The Calgary Flames have made a trade and an eighth pick at the 2025 NHL Draft. Per PuckPedia, the Flames have traded their 2026 seventh-round pick to the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for the 211th overall pick.
At 211th overall, the Flames selected centre Yan Matveiko of Krasnaya Armiya Moskva of Russia’s MHL (their top junior league.)
Trade
To #Flames
'25 7th (#211)
To #LGRW
‘26 7thhttps://t.co/17HcVnPuBy
— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) June 28, 2025
Matveiko is a left shot centre listed at 6’1″ and 150 pounds, and he’s an August 2006 birthday. He’s in his second year of draft eligibility, but he’s only a month older than the oldest first-time draft eligible player in this class. He had 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points over 42 games this season in the MHL.
Matveiko wasn’t ranked by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service or any of the major public rankers.
According to Flames general manager Craig Conroy, the area scouts were split on who to take in the seventh round – Matveiko or Swedish blueliner Jakob Leander – so Conroy connected with Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman and acquired another pick so they could get both of them.
The Flames have now completed all of their selections at the 2025 NHL Draft.
Get ready for wall-to-wall coverage of one of the biggest days in the calendar — the Daily Faceoff Live Free Agency Special goes live on July 1st at 11 AM EST. Host Tyler Yaremchuk is joined by Carter Hutton, Matthew Barnaby, Jeff Marek, Hart Levine, Colby Cohen, Jonny Lazarus, and insiders from across the Network for three hours of in-depth analysis, live reactions, and real-time updates on every major signing and trade. From blockbuster deals to under-the-radar moves, we’re breaking it all down as it happens. Don’t miss a minute — catch the full special live on DailyFaceoff.com and Daily Faceoff’s YouTube.
The 2025 NHL Draft is in the books! The Calgary Flames added eight new faces to their organization: two defencemen and six forwards.
Per tradition, the assembled media met with Flames director of amateur scouting to get the low-down on the newest Flames.
C Cole Reschny (18th overall, 1st round)
C Cullen Porter (32nd overall, 1st round)
(Flames general manager Craig Conroy mentioned on Flames Talk’s draft coverage on Friday night that the club tried to move up to draft Potter earlier, but ended up getting him at 32nd overall.)
C Theo Stockselius (54th overall, 2nd round)
D Mace’o Phillips (80th overall, 3rd round)
LW Ethan Wyttenbach (144th overall, 5th round)
RW Aiden Lane (176th overall, 6th round)
(Button noted that the group was undecided between two players with their final pick. “And Connie says, ‘I’ll get you another pick,'” and they ended up drafting both players.)
D Jakob Leander (208th overall, 7th round)
C Yan Matveiko (211th overall, 7th round)
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Offer sheets are back in the NHL thanks to the St. Louis Blues. They were able to successfully sign both Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg while only giving up a second and a third round pick last summer. It was a brilliant move that did not go unnoticed around the NHL.
The offer sheet is looking like a smart option for teams who are looking to improve their roster heading into next season. There are not a lot of players available on the trade market. And the free agent market is not flush with game changing players. But there are some interesting names available via offer sheets.
An offer sheet could make sense for the Flames as they continue to look to add younger players to their lineup between the ages of 21-26.
In order to acquire these players you have to be willing to give up draft capital. Here is what offer sheet compensation looks like for the 2025 off-season.
First things first. The Flames should not sign a player to an offer sheet with an AAV above $4,680,076. If they do, it means they will lose their 2026 first round pick which is an absolute no go. Craig Conroy would be crazy to give up his lottery ticket in the Gavin McKenna draft.
The Flames will also need to target players on teams who are up against the salary cap. There is no point in trying to sign a player on a team who can easily match the contract.
With all that in mind, let’s take a look at one RFA who the Flames might be able to sign to an offer sheet.
(I originally wrote about two offer sheet targets. But one of them was Nic Hague who was traded to Nashville last night)
Mackie Samoskevich – Florida Panthers – RW – 22 years old – 5’11”, 181 pounds
There are probably a lot of Flames fans out there that aren’t too familiar with Mackie Samoskevich. He plays in the Eastern Conference and on top of that he only suited up for four Panther playoff games in their most recent Stanley Cup championship.
If there is one thing Samoskevich is known for, it’s his speed and tenacity. According to NHL Edge, Samoskevich is in the top 94th percentile in speed bursts over 22 mph, 91st percentile in speed bursts over 20 mph, and the 89th percentile in top skating speed.
