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7 free agents the Flames should target for 2026-27 professional try-outs

Photo credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

By Ryley Delaney

Aug 31, 2026, 08:00 EDTUpdated: Aug 30, 2026, 20:36 EDT

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The 2026-27 season will be a tough one for the Calgary Flames.

This past season was the first real rebuilding season for the Flames, after narrowly missing the playoffs in 2024-25. After 82 games, the Flames finished with the fourth-fewest points, yet dropped to the sixth overall pick. Expect much of the same in 2026-27 when that kicks off in a month.

The 2026-27 Flames are going to be a young team. Young players like Matvei Gridin, Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Matt Coronato and Connor Zary will play bigger roles, while Šimon Nemec will play his first season with the organization.

A rebuilding team has a tight rope to balance. Too many young players, and a team will never figure it out. Take the early 2010s Edmonton Oilers as a prime example. Even after three consecutive first overall picks and a lot of promising young talent, the Oilers were a basement-dwelling team until they lucked out and landed Connor McDavid.

On the other hand, the current day San Jose Sharks are a good example of a rebuild done right. Bottom out, acquire veterans, and build for the future. They’ll be in the post-season in a year or two.

With training camp right around the corner, there are a handful of enticing veterans still available in free agency. Signing one or two of them to a professional tryout not only gives the young core another leader, but gives the Flames the potential to flip those players ahead of the 2027 trade deadline.

Let’s look at some players the Flames should consider giving a professional tryout.

Vladimir Tarasenko

The best free agent remaining on the market is two-time Stanley Cup champion Vladimir Tarasenko. It’s a bit of a surprise considering the Russian winger scored 23 goals and 47 points in 75 games last season, up from 11 goals and 33 points in 2023-24.

While it seems unlikely Tarasenko will sign a PTO since he’s still a capable middle-six scoring option, he has headed north before to rebuild his stock. Before the 2023-24 season, the Russian signed with the Ottawa Senators, who were still seeking their first playoff appearance since 2017.

Tarasenko went on to score 17 goals and 24 points in 57 games before being traded to the Florida Panthers, earning his second Stanley Cup. Funnily enough, the Senators used one of those picks to select Nemec’s younger brother Adam.

If Tarasenko doesn’t sign before training camp, perhaps he’ll join the Flames to rebuild his stock. For the Flames, they’ll bring in some leadership, before flipping him to a contender before the trade deadline.

Eeli Tolvanen

Eeli Tolvanen has a similar case as Tarasenko. The Finn was somewhat productive with the Seattle Kraken in 2025-26, scoring 12 goals and 36 points in 78 games. That said, his goal scoring was down from the previous season when he scored 23 goals and 35 points in 81 games.

The winger turned 27 years old in April and scored 16 or more goals in his first three seasons with the Kraken, including 16 in 48 games after being claimed off waivers in 2022-23.

Signing him would be mutually beneficial for both parties. He’d get top six playing time on the Flames, while also factoring into their power play. Signing with the Flames (although unlikely to be a PTO) would allow Tolvanen to rebuild his stock before being flipped before the trade deadline.

Michael Bunting

Michael Bunting is another player who may end up signing a guaranteed contract before the start of the season. While unlikely to sign a PTO, he’s a player the Flames should at least have some interest in like they did Anthony Mantha back in 2024-25.

Since breaking onto the scene with the Toronto Maple Leafs back in 2021-22, Bunting has scored double-digit goals in all five seasons. In fact, he scored 10 goals in 21 games with the Arizona Coyotes back in 2020-21. The 30-year-old is a middle-six scoring option who also gets under players’ skin.

He, like Tarasenko and Tolvanen, could use the Flames to rebuild his stock. Last season, he scored just 14 goals and 33 points in 74 games, his lowest totals since becoming an NHL regular in 2021-22.

Bunting has been traded the last three trade deadlines, including last season when the Nashville Predators sent him to the contending Dallas Stars for a 2026 third-rounder. Every pick matters in a rebuild.

David Perron

David Perron hasn’t retired just yet. If he plays in 2026-27, it’ll be his 20th season in the National Hockey League. If he signs with the Flames, it’d be his eighth team since breaking into the league all the way back in 2007-08.

The Sherbrooke native has remained rather productive in his late 30s, amassing 13 goals and 28 points in 65 games last season. Most of his season was spent with the Senators, but he was traded to the Detroit Red Wings before the trade deadline for a fourth-round pick. It doesn’t sound like much, but Ethan Wyttenbach was selected in the fifth-round. You never know.

Thanks to playing for nearly two decades, Perron also brings leadership, something the Flames could use in 2026-27.

James van Riemsdyk

Perron joined another long-time NHL’er James van Riemsdyk after the trade deadline. Like Perron, van Riemsdyk had a productive 2025-26 season despite being on the wrong side of 30. Over 72 games, he scored 15 goals and 31 points, finishing seventh in points on the Original Six team.

The Middletown, New Jersey product has remained a steady scoring presence throughout his career, scoring 10 or more goals in all 17 of his seasons. On top of that, Reimsdyk has played just 11 playoff games since 2020, mainly serving as a scoring veteran on teams vying for a wild card spot.

Despite playing on weaker teams the last few seasons, van Riemsdyk has been traded just once in career, all the way back in the summer of 2012. He’s not someone who has been flipped by a rebuilding team, but he does offer a veteran presence with a scoring touch.

Logan Stanley

There are also two defencemen worth noting. The first is Logan Stanley, who was selected 18th overall by the Winnipeg Jets back in 2016.

Standing at 6’7”, the left-shot defenceman already blew by career-highs in his 59 games with the Jets, potting nine goals and 21 points. Before the trade deadline, Stanley was traded to the Buffalo Sabres, where he picked up five more assists for nine goals and 26 points.

He’s not a perfect defenceman, likely slotting into a third-pairing role. That said, Stanley is a good option to eat some minutes while rebuilding his stock.

Carson Soucy

Another defenceman of note is Carson Soucy, a left-shot defenceman from Viking, Alberta. He’s your typical minute munching defenceman, scoring just five goals and 12 points in 76 games last season. It’s been a while since he scored a career-high 10 goals back in 2021-22.

Soucy has been traded the last two trade deadlines, with both teams trading him acquiring a third-round pick in the upcoming draft.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFO Calgary, DFO Edmonton, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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