Kirkland. I really do.”
Francis went on to point out that he believes that they have a number they’ll go to for Sam Bennett in terms of salary and term.
“And I think Sam Bennett is a guy who they're interested in, but I also think that only to a certain point, they'd be interested in, given his advanced age. I'm not sure how interested Sam Bennett would be in coming back here.”
You can put the odds of Sam Bennett donning a Flames jersey again at around +7000. Perhaps if the Flames offered him something in the $10,000,000 annual average salary range, you could start a conversation, but his decision will likely be about more than money.
Calgary wasn’t a fit. It’s far more likely that Bennett is re-signed before he hits the market. Que, Sera.
That’s No Fun
It really isn’t. Let’s outline two targets that might slot into that vacant fourth line center role. Aside from buying Aaron Ekblad or Sam Bennett several villas, that's likely all that is in the cards.
“You’re telling me that I’m here for the next three years just to meet some sort of summer dopamine quota?”
An Old Friend
A reunion of Tampa’s dynamic bottom-six duo wouldn’t be the worst idea. Together, Blake Coleman and Yanni Gourde won consecutive Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.
The two ranked 23rd and 26th in playoff scoring over those two years, respectively, with 24 and 21 points apiece in 48 games. Gourde had the only power play production of the two within that span with two goals.
Injuries limited Gourde, now 33, to only 57 regular season and five post season games this year split between the Kraken and Lightning, but the Saint-Narcisse, Quebec product played 80 and 81 games the two seasons prior. The greater issue may be the need to split up Coleman from Backlund if he wants to be centered by the five-foot-nine sparkplug.
Speaking of bringing in another Quebecois.
The Island
One year can feel like a long time under the wrong circumstances.
For Anthony Duclair, 29, who commited to four years in Long Island last summer to the tune of $3,500,000 per season, it may already be time to find a new place to go to work.
Seven goals and a mere four assists in 44 games isn’t up to the standards of a pure offence center. Perhaps it was more just an injury-riddled year after joining Tampa for a run and being the best player/most targeted forward on San Jose before that, but it’s hard to deny that Duclair wouldn’t at least
consider waiving his no trade clause (becomes a 16-team list after next season) in order to re-unite with his old partner in crime, Jonathan Huberdeau.
It would be a wild ride signing a #2 center in order to fill a #4 center role. The team would have Nazem Kadri, Mikael Backlund, Morgan Frost and Duclair down the middle. Perhaps next season we would find the answer to:
How many #2 centers is too many #2 centers?
Joel Farabee may have to embrace a greater role on the penalty kill with Kevin Rooney gone and no dedicated replacement at center.
All said, it would be fun. Isn’t that the point of all of this?
Duclair would join the team as arguably the second fastest top-speed skater. Any regular in these parts is familiar with Calgary’s struggles to take the neutral zone and offensive blue line with speed. Much of Calgary’s 29th ranked offence was due to those two issues.
Anthony would be a step in the right direction when it comes to pushing a more aggressive transition game; something that Conroy has said he wants to do, but hasn’t been able to yet.
Last season was a bit of a write-off for the 11 season NHL veteran, but his speed burst numbers in 2023-24 were excellent.
Duclair playing on Huberdeau’s line would free up Martin Pospisil to help out other lines given that he needs a speed option to pressure the puck early. The line of Kadri, Pospisil, and Connor Zary could be reunited. The three provided a breath of life into the team in 2023-24 after a 2-6-1 October. Backlund could take less minutes and do more with them—there could be worse things to happen than for Conroy to trade for Anthony Duclair.
Stats courtesy of the National Hockey League, NHL Edge, Puckpedia and Natural Stat Trick.
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