Samoskevich also has a fantastic shot and set of hands. In his first full season in the NHL, Samoskevich put up 15 goals and 16 assists in 72 games. He did that playing in the bottom six of the Panther forward group.
Mackie Samoskevich wraps it around for his first NHL goal!pic.twitter.com/bFATpP3YkY
— NHL (@NHL) October 27, 2024What a move by Mackie Samoskevichpic.twitter.com/OP2gee3RBp
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 1, 2025
He is going to become a perennial 30 goal scorer and high end top six player with whatever team gives him a chance to succeed in a top six role. Teams would be doing Florida a big favour if they decided not to offer sheet Samoskevich. And why would anyone want to help the back-to-back Stanley Cup champs?
The Florida Panthers might put themselves in a position where they won’t be able to match an offer sheet on Samoskevich if they sign one or more of Brad Marchand and Aaron Ekblad.
Is there a fit for Samoskevich in Calgary? Absolutely. The Flames barely have any young, right shooting forwards in their organization. They could desperately use a guy like Samoskevich.
The forward group is currently filled out at the NHL level. But Conroy could easily trade a forward out to fit Samoskevich into their lineup. Samoskevich would instantly become one of their best wingers. The Flames could move out one of Blake Coleman, Yegor Sharangovich, Joel Farabee or Martin Pospisil.
Projected offer sheet: 2 years, $4,680,076 AAV
A bridge deal could entice Samoskevich to sign. He gets a significant raise on his current salary and he would be able to sign a new deal with a rising salary cap and more opportunity on the ice in Calgary.
Teams around the NHL would be crazy not to target either one of these players. Offer sheets should be used a whole lot more than they currently are, especially on players who are on elite teams. Don’t make the life of the Florida Panthers or Vegas Golden Knights easier. Go after them and make them worse while making yourself better.
Do you want to see the Flames use an offer sheet this summer? Let us know in the comments section!
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On Monday afternoon, the Calgary Flames announced their pre-season schedule for the 2025-26 campaign.
The schedule features eight exhibition games, perhaps for the final time given the expectation that the new collective bargaining agreement will see the pre-season cut down to four games as the regular season is boosted up to 84 games.
As has become standard in recent years, the Flames will play a pair of games – one home, one away – against each of the Edmonton Oilers, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks and Winnipeg Jets.
The schedule begins with a set of split squad games against the Edmonton Oilers on Sun., Sept. 21: with Flames at Oilers at Rogers Place, and Oilers at Flames at the Saddledome.
Then there’s a back-to-back set, with the Flames hosting Seattle on Tues., Sept. 23 at the ‘Dome before heading west to visit the Vancouver Canucks on Wed., Sept. 24 in Abbotsford, home of the Calder Cup champions.
The road swing continues, with a trip to Winnipeg on Sat., Sept. 27 and a visit to Seattle on Mon., Sept. 29. The pre-season concludes with a pair of home dates, with the Flames hosting Vancouver on Wed., Oct. 1 and Winnipeg on Fri., Oct. 3.
(We’ll have radio, broadcasting and streaming information for the exhibition games as they become available, likely immediately before the pre-season begins.)
Generally-speaking, you’ll see veteran-laden Flames rosters for pretty much all pre-season home dates. The road rosters are usually fairly youthful when camp begins and will become more and more NHL-heavy as the exhibition calendar goes along. If nothing else, you get a chance to see some of the Flames organization’s younger players tried out in game situations alongside some of their established veterans.
Based on the dates of these games, you can reasonably expect rookie training camp to begin around Sept. 11 and main training camp to begin around Sept. 18. If we’re using last season’s schedule as a gauge, you can probably expect the roster deadline day to be Mon., Oct. 6 and the season to begin Tues., Oct. 7. (The 2025-26 regular season schedule is expected to be released in mid-July.)
Get ready for wall-to-wall coverage of one of the biggest days in the calendar — the Daily Faceoff Live Free Agency Special goes live on July 1st at 11 AM EST. Host Tyler Yaremchuk is joined by Carter Hutton, Matthew Barnaby, Jeff Marek, Hart Levine, Colby Cohen, Jonny Lazarus, and insiders from across the Network for three hours of in-depth analysis, live reactions, and real-time updates on every major signing and trade. From blockbuster deals to under-the-radar moves, we’re breaking it all down as it happens. Don’t miss a minute — catch the full special live on DailyFaceoff.com and Daily Faceoff’s YouTube.
Well, the Calgary Flames are going back for a second helping of “Nacho.”
