LAS VEGAS — Despite carrying nearly $29 million in cap space, the Calgary Flames aren’t expected to be major players once the floodgates open with free-agent signings on Monday. Short-term deals are expected to be on Flames GM Craig Conroy’s radar, which makes sense for a team that is rebuilding for the future.
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“As we move forward we want to give young guys chances,” Conroy said. “But we also want to put good people around them.”
The Flames have a handful of their own veteran players, too, and Conroy cited the impact Nazem Kadri had on inexperienced players.
“If you watched what Kadri did for (Connor) Zary and (Marty) Pospisil you can’t put it into words,” Conroy said. “Jarome (Iginla) and I were talking about Dave Gagner playing with him his first year. You have to have good veterans, even though you have good young players, you’ve got to have good veterans players to show them how to play and what the NHL’s all about night in and out. It’s the best league in the world and if you don’t have that mentorship it makes it tough on the young guys.”
If players like Kadri wish to continue in Flames colours, it is difficult to envision them changing their tune on wanting to win. It will make the Flames’ free agency period all the more interesting as they still intend on icing a team that can be “competitive every night.”
The Flames will use free agency to plug holes in their lineup while still giving opportunities to their youth. Conroy already mentioned he’s in the market for a goalie and a defenceman — that defensive need could be accentuated if Oliver Kylington doesn’t re-sign — with a handful of forwards already signed. But we’ve still added a few forwards as possibilities below.
Possible free-agent targets
G Cam Talbot
Talbot will be 37 next season but could be a veteran presence for both Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar to lean on, filling the void Jacob Markstrom provided. He could be a serviceable part of a tandem and probably won’t require a massive contract.
G Eric Comrie
Comrie has been a career backup to this point but it might be what the Flames need: a goalie who can compete but not overwhelmingly threaten their two young goaltenders. He only got into 10 games this season with Buffalo.
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G Chris Driedger
Driedger is a bit older than Comrie, but he’d provide the same benefits for the Flames. Driedger has NHL experience but went 12-6-0 with a .906 save percentage and a 2.67 goals-against average for the AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds en route to a Calder Cup Final appearance.
D Tyson Barrie
The Flames have been linked to Barrie before. He’s a valuable right side defender and has plenty of experience on the power play. His offensive stats have regressed in recent years but perhaps he could benefit from a change of scenery. If he can be had on a short-term deal, he wouldn’t be a bad stopgap to give Flames prospects more time to develop.
W Jake DeBrusk
Flames fans have been abuzz about DeBrusk possibly returning home to Alberta. There are some good qualities to his game as a forward with his size and physicality, and his totals suggest he’s a good secondary scoring option. His age (27) is a question mark considering the Flames’ intentions on getting younger. And would he want to come to Calgary on a short-term deal? If he’s open to it, he’d likely get a look on the Mikael Backlund-Blake Coleman line that suddenly needs a left winger.
W Anthony Duclair
Duclar found success with Tampa Bay in 17 regular season games (eight goals, 15 points) but could have been more productive in the playoffs (two assists in five games). The connection to Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau is a strong reason why Duclair should be considered. The two were linemates during Huberdeau’s career-best 115-point season in 2022.
Other possibilities: G Kevin Lankinen, D Matt Dumba, D T.J. Brodie, D Jani Hakanpää, D Erik Gustafsson, D Alexandre Carrier
Day 2 of Flames draft picks
There was a distinct theme with the majority of the Flames picks from Day 2 of the 2024 NHL Draft. The Flames are banking on offensive upside and making up for what their prospect pool is lacking in skill and scoring ability.
“You look at the game. You watch how teams are winning. You need to put up points,” Conroy said. “You need to make that exciting, high-end plays. You see Edmonton, we watch them all the time. They’re high offence. Obviously, they’ve got some of the best players in the world. But we had to add some of that to our group. I think we were able to do that today.”
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Amateur scouting director Tod Button was “ecstatic” about the team’s 10 draft choices.
“It was a long weekend as far as the prep and everything but well worth it, I speak for all our scouts,” Button said. “Totally happy with everything that transpired. The scouts were engaged … we left here with what we think — as every team does — a great haul.
“Skill, hockey sense, offence in spades. We’ve got a lot of high-end skill and elite skill, scoring ability. A junkyard dog and a couple of project prospects late in the draft.”
