The opening week of NHL free agency was a busy one for many teams across the NHL including the Calgary Flames. Craig Conroy and the rest of the Flames management team completed five transactions that are going to affect the NHL roster next season.

Conroy didn’t go big game hunting which was the right decision for a Flames team in the middle of a rebuild. Instead, the Flames made low risk bets with some upside that aren’t going to jeopardize the future salary cap structure of the team when they plan on being competitive again.

Let’s break down the moves and give a letter grade!

Anthony Mantha arrives in Calgary coming off an inconsistent 2023-24 campaign. When you look at his goal and point totals, you’d think he had a solid season with the Washington Capitals and Vegas Golden Knights. Mantha scored 23 goals and 44 points in 74 games. But Mantha was a healthy scratch in Washington at the beginning of the season because of inconsistencies in his game. Mantha was also a healthy scratch in the playoffs for Vegas in games 4-7.

When he is focused, engaged and on his game, Mantha is the definition of a sniper and power forward. He has an incredible shot and has an imposing frame at 6’5, 234 pounds. He has the potential to be a 30-goal scorer for the Flames next season. When he is not on his game, you hardly notice him on the ice.

Another aspect of this trade has to do with getting Jonathan Huberdeau going  Huberdeau and Mantha have the potential to be a perfect fit. You have the playmaker in Huberdeau on the left wing playing alongside a sniper like Mantha on the right wing. They train together in the off-season so there might be some chemistry there between these two players.

The best part of this signing is that it is for one year. If this doesn’t work out between the Flames and Mantha, they can go their separate ways at the end of the season. If it does work out, then they could sign him to a contract extension or move him around the trade deadline for a draft pick or two.

Grade: A

One of the biggest questions heading into the off-season was “what are the Flames going to do with their three pending UFA wingers in Yegor Sharangovich, Andrew Mangiapane, and Andrei Kuzmenko?”

Mangiapane was traded to the Washington Capitals for a second-round draft pick.

Kuzmenko is going to start the season without a contract extension in place.

And we now know Sharangovich is going to be a Flame for the next six seasons as he signs a five year, $28.75M contract extension.

Sharangovich had a pretty incredible debut season with the Flames leading the team in goal scoring with 31. He added 28 assists on top of that. He put up those impressive numbers after having a terrible start to the season. The difference between his first 16 games compared to his last 66 is pretty incredible.

Once Sharangovich got comfortable in Calgary he took off scoring at a 36-goal pace over his final 66 games. He became one of the most dangerous shooters in the NHL beating goalies clean with his wicked wrister.

But this is the first full season he was able to produce at this rate. His shooting percentage was 19% in the final 66 games. Is that sustainable?

There is some risk for the Flames in this deal. Signing players coming off their career years can be dangerous. Just look at Jonathan Huberdeau and Andrew Mangiapane’s contracts. But if Sharangovich can hover around the 30-goal mark over the duration of the contract, it’ll be a good deal. If he is a 10-20 goal scorer, then it’s not going to look so good.

I personally think Sharangovich is good for 25-30 goals a season. He has a lethal shot, and he found a home on the Flames first power play unit last season.

Grade: B+

Vibes per/60 are off the charts with the signing of former Florida Panther forward, and now Stanley Cup champion, Ryan Lomberg.

The Flames inked Lomberg to a two-year contract with an AAV of $2,000,000. It’s another smart, low risk signing by Craig Conroy.

Lomberg addresses a couple needs in the Flames lineup. First, he brings an element of toughness and physicality that was much needed. Prior to the start of unrestricted free agency, the only player in the Flames lineup whose game was based around physicality was Kevin Bahl. There are other players in the Flames lineup who play hard and are difficult to play against, but not necessarily tough by NHL standards.

Secondly, Lomberg delivers swagger and some personality to the Flames locker room. Something that is needed after a mass exodus of veteran players. Lomberg is the type of character guy who lightens up the mood in a dressing room and can keep things positive during what’s expected to be a season with a lot of losing at the Saddledome.

Lomberg is going to become a fan favourite with his physical play on the ice and his infectious personality off it. What’s not to like about this signing?

Grade: A

Jake Bean comes home after signing a two-year contract with the Calgary Flames. He grew up playing minor hockey with Shaw Meadows and the Edge. He played his WHL hockey with the Calgary Hitmen. And now he is a member of the Calgary Flames.

Bean has impressive pedigree as he was a first-round pick, 13th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2016 NHL draft and represented Canada at the 2017 and 2018 world juniors.

Despite having an excellent junior career, Bean has yet to find his footing in the NHL.

He hasn’t put up many points for being such an offensively gifted player, and he hasn’t excelled in his own end either. He only put up 13 points in 72 games last season in Columbus. His career high in points came in the 2021-22 season where he scored seven goals and 18 assists.

Bean is going to have a chance to turn around his career with the Flames over the next two seasons as he has the opportunity to potentially play top four minutes. The left side of the defence only features Kevin Bahl and Joel HanleyOf course, MacKenzie Weegar can play the left side is needed, but the team prefers him on the right.

Once again, it’s another low risk, high reward signing by Conroy. Hopefully it works out and Bean becomes a mainstay on the Flames blueline for many years to come.

Grade: B

The best way to go about breaking down the signing of Devin Cooley is to listen to goaltending experts. It’s a difficult position for any hockey writer to break down. Especially a player like Cooley who we haven’t watched much of over his career.

InGoal Magazine’s Kevin Woodley joined Flames Talk on Sportsnet 960 The Fan and had this to say about what he sees in Devin Cooley:

“It’s never a bad thing when you’re a big as he is, and then go right to untapped potential as the next part of it. He has size. He has length. He’s not limited in his mobility through the hips. His range, his ability to extend and he’s also a late bloomer… I think there’s obviously potential when you have a kid with that size and that much athleticism and natural skill. And he’s just starting to tap into that potential at the fullest level. That’s exciting.”

The Flames goaltending department led by Jordan Sigalet targeted Devin Cooley as a goalie who could compete for a spot on the Flames next season. The Flames are very high on Cooley’s upside as well.

Based on what we’ve heard from those who know the position best, it sounds like Cooley has a lot of unrealized potential. There is a world where this ends up being a home run signing for the Flames. And if it doesn’t work out then c’est la vie. The Flames gave up zero assets to get Cooley and only signed him to a two-year contract.

The thing I like about this signing is that the Flames signed a younger goalie that they can grow with. They didn’t go out and sign a journeyman NHL backup who has already reached their ceiling. It sounds like Cooley has the potential to turn into a starting goalie in the NHL one day. Whereas we already know what someone like Michael Hutchinson and Martin Jones are in the NHL.

Grade: B+