On Tuesday morning, in advance of the official opening of free agency, the club announced that they’ve re-signed defenceman Joel Hanley to a two year contract with a $1.75 million average annual value.
The 34-year-old Hanley originally joined the Flames off the waiver wire two-thirds of the way through the 2023-24 season. He began his run with the club as a depth blueliner, even serving as the Flames’ seventh or eighth defender for the first chunk of the 2024-25 season. But once he got an opportunity to play regularly, and play regularly with defensive ace MacKenzie Weegar, Hanley was basically impossible to remove from the lineup. In 53 games, he had two goals and nine points.
Now, we know what you’re thinking: “Hey, isn’t it risky to give a multi-year deal to someone who turned 34 last month?”
Well, yes and no.
On the “yes” front, yeah, his age is his age. And Hanley is someone who, while he had a really strong season last year – especially given that he was thrust into a top-four role out of necessity and did a great job – doesn’t have a huge sample size as an NHL regular. His career high in games played prior to this season was 44, and much of his tenure with the Dallas Stars saw him as a beloved depth player who never played a ton.
On the “no” front, we point to two things. First, the fact that he hasn’t been a regular in the lineup anywhere until now means that he doesn’t have a ton of wear and tear on him. Being an NHL blueliner sucks for your body, because you’re constantly crashing into the boards, other large humans, or both. Hanley is 34, yes, but he has just 246 NHL games under his belt. Comparatively, teammate Jake Bean, who’s seven years younger, has played more games than Hanley. So in terms of getting through the rigours of the NHL schedule at his “advanced” age, Hanley may be in good shape.
Second, uh, this is an extremely low cap hit given what Hanley brings to the Flames. His $1.75 million cap hit is the same as Bean’s. And, all due respect to Bean, Hanley was a much bigger part of the Flames’ success in 2024-25. If Hanley doesn’t work out and time catches up to him – it could happen – his palatable cap hit can mostly be buried in the AHL and life goes on.
So if Hanley continues his strong play or regresses a little bit, it’s an extremely friendly cap hit for him. If he falls off a cliff or time catches up with him, it’s an extremely easy deal to hide under a tarp (or with the Wranglers) and not worry about. For a really useful player in Hanley, this is some very tidy work.
With Hanley’s signing, the Flames have 21 players on one-way contracts for 2025-26 – two goalies, eight defencemen and 11 forwards – and roughly $19.84 million in remaining cap space. (They still have restricted free agents Connor Zary and Morgan Frost to re-sign, too.)
Get ready for wall-to-wall coverage of one of the biggest days in the calendar — the Daily Faceoff Live Free Agency Special goes live on July 1st at 11 AM EST. Host Tyler Yaremchuk is joined by Carter Hutton, Matthew Barnaby, Jeff Marek, Hart Levine, Colby Cohen, Jonny Lazarus, and insiders from across the Network for three hours of in-depth analysis, live reactions, and real-time updates on every major signing and trade. From blockbuster deals to under-the-radar moves, we’re breaking it all down as it happens. Don’t miss a minute — catch the full special live on DailyFaceoff.com and Daily Faceoff’s YouTube.
Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy’s summer to-do list seems to be getting a bit shorter. On Wednesday afternoon, per multiple reports, the club has hammered out a new two year deal with centre Morgan Frost carrying a $4.375 million average annual value.
The deal was first reported by CHEK and The Athletic’s Rick Dhaliwal, with PuckPedia reporting the term.
The deal covers his final restricted free agent year and one year of potential unrestricted free agency. It’ll expire at the end of the 2026-27 season, at which point he would be 28 and eligible to become a UFA.
The 26-year-old Frost was a first-round selection by the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2017 after playing his junior hockey with the Soo Greyhounds. He went pro in 2019-20 and, after bouncing between the Flyers and their American Hockey League team, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, he became a full-time NHLer in 2022-23.
The Flames acquired Frost in late January, along with Joel Farabee, in a swap between the Flames and Flyers that sent Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2028 seventh-round pick to Philadelphia. He became a restricted free agent on July 1.
So there are two views on Frost: glass half full and glass half empty.
If you’re an optimistic type, you look at his three full NHL seasons, all played as a centre, and see things he can build on. His offensive production has ranged from 13 to 19 goals and from 37 to 46 points. Given that things in Philadelphia were a bit topsy-turvy during his tenure there and his role seemingly changed a bit, a couple seasons with the Flames could allow him to really cement himself into the team’s long-term plans.