So, what are the Flames getting in some of the eight picks they made on Day 2? Why not let them, and Flames staff, tell you?
Andrew Basha
Position/shot: LW, shoots left
Junior team: Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL
Drafted: 2nd round, 41st
The Calgary native grew up a massive Flames fan. His family owns the Garrison Pub, a Calgary watering hole where you might occasionally find a Flames player or two. Basha wore the No. 34 in junior as an homage to his favourite player, Miikka Kiprusoff.
As a third-year with the Medicine Hat Tigers, Basha scored 30 goals and 85 points. The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler sees him as a “middle-six” player who could get a power-play role.
“I’d love to play with speed and I love to play in transition,” Basha said. “I like to build off my speed and use the transition really well. I like to steal turnovers from the opposition. Very creative offensively. Also relied upon pretty heavily defensively. A player who loves the game and is very passionate and plays with a lot of creativity and speed.”
“I try to model my game after Kyle Connor and Jordan Kyrou.”
“He kind of has it all,” Conroy said. “And to be able to kind of get him where we did, we were excited. I thought he was going to go a little bit earlier.”
Jacob Battaglia
Position/shot: RW, shoots left
Junior team: Kingston Frontenacs, OHL
Drafted: 2nd round, 62nd
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Battaglia visited a spiritual healer at Christmas time after his father scheduled an appointment. During their visit, Battaglia says their healer envisioned he’d be in Calgary or “somewhere in Canada” in his future. Six months later, Battaglia is a member of the Flames organization. It’s something he does as part of his Catholic faith. He insists he didn’t intend on gaining draft intel.
“Maybe if I ever need other future predictions, I’ll just go to her,” Battaglia said.
Battaglia led all Frontenacs in goals this season with 31 and had 65 points in 67 games.
“I think I’m really good in the corners,” Battaglia said. “Small area in the offensive zone. I think I’m really strong on the puck. I think I’ve got a really good scoring touch and I think the game at an elite level.
“Skating’s the only thing I need to work on and I’ve been working on it. It’s getting better, progressively.”
“He’s a junkyard dog,” Button said. “He’s thick. He’s in the middle of the battle. He’s got good enough hands to score in the trenches. And he’s always in the trenches in the middle of it.
Henry Mews
Position/shot: D, shoots right
Junior team: Ottawa 67’s, OHL
Drafted: 3rd round, 74th
A right-shot defenceman who was once seen as a potential first-round pick fell to the Flames in the third round. Another player with offensive upside who improved on his rookie season totals (12 goals, 31 points) in his second season (15 goals, 61 points).
“There’s a lot of potential in my game,” Mews said. “Defensively, it’s my third year playing D. Just got to learn how to play the pro-style game. I think the offensive skills are there. Just learn how to be a complete defenceman to be able to play in the NHL one day and continue to get bigger, stronger. It’s all things to improve on which is great.”
“I was joking with (Flames AGM) Brad Pascall,” Button said. “I said you’re going to Penticton (for the rookie tournament), you’ve got (Hunter) Brzustewicz, you’ve got (Zayne) Parekh, you’ve got Mews, the power play better be humming.”
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Trevor Hoskin
Position/shot: Forward, shoots right
Junior team: Cobourg Cougars, OJHL
Drafted: 4th round, 106th
“We saw him in the World Jr. A challenge. He was really good there. But not a big enough window to say definitively what he really was going forward,” Button said. “(Flames scout Terry Doran) said he’s skilled, smart, he’s going to Niagara (University) next year. He’s gone through a draft. He’s an older kid. But lots of time to develop. Going to school really helps us for that development time.”
Luke Misa
Position/shot: Centre, shoots left
Junior team: Mississauga Steelheads, OHL
Drafted: 5th round, 150th
The older brother of projected 2025 top prospect Michael Misa, Wheeler gave Luke a third-round grade thanks to his skating and improved interior game. However, he still holds reservations about what he could be at the NHL level.
“I’m someone who uses their speed well,” Misa said. “Can really drive play well using their speed. Someone who’s really competitive and who really wants to win.”
Also drafted: G Kirill Zarubin (84th), Hunter Liang (170th), Eric Jamieson (177th)
(Photo of Jake DeBrusk and Jonathan Huberdeau: Gerry Thomas / NHLI via Getty Images)
