Flames sign Kerby Rychel to one-year deal worth $650,000

Mere hours after acquiring Kerby Rychel for Hunter Shinkaruk, the Flames have signed the left winger to a one-year, two-way deal, worth $650,000 at the NHL level.

Rychel, who will turn 24 in October, is the seventh member of the 2013 NHL first round draft class to join the Flames. He has three goals and 14 points over 41 NHL games with the Blue Jackets and Canadiens, and 55 goals and 154 points in 232 AHL games: a .66 point per game showing.

In 2017-18, he played four games for the Habs, scoring a goal and an assist; he also had 42 points over 71 games between the Marlies and Rocket at the AHL level.

There is a potential spot open for Rychel at the NHL level, but he’ll have to compete with other Flames forward prospects in order to get it. Andrew Mangiapane outscored Rychel at the AHL level, while both Morgan Klimchuk and Spencer Foo came close in fewer games played; Foo is the only one older than Rychel by just a couple of months, but has less professional experience.

Despite acquiring so many players selected in the first round of the 2013 draft, few have panned out at the NHL level:

Shinkaruk, meanwhile, has been signed by the Canadiens, also to a one-year, two-way contract worth $650,000 at the NHL level.

The Flames’ lone piece of business left this offseason is signing Noah Hanifin.