If you’re a pessimistic type, you could argue that Frost has been pretty inconsistent offensively thus far – which is a fair criticism – and that a two year “show me” deal is probably necessary to figure out what the heck he is. Yes, things with the Flyers were a bit wonky, but that means that Frost is a 26-year-old mystery box at this point. Maybe he could become the middle-six centre that the Flames hope he can be. But his brief Flames tenure thus far – 12 points in 32 games – hasn’t done a ton to help him cement that spot in the roster quite yet. His contract is, in a sense, an audition for him.
But hey: he’s young, he’s a centre, and he’s signed for a couple years. By the time Frost’s deal is winding down, the Flames will hopefully know a lot more about him as a player… and potentially know if there’s anyone in the farm system that could potentially replace him, if it comes down to that.
With Frost signed, the Flames have five RFAs remaining: Connor Zary, Sam Morton, Rory Kerins, Yan Kuznetsov and Jeremie Poirier.
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Brent Burns has found a new home.
It was announced on Wednesday by the Colorado Avalanche that they’ve signed Brent Burns to a one-year deal, which appears to be worth $1 million.
Burns, 40, spent his 2024-25 season with the Carolina Hurricanes, where he scored six goals and 29 points in 82 games. He also played the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with the Hurricanes after departing from the San Jose Sharks after 11 long seasons.
The right-shot defenceman was drafted 20th overall in the 2003 draft by the Minnesota Wild. Burns started his career as a forward, playing the 2003-04 and 2005-06 seasons as a right winger, along with the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season.
For his 21-season career, Burns has 261 goals and 910 points, winning the Norris Trophy in 2016-17 after scoring 29 goals. The only thing he’s missing from his mantle is a Stanley Cup. Perhaps the 2026 season with the Avalanche will be his year.
Burns, along with Corey Perry and potentially Ryan Suter if he finds a home, are the only active players selected in the 2003 draft. Of course, the timeless Jaromír Jágr (drafted in the 1990 draft) may come back for a 38th season in Czechia.
In other sports, only LeBron James and Toronto Blue Jays’ Max Scherzer are still active from their respective 2003 draft. Rich Hill, selected in the 1999 draft (as well as the 2001 and 2002 drafts), is also active, albeit in the minor leagues.
Anthony Beauvillier signs two-year extension
On Thursday, the Washington Capitals announced that they’ve re-signed forward Anthony Beauvillier to a two-year deal worth $2.75 million annually.
BEAUVI’S BACK
The Washington Capitals have re-signed forward Anthony Beauvillier to a two-year, $5.5 million contract extension. Beauvillier's contract will carry an average annual value of $2.75 million.#ALLCAPS | @Shift4
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) July 3, 2025
Beauvillier split his time between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Capitals in 2024-25, scoring 15 goals and 25 points in 81 games, along with two goals and six points in 10 post-season games. The Penguins and Capitals were Beauvillier’s fifth and sixth teams in his career.
Drafted 28th overall in the 2015 draft, the forward has played for the New York Islanders, Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Penguins, and Capitals, amassing 131 goals and 27 points in 631 games.
Sharks were busy on Thursday
The Sharks made two moves to their defence core on Thursday. They signed left-shot defenceman Dmitry Orlov to a two-year contract worth $6.5 million annually. Additionally, the Sharks claimed Nick Leddy off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.
Orlov, who was teammates with Brent Burns on the Hurricanes, scored six goals and 28 points in 76 games last season. He played just two seasons with the Hurricanes, amassing 12 goals and 54 points.
Aside from 23 games with the Boston Bruins after the 2022-23 trade deadline, Orlov spent the bulk of his career with the Capitals, where he played 686 games with 60 goals and 256 points. He won a Stanley Cup with them in 2018.
Leddy also has his name on the Stanley Cup, winning it with the Blackhawks in 2013. He spent four seasons with the Blackhawks, seven with the Islanders, half a season with the Detroit Red Wings, and parts of four seasons with the Blues.
Last season with the Blues, Leddy scored two goals and five points, but only played 31 games. In his last full season, Leddy scored three goals and 28 points in 82 games. For the Blues, they’ll free up $4 million in cap space, as Leddy’s in the final year of his four-year deal.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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The Calgary Flames made eight selections at the 2025 NHL Draft last weekend, adding several new faces to their organization.
The big question from excited Flames fans following the draft and development camp at Winsport was “Hey, when will we see these players playing for the Flames?” Well, before these prospects can play for the Flames, they need to sign entry-level contracts.
