Flames stay quiet in free-agency. That should be reassuring
The Calgary Flames have a plan, and they're sticking to it.
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That plan does not involve handing out long-term contracts to veterans. Not in 2023, not in 2024 and not on Tuesday, when the NHL's free-agency market officially opened for 2025.
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The plan isn't simple, but it's easy enough to explain: The Flames are trying to stay in playoff contention while building through the draft. That's it. That's the plan, or the basic outline of it, at least.
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They'll keep their cap flexibility until they're ready to make a move. If the right player becomes available, sure, they'll have a go, but when the Los Angeles Kings are handing out sweetheart four year deals that pay Cody Ceci US$4.5-million annually the way they did Tuesday, there just aren't that many bargain deals and short-term contracts out there.
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And so, the Flames were quiet on Tuesday. They didn't go out and spend money to try to make sure they got a few lucrative playoff pay-days for ownership next spring.
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That should be reassuring.
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They signed veteran blueliner Joel Hanley only hours before he was set to hit the market. He partnered well with MacKenzie Weegar and they were able to get him on a two-year deal.
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They waved a grateful goodbye to backup goalie Dan Vladar, who signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. They'll need to find a replacement. Maybe that's Calgary Wranglers backstop Devin Cooley, or maybe it's Ivan Prosvetov, who they were heavily linked to on Tuesday.
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That was it.
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Underwhelming? Anti-climatic? Maybe, but the Flames stuck to their plan.
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And even people who aren't convinced the plan will work out must at least see that having one and sticking to it is better than the alternative.
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'In free-agency, there is going to come a time when we are going to go out and identify guys and get guys because we're right there,' said Flames GM Craig Conroy. 'To do it right now just for the sake of doing it, because today is free-agency, just doesn't make sense. It's not part of the plan.
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