Flames sign minor league tough guy Luke Gazdic

After the “frenzy” of activity yesterday, the Calgary Flames have made another minor move with some likely minor league implications. The club announced that they’ve signed left wing Luke Gazdic, formerly of the Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils organizations, to a one-year, two-way contract.

Gazdic, 27, was likely brought in for a pretty simple reason. He’s a minor league veteran with some NHL experience, but he’s probably going to be around for AHL depth. Here’s a breakdown of the relevant statistics for the Ontario native:

The Stockton Heat have likely lost Brandon Bollig (who’s a free agent now) and Jamie Devane (who signed an AHL deal with the Ontario Reign). With the Heat carrying some smaller skilled players and the other AHL Pacific Division teams carrying some heavy bodies, the Flames bringing in a veteran to chaperone on the farm is a pretty logical move.

For those of you worried that Gazdic might squeeze his way onto the NHL roster, here’s a question: where would he fit? The Flames are bringing back the majority of their forward group from last season and with players like Mark Jankowski and Spencer Foo pushing for jobs, it’s unlikely that Gazdic will factor into plans for the big club in any significant way.