So how long do the Flames have to sign everybody?
Based on our current understanding of the old CBA signing guidelines and the new, yet-to-be-ratified CBA’s guidelines, here’s our best, current estimation of the signing deadlines the Flames will need to grapple with. If you were drafted this year, it’s the new rules. If you were drafted before this year, you fall under the old rules.
June 1, 2026
2024 pick Hunter Laing, drafted out of the WHL’s Prince George Cougars and expected to remain in the WHL, has to be signed by the second June 1 following his selection.
June 1, 2027
2023 pick Axel Hurtig, drafted out of Sweden and then moved to the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen via the CHL’s Import Draft, has to be signed by the fourth June 1 following his selection.
June 1, 2028
2025 pick Yan Matveiko, drafted in his second year of eligibility, has to be signed by the third June 1 following his selection. (New rules.)
Aug. 15, 2028
2022 pick Cade Littler, drafted out of the BCHL and then moved to college for his Draft+3 season, has to be signed by June 1, 2026 (the fourth June 1 following his selection) or the August 15 following his graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption he stays all four years and the Flames hold his rights through Aug. 15, 2028.
2024 pick Trevor Hoskin, drafted out of the OJHL and then moved to college for his Draft+1 season, has to be signed by June 1, 2028 (the fourth June 1 following his selection) or the August 15 following his graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption he stays all four years and the Flames hold his rights through Aug. 15, 2028.
June 1, 2029
2025 picks Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter, Theo Stockselius, Mace’o Phillips, Ethan Wyttenbach, Aidan Lane and Jakob Leander, drafted in their first years of eligibility, have to be signed by the fourth June 1 following their selections. (New rules.)
Aug. 15, 2029
2023 pick Jaden Lipinski, drafted out of the WHL and then moved to college for his Draft+3 season, has to be signed by June 1, 2027 (the fourth June 1 following his selection) or the August 15 following his graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption he stays all four years and the Flames hold his rights through Aug. 15, 2029.
2024 picks Henry Mews, Luke Misa and Eric Jamieson, drafted out of junior and then moved to college for their Draft+2 seasons, all have to be signed by June 1, 2028 (the fourth June 1 following their selection) or the August 15 following their graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption they stays all four years and the Flames hold their rights through Aug. 15, 2029.
Indefinite
Finally, 2020 pick Daniil Chechelev, 2023 pick Yegor Yegorov and 2024 pick Kirill Zarubin were all selected from Russia during the old CBA and in the absence of an IIHF transfer agreement with Russia. Because they were selected during a period where Russian player rights were undefined, the Flames hold their rights indefinitely.
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The off-season is slowly chugging along.
On Saturday afternoon, the National Hockey League Players Association announced that 11 players have filed for salary arbitration. They are:
Lukáš Dostál and Drew Helleson of the Anaheim Ducks, Conor Timmins of the Buffalo Sabres, Arvid Söderblom of the Chicago Blackhawks, Jayden Struble of the Montréal Canadiens, Maksim Tsyplakov of the New York Islanders, Kaapo Kakko of the Seattle Kraken, and Morgan Barron and Dylan Samberg of the Winnipeg Jets.
Eleven players have elected for salary arbitration according to @NHLPA.
Deadline for club elected salary arbitration is Sunday evening. pic.twitter.com/F2Lxclqn38
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 5, 2025
Dostál is one of the best young netminders in the league, posting a .903 save percentage and 3.10 goals against average in 54 games behind a weak Ducks’ defence. With John Gibson being traded to the Detroit Red Wings, the crease belongs to Dostál in 2025-26.
The other notable player is Kakko of the Kraken. Selected second overall in the 2019 draft by the New York Rangers, the winger never broke out on the contending team, scoring a career-high 18 goals and 40 points in 82 games. In December, he was traded to the Kraken and scored 10 goals and 30 points in 49 games, giving him a new career high of 44 points in 79 games.
Arbitration hearings are slated to be held between July 20 and Aug. 4.
Tye Kartye signs two-year deal with Kraken
Sticking with the Kraken, they signed Kakko’s teammate Tye Kartye to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million, or $1.25 million annually.
THE KARTYE PARTYE CONTINUES!
We've re-signed forward Tye Kartye to a two-year deal. pic.twitter.com/2MKWAGLfol
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) July 5, 2025
Kartye went undrafted before signing an entry-level deal with the Kraken in 2022, shortly after his Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds were eliminated from the Ontario Hockey League’s playoffs. In his first professional season, the left-winger scored 28 goals and 57 points in 72 games, joining the Kraken for their post-season run, scoring three goals and five points in 10 games.
