Flames qualify eight RFAs, cut loose five players
By Ryan Pike
4 years agoThe Calgary Flames have announced their qualifying offers to their pending restricted free agents. Eight pending RFAs received offers: David Rittich, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Andrew Mangiapane, Alan Quine, Spencer Foo, Ryan Lomberg and Rinat Valiev. Five others were not given offers and become unrestricted free agents: Curtis Lazar, Brett Pollock, Kerby Rychel, Josh Healey and Mason McDonald.
The qualified players are no big surprises. Foo is off to the KHL, but the Flames retain his rights for the next two seasons (at no cost) in case he leaves China early.
Flames general manager Brad Treliving appeared on Sportsnet 960 The Fan and told Pat Steinberg and Ryan Pinder that the team is negotiating with Lazar, but his qualifying offer (and arbitration status) weren’t things they were comfortable with. Lazar’s camp has been offered a two-way deal to remain with the organization.
Rychel, Healey, Pollock and McDonald all didn’t quite work out with the Flames. Rychel spent most of his season in the minors, while Healey, Pollock and McDonald finished off their entry-level contracts without making much noise in their respective quests for NHL jobs.
- Healey, 24, had 15 points in 107 AHL games after joining the Flames as a college free agent.
- Pollock, 23, had 33 points in 102 AHL games and 31 points in 61 ECHL games after being acquired in the Kris Russell trade with Dallas.
- McDonald, 23, played 5 AHL games and 92 ECHL games after being the Flames’ second round pick in 2014.
Unrestricted free agency opens on July 1.
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