The Calgary Flames were very quiet on the first day of NHL free agency. They brought back beloved teammate Joel Hanley on a two year contract. Signed a depth defenceman in Nick Cicek. And added Russian goaltender Ivan Prosvetov.

Here are eight thoughts on all things Flames as we head into the rest of the off-season.

1. It was a quiet day, and that’s a good thing. Especially when you consider some of the contracts we saw given out yesterday. There was no reason for the Flames to be giving up the money and term it would take to bring in veterans players to help them win now.

Craig Conroy should be patient when it comes to using his cap space. The Flames are not at the point where they are on the verge of being a Stanley Cup contender. I think it makes sense to hold on to their cap space and use it when they are ready to take the next step in their winning cycle.

2. The Flames made a smart decision in bringing back Joel Hanley. It’s a low risk contract. It’s only two years and Hanley is making $1.75 million per season. If Hanley takes a major step back, you can put him in the minors or buy him out next summer. If he plays like he did in the second half of last season alongside MacKenzie Weegar, then this is a home run.

Off the ice, Hanley is a well-liked and respected teammate. He is part of the Flames leadership group that has helped rebuild the culture in the locker room.

And when you look at what other defencemen got on the open market like Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci, it makes this Hanley deal look even better.

3. I saw a lot of people online saying Hanley is blocking a spot for a young player. I don’t see it the same way.

Daniil Miromanov and Jake Bean are the ones who are taking up spots for young players. If the Flames can move from from those two, whether it’s through trade, buyout, or waivers, it needs to happen.

Having Bean not on the NHL roster means the likes of Ilya Solovyov and Yan Kuznetsov will have a legitimate shot to make the big club out of training camp on the left side of the third pairing.

Hanley is going to play in the top four on a pairing with Weegar. He’s not the one blocking spots for young players.

4. Rasmus Andersson is still a member of the Calgary Flames as I write this article. In an ideal world, Andersson will be traded before the start of the season.

I don’t think Andersson himself will be a distraction. He’s a pro. But I think the situation as a whole will be a distraction to the team. What is going to happen in the Flames are in a playoff race come the trade deadline? The players in the locker room and ownership are going to want to make the playoffs. Removing Andersson from your team would put a major dent in their chances.

The last thing Conroy needs to do is put himself in an uncomfortable situation where he is going to be the bad guy.

5. Dan Vladar’s time in Calgary has come to an end. He was a decent backup goalie over his four seasons with the Flames and served as a great partner for Jacob Markstrom and Dustin Wolf. I wish him nothing but the best in Philadelphia.

The Flames can now see what they have in Devin Cooley who was playing at an AHL MVP level in the first half of the season before getting hurt. He is going to have an incredible opportunity to become a full time NHLer. It’s going to be fascinating to see what he looks like in September and October. I have a feeling that he’ll turn into a very good goalie if he can stay healthy.

6. Ivan Prosvetov has officially signed with the Calgary Flames. He struggled in his first foray in the NHL but got his game back in the KHL in the 2024-25 season. He is the perfect type of goalie the Flames are looking for. He is a guy who will compete to be the backup with the Flames. He can also start for the Wranglers if Cooley beats him out.

7. The most interesting news to come from today is the rumour that the Flames are one of the teams looking to make a trade for Sabres defenceman Bowen Byram.

Byram has struggled since joining the Buffalo Sabres in March of 2024. He is clearly a talented player. We saw that in the Colorado’s run to the Stanley Cup in 2021. But he hasn’t been able to regain that form.

If the Flames can get him for a good deal that involves roster players and not first round picks/ their top prospects, then go for it. If they have to sacrifice their future, it might not make sense.

This is a situation where you’re acquiring a player whose career you need to turnaround. It’s a high risk, high reward proposition. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes.

8. I’m not exactly sure what the Flames ultimate plan is. When Craig Conroy speaks, he talks about how he wants the Flames to be competitive while getting younger with the ultimate goal of making the postseason. But he hasn’t taken the actions to make this a playoff team (so far).

The Flames finished strong in the final 20 games of last season. Is Conroy thinking that’s the true version of this team? If he thinks so, he might be in for a rude awakening.

If he really wants to make this team better and make the playoffs, he’s going to have to make some trades to bring in young, talented players to help get them over the edge.

Will he go into next season with the team as currently constructed? Or will he continue to make improvements? If he doesn’t make improvements, this team is trending towards the mushy middle once again.