The 2023-24 season was his first full season in the NHL, scoring 11 goals and 20 points in 77 games. Last season with the Kraken, the Kingston, Ontario native scored six goals and 13 points in 63 games.
Christian Fischer retires from hockey
On Friday, it was reported by The Athletic’s Max Bultman that Christian Fischer has decided to walk away from hockey at 28 years old.
Fischer was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2015 draft by the Arizona Coyotes. In 2017-18, his rookie season, the right winger scored 15 goals and 33 points in 79 games played. Over his nine-year career, he played for the Coyotes, Detroit Red Wings, and Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring 62 goals and 137 points in 523 games. The 28-year-old often played a penalty killing role and a bottom-six checking role.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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It sure feels like a ton of things have happened all at once over the past week or so, eh? For the Calgary Flames, since last Friday, we’ve seen the club add eight players in the 2025 NHL Draft, add a pair of players in the form of Ivan Prosvetov and Nick Cicek via free agency, and welcome a bunch of prospects to town for development camp.
As we head into the summery part of the summer, let’s take a breath and delve into the mailbag!
Right now, it feels like the Flames have three blueliners for four top-four spots: MacKenzie Weegar, Kevin Bahl and Rasmus Andersson. Zayne Parekh feels destined for one, eventually, but if Andersson is shipped out without a suitable replacement stepping in… yeah, there’ll be a gap.
I have the utmost respect for Joel Hanley as a fill-in top four option, but he’s not a long-term solution. In other words: unless there’s an indication that another player from within the system, aside from Parekh, can take on a bigger role, they could definitely use another blueliner back in a potential Andersson swap. In an ideal world, it would be another one in Kevin Bahl’s age cohort who doesn’t need to grow into the role.
My gut says that Rasmus Andersson remains with the Flames until mid-season, at which point some team gets off their proverbial wallet, meets the Flames price, and he’s traded. How Elias Lindholm’s year played out is sort of how I foresee this one unfolding.
In terms of return? I would look for a return along the lines of a first-round pick, a good prospect and a useful young roster player.
There have been multiple reports from various hockey insiders indicating the Flames have checked in on Bowen Byram. I think the Flames would definitely be in the mix, but I also think they have a sense of how much they value him – in terms of his expected cap hit and what they’d need to give up to get him in a trade – and wouldn’t want to overpay relative to his value.
Given all that, I don’t think they end up getting him.
Where does Poirier stand? He seems to be the forgotten D prospect but is putting up points in the A.
Other than Prosvetov & Cooley, which goalie shows the most potential and why?
— Jeff Callaway(@JeffCallaway) July 5, 2025
Man, Jeremie Poirier before his scary arm laceration was awesome. When Poirier has confidence with the puck and is willing to take chances, he’s great. Unfortunately, he’s been understandably a bit tentative since returning from that scary injury. If he can get that swagger back, I think there’s a chance for him. But the clock is against him, and the Flames system has oodles of young, talented blueliners that he’ll need to battle for an NHL opportunity.
In terms of goaltenders, I’m a big fan of Arsenii Sergeev. He’s shown flashes of brilliance since being drafted, and there were few better collegiate goaltenders from January 2025 onward than him. I’m fascinated to see how he can adjust to pro hockey this coming season.
That’s correct. If a player signs a professional contract, they void their remaining NCAA eligibility. That’s why we usually see a flurry of signings once the college season ends in March and April.
Really like this question. Honestly, it probably depends on the mental make-up of the goaltender. Some of them need to be challenged consistently to stay engaged. Some of them don’t. Dustin Wolf seems to be the type where he can stay sharp even if the play is at the other end of the ice for a lot of the game. And I would argue that on a team with an “A defence,” the goalie would get more run support than a goalie on a worse team.
I haven’t heard anything definitive, so this is just based on my own observations, but it definitely seems like Scotia Place construction has been slowed down a bit during Stampede. It make sense, given the amount of people around and the amount of construction vehicle traffic involved with Scotia Place’s build.
Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)
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Artem Grushnikov was not the X-factor defender he would’ve liked to be in the 2024-25 season, and often was the odd man out when defensive lineup decisions needed to be made. Still, he was able to skate in 61 games and tried to use the help of his defensive partner, Jeremie Poirier, to elevate each other’s games. Instead, some nights this had the opposite effect.
