Despite being under the cap to start the season, it’s fair to say Calgary management would feel more comfortable with a little more breathing room. Currently, the Flames are less than $200,000 under the $81.5 million ceiling, which translates to minimal projected space come the trade deadline. As such, Calgary is still in search of…
Career years from numerous key players were among the biggest reasons Calgary put together their second-best regular season in team history last year. Some suggest a few of those players are in line for backward steps this season, which is understandable. One way to mitigate the potential of that happening is with significant progression elsewhere…
The Calgary Flames have a lot of goaltenders under contract right now, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Because goaltending is hockey’s most imperfect science, there’s nothing wrong with buying multiple lottery tickets. The downside, however, is a potential logjam at the minor league level, which can hamper development for everyone involved. So while it’s…
Training camp battles are never a bad thing. They raise the competition level on the ice and reinforce depth in the organization. For the Flames in 2019, most of their competition is at forward with multiple players battling for an NHL spot, or in a few cases, a contract. But what exactly are these players…
The fall of 2018 couldn’t have gone much better for Dillon Dube. He was the standout player of rookie camp and then main camp, which culminated in a spot on Calgary’s opening night roster. Things came back down to earth from there, but Dube still finished with 25 NHL games and he comes to 2019…
It seems like Michael Frolik is the first Calgary Flames player that comes to mind when discussing a salary-driven trade. We all know Calgary needs to clear cap space and Frolik’s $4.3 million seems like an easy contract to move out. The problem is, Frolik has been a solid contributor over the last four years…
With training camp fast approaching, the Flames have less than $8 million in cap space with a pair of players unsigned: Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane. Calgary needs to free up space and is actively exploring ways they can make that happen. Some options are more desirable than others, but all of the following three…
“Devastating is probably the best word to use here.” That was Calgary Flames general manager Brad Treliving on Monday following the news of Juuso Valimaki’s shock knee injury. The 20-year-old defenceman sustained a torn ACL during off-season training in Finland and his indefinite absence leaves Calgary with important questions a month out from training camp.
When Matthew Tkachuk signs his new contract, it has the chance to be the largest deal ever signed in Calgary. Even if he doesn’t sign for the max eight-year term, Tkachuk will almost certainly carry the highest average annual value on the team. But Tkachuk’s cap hit isn’t the only thing ready to set a…
A trade involving TJ Brodie seemed a formality when the Flames kicked off their offseason. But, almost four full months into Calgary’s summer, Brodie remains a member of the team and the likelihood of dealing him seems much less as August begins. In fact, with training camp just over a month away, Brodie’s role feels…
The Calgary Flames enter the 2019-20 season with a number of undefined roles, which is a good thing. Thanks to the emergence and/or addition of players like Rasmus Andersson, Derek Ryan, Andrew Mangiapane and Matthew Tkachuk, a few NHL regulars find themselves fighting for ice time. It’s a good problem to have, but it has…
Sam Bennett is perhaps the most polarizing member of the Calgary Flames. Some love how hard he plays and believe there’s offensive potential yet to be unlocked. Conversely, others see flashes of promise mixed in with long stretches of general ineffectiveness. While I tend to be in the latter group, I also don’t think it’s…
