The Flames continue to plug away at their remaining RFAs this month of July. This afternoon, the club announced that they have re-signed forward Garnet Hathaway to a one-year, two-way contract. According to CapFriendly, it is worth $650,000 in the NHL.

Hathaway’s stock rose this year after he stepped up to the plate for the team while others were out with injuries. He was a workable fourth line spark plug guy, scoring five points over 26 games and occasionally getting penalty kill time. He was also a key member for the Stockton Heat over the season, putting up 20 points in 31 games and adding four in five playoff games.

There’s a very likely chance that he starts his year in the AHL. This freshly signed contract shows why. First off, the deal is a two-way contract, which works in the team’s favour with regards to monetary value. Hathaway is also waiver eligible, but likely isn’t in danger of being claimed, as most teams have their own versions of Hathaway. By sending him to the AHL, the Flames can keep costs down while giving NHL spots and minutes to the higher-end farmhands. If someone gets injured or underperforms, he’s probably one of the first to come up.

Remaining RFAs include Sam Bennett, Brett Kulak, Tyler Wotherspoon, Jon Gillies, and David Rittich. The Flames still have roughly $7.17 million in cap space. Should Hathaway make the NHL roster, that figure goes down to approximately $6.52 million.