Report: Flames sign Tobias Rieder ($700k, one year, two-way)

The Calgary Flames have reportedly locked down one of their walk-on players. According to The Score’s John Matisz, the Flames have agreed to terms with forward Tobias Rieder on a one-year, two-way deal worth the league minimum $700,000 at the NHL level.

Originally from Lundshut, Germany, the 26-year-old Rieder was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2011. He’s bounced around a bit, though. He was traded to Arizona in 2013 and spent parts of four seasons with the Coyotes. Since then he’s bounced around, spending 20 games with the Los Angeles Kings at the tail-end of the 2017-18 season and returning to the Oilers organization as a free agent last season.

His tenure with the Oil ended poorly, though, as he scored zero goals in 67 games. He was singled out by Oilers executive Bob Nicholson at a season ticket holder meeting as one of the reasons the club struggled. Well, Rieder’s on the other side of the Battle of Alberta now. Fans of the team in red sure hope that he can score more the Flames than he did for the Oil.

He’s been praised by Flames head coach Bill Peters for his energy and his strong work on the penalty kill. He’s likely not going to be put in high-leverage offensive situations, but the Flames sure hope he can provide them some value in their bottom six.

Update: both our pal Pat Steinberg and our team have confirmed the deal has been agreed to.