Grushnikov was drafted by the Dallas Stars back in 2021 in the second round of the NHL Entry Draft. He was selected 48th overall and started his professional career with their AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. He only played a single regular season game and a playoff game in the 2022-23 season, then got most of a year in 2023-24, where he put up a total of five points.
In February of 2024, Grushnikov was part of a double retention trade that helped Calgary move Chris Tanev to New Jersey for Brady Cole then traded Cole to the Stars for a 2024 fourth round pick and a conditional 2026 third round pick. (Tanev also ended up in Dallas.) He finished up the 2024 season with the Wranglers, skating in 20 games and putting up one assist.
2024-25 season expectations
The Flames organization appeared to get their hands on a consistent defensive prospect they could develop primarily at the AHL level. Grushnikov has never been a player to dominate in the points category, but he stays healthy and has experience in a winning culture with the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs, who won the Memorial Cup in the 2021-22 season.
2024-25 results
Artem Grushnikov ended up playing in 61 games with the Wranglers in the 2024-25 season and put up a total of five points, matching his professional high. This consisted of a single goal and four assists. His production is an area he can work to improve on as his OHL numbers haven’t seemed to have transferred over to the AHL just yet.
His games missed were mostly coaching decisions to take him out of the lineup due to performance or some minor maintenance days for nagging injuries. He still managed to earn a spot in the lineup for both playoff games. His +/- rating for the season finished at a -10 and his PIMs finished at 24.
Next season’s expectations
The more competition that enters the blue line for the Wranglers, the more Grushnikov seems to fall under the radar. In the last season of his entry-level contract, it would be the perfect time to have a breakout season and prove himself as a legitimate option on the back end. Instead of Jeremie Poirier and Artem Grushnikov sinking to each other’s level at times, they would be best served by pushing each other to be more dangerous and physical as they’ve matured in the league.
Grushnikov should aim to be un-scratchable and an important piece of the defensive unit. He has a big season to prove there is a spot in the organization for him and a potential opportunity to utilize him at the NHL level someday.
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One restricted free agent has re-signed with his team.
On Tuesday evening, the Utah Mammoth announced that they’ve signed forward Jack McBain to a five-year deal worth $21.25 million, with an annual cap hit of $4.25 million.
Selected 63rd overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2018, but his rights were eventually traded to the Arizona Coyotes. He made his NHL debut with the Coyotes in 2021-22, shortly after his time at Boston College ended, where he scored two goals and three points in 10 games.
In his first full season in 2022-23, McBain scored 12 goals and 26 points. He matched his point total the following season, scoring eight goals and 26 points in only 67 games, the final season the franchise played in Arizona. In the first season in Utah, McBain scored 13 goals and 27 points in 82 games. Consistency is key.
The Mammoth elected salary arbitration with McBain, something the Buffalo Sabres also did with Bowen Byram. By doing so, teams weren’t able to give an offer sheet to either player.
Flyers extend Cam York
Speaking of re-signing players, early on Tuesday morning, Chris Maher reported that the Philadelphia Flyers extended Cam York to a five-year deal with a cap hit of $5.15 million.
York was selected 14th overall in the 2019 draft by the Flyers, making his professional debut during the 2020-21 season. In 2021-22, York played 30 games for the Flyers, scoring three goals and 10 points in 30 games. The 2022-23 season saw York pla a career-high 54 games with two goals and 20 points while splitting his time between the NHL and American Hockey League.
In 2023-24, York became a regular for the Flyers, scoring 10 goals and 30 points in 82 games, a career-high across the board. Last season, he played just 66 games, where he scored four goals and 17 points in 66 games.
Tyler Johnson retires
On Tuesday, Tyler Johnson announced he has retired from the sport, with the National Hockey League Players’ Association confirming that.
After 747 NHL games, two-time #StanleyCup champ Tyler Johnson has announced his retirement.pic.twitter.com/nTO83hIfeH
— NHL (@NHL) July 7, 2025
Spending four seasons with the Spokane Chiefs of the Western Hockey League, the 5’8” right-shot centre went undrafted, but eventually signed an entry-level contract with the Tampa Bay Lightning. In his second full season in 2013-14, Johnson scored 29 goals and 72 points in 77 games, along with 13 goals and 23 points in 26 post-season games as the Lightning fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final.
Johnson eventually won the Stanley Cup; in fact, he won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Lightning in 2020 and 2021. After that, he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, playing three seasons there, before playing nine games with the Boston Bruins in 2024-25.
For his career, Johnson scored 193 goals and 433 points in 747 games. Nine of those seasons were spent with the Lightning, where he scored 161 goals and 361 points in 589 games, along with 32 goals and 70 points in 149 games with the Blackhawks.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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Peace in our time!
Friends, I’ve been covering the National Hockey League and the Calgary Flames for awhile. Heck, the first season I covered after joining FlamesNation, 2012-13, was delayed by several months and shortened because of a lockout. (My first NHL game in the press box was the second home game of 2012-13.)
So you can imagine my excitement – and relief – that the NHL and NHLPA announced their agreement on a collective bargaining agreement extension last week, just before the first round of the NHL Draft. On Tuesday, we got better news: the NHL and the NHLPA have ratified the CBA, and so we’ll have labour peace in the NHL at least until the end of the 2029-30 season.
It’s worth pointing out how wild this is, given how NHL labour relations have been since the 1990s. In that span, we’ve seen a player’s strike in 1992, followed by a half-season lockout in 1995-96. The Flames’ 2004 Stanley Cup Final appearance was followed by a year-long lockout that wiped out the entire 2004-05 season – it’s reflected on the Stanley Cup with “Season Not Played.” And the expiration of the CBA that came out of that lockout resulted in another lockout in 2012-13.
Heck, while there was a CBA extension negotiated in 2020 that brought us to 2025-26… it was the result of pretty insane circumstances: a worldwide pandemic that paused the 2019-20 NHL season and caused a dramatic realignment of the league’s business and calendar for several years.
While we’ll have more specifics on the new CBA once the MOU documents are made available by the NHL and NHLPA, here’s what we’re expecting to see starting in 2026-27:
- The regular season expanding to 84 games and pre-season being cut back to four games.
- Maximum contract lengths changing to seven seasons for re-signings (down from eight) and six seasons for free agents (down from seven).
- A streamlining of how long drafted player rights are held by NHL clubs, with everyone’s rights held until the age of 22 regardless of when they’re drafted or the league they’re drafted from.
- The introduction of full-time emergency backup goaltenders that travel and practice with teams.
- The introduction of a post-season salary cap to eliminate the LTIR “loophole.”
If you’re a Flames fan: good news, they get an additional home game in the final season in the historic Scotiabank Saddledome. But bad news, the maximum contract length for Dustin Wolf’s next deal with the Flames is now “just” seven years.
We’ll have way more details about the new CBA once we have a chance to dig into the MOU documents.
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Everyone, start your planning.
The American Hockey League released its 2025-26 regular season schedule on Thursday. Embedded within their massive league-wide schedule are 72 games that encompass the fourth season for the Calgary Flames’ AHL farm club, the Calgary Wranglers.
Per usual, the Wranglers will play 36 home dates at the Scotiabank Saddledome and 36 road games elsewhere. As always, the Wranglers (and the AHL as a whole) play a very division-heavy schedule, so they will play primarily against their nine Pacific Division counterparts, plus Laval and Manitoba.
The wait is over.
Our 2025-26 regular season schedule is HERE
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) July 10, 2025
Here is the full breakdown of season series included in their schedule, along with their record against that opponent last season.
Divisional Match-ups:
- 12 games against the Abbotsford Canucks (Vancouver)
- 8 games against the Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton)
- 8 games against the Coachella Valley Firebirds (Seattle)
- 8 games against the Colorado Eagles (Colorado)
- 8 games against the San Jose Barracuda (San Jose)
- 8 games against the Tucson Roadrunners (Utah)
- 4 games against the Henderson Silver Knights (Vegas)
- 4 games against the Ontario Reign (Los Angeles)
- 4 games against the San Diego Gulls (Anaheim)
Non-Divisional Match-ups:
- 4 games against the Laval Rocket (Montreal)
- 4 games against the Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg)
The Wranglers open their home schedule on Oct. 24 against their most hated rivals, Coachella Valley. The Firebirds have eliminated the Wranglers from the Calder Cup playoffs in every season of the Wranglers’ existence.
The Wranglers will also be hosting their answer to the Teddy Bear Toss, Winter Wranglerfest, against San Diego on Dec. 21.
The Wranglers host two six-game home stands during the season – Nov. 1-2, 2025 and Dec. 9-21, 2025. But those are sandwiched around a mammoth 10-game road trip that runs Nov. 15-Dec.7, 2025, and sees the Wranglers visit Henderson (twice), Bakersfield, San Diