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Where former Flames signed on the opening day of NHL free agency
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Photo credit: Brett Holmes-Imagn Images
Ryan Pike
Jul 2, 2026, 14:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 2, 2026, 10:14 EDT
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The National Hockey League’s calendar flipped over on July 1, officially commencing the 2026-27 league year.
As part of that calendar change, free agency opened, making the first day teams can add players for the coming season. It also marks some departures of prior players into free agency.
On July 1, five Flames free agents signed deals with new teams for the coming season.
The most prominent Flame that signed elsewhere was Ryan Lomberg. A veteran of two tours with the hockey club – 11 games in 2017-19 and 137 in 2024-26 – Lomberg was beloved by the fanbase for his long, flowing hair, memorable shirtless interviews, and generally just being an enjoyable presence in the community. But the influx of youth in Calgary pushed him to the fringes of the line-up, and he signed a two year, $1.3 million AAV deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Victor Olofsson joined the Flames via the Nazem Kadri trade, as the Avalanche needed to shuffle someone out to make the roster and salary cap math work. Olofsson played 18 games with the Flames after the trade deadline, but given his age (30) and the glut of players in the system, he seemed like a long-shot to remain after the season. He signed back with a former team, the Vegas Golden Knights, on a one year deal with a $1,638,300. (As Puckpedia mentioned on social media, the Golden Knights are trying to maximize the LTIR cap value of Alex Pietrangelo, so they’re signing guys to very specific cap hits this summer.)
A waiver claim from Boston mid-season, John Beecher got an audition on the fourth line with the Flames last season, playing 29 games. He’s headed to the Florida Panthers on a one year, two-way deal worth $850,000 in the NHL and $525,000 in the AHL (with $575,000 salary guaranteed).
A fan favourite for his positive demeanour and excellent shootout performances, Justin Kirkland had an eventful two seasons back with the Flames organization – after a prior stint in the minors earlier in his career. He played 41 games split across two seasons, but spent much of 2025-26 in the AHL with the Wranglers – again, due to the influx of youngsters. He signed a one year, two-way deal with the Minnesota Wild worth $850,000 in the NHL and $500,000 in the AHL (with $550,000 guaranteed salary).
Finally, Calgary Wranglers captain Clark Bishop departs after four years in the Flames organization and six games with the big club. He’s joining the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, the top farm team of the Tampa Bay Lightning, on a standard AHL deal.
And while not a Flames free agent, per se, we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out old friend Rasmus Andersson, traded to Vegas in January for several assets, getting a seven year deal with Vegas carrying an $8.5 million cap hit.
The Flames were quiet on July 1, but we’ll see what else they get up to between now and when hockey starts again in September.
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