Ahead of the Calgary Flames’ home date with the Seattle Kraken, they made a pair of roster moves, placing forward Dryden Hunt on waivers and calling up forward Justin Kirkland from the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers.

Hunt is a 30-year-old left shot forward, and he’s been both a pretty reliable 13th forward for the Flames at the NHL level and a pretty versatile veteran for the Wranglers at the AHL level. He has zero points in two NHL games and 18 points in 16 AHL games this season. His last game action was during a one-game demotion to the AHL back on Dec. 11 – he had two assists.

A winger who can play either side of the ice, he’s been called up by the Flames three times this season after initially clearing waivers on Oct. 1, and given his age and skill-set he’s arguably the ideal 13th forward for the club – he can jump in at short notice and provide value, but his development isn’t hampered by sitting in the press box. He’s been on the NHL roster for more than 30 days, though, and so he requires a pass through the waiver wire before he’s eligible to be sent back to the AHL. By placing Hunt on waivers on Thursday, he would potentially clear waivers on Friday and become eligible for assignment to the AHL prior to the NHL’s roster freeze at 11:59 p.m. MT on Friday night.

Hunt’s in the first year of a two year, two-way deal that pays him $825,000 at the NHL level and $400,000 at the AHL level. His compensation speaks to his importance as a flex forward that can play at both levels, and his multi-year commitment probably makes him less appealing as a waiver wire target for other clubs.

Kirkland, 29, is a left shot forward who can play centre or the wing, and he’s on a one year, one-way deal worth $900,000. He started the season with the Flames but cleared waivers and was sent to the Wranglers back on Nov. 12. He has one point in nine NHL games and seven points in 14 AHL games this season. He would, presumably, slot into Hunt’s role as the 13th forward for the big club.

The Flames’ active roster currently sits at 22 players: two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 14 forwards, including Hunt. Three players are on the injury reserve list: Sam Honzek, Jake Bean and Martin Pospisil.

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