Flames re-sign Garnet Hathaway (one year, $850k)

Historically, the Calgary Flames tend to avoid salary arbitration hearings when they can. They’ve managed to avoid four of their five scheduled hearings this summer, as they’ve re-signed forward Garnet Hathaway to a one-year, one-way deal worth $850,000. The deal came just hours before they were scheduled to head into the hearing room for Hathaway’s arbitration.

Found by the Flames’ college scouts, Hathaway was signed first to an AHL contract in 2014 and then to an entry-level NHL deal in 2015. He broke into the NHL as a fringe energy body and bounced up and down from the farm, but eventually he broke out offensively in Stockton while playing on the top line in 2016-17. He spent much of last season with the Flames, playing on the third line with Mark Jankowski.

He’s probably still a fringe body with all the right side depth the Flames have signed, but at least he’s not terribly expensive depth – he’s making just $200,000 above the league’s minimum salary.

The Flames have two restricted free agents left to sign: Noah Hanifin and Hunter Shinkaruk. As now their salary arbitration cases have all been settled, their second contract buyout window will open for 48 hours beginning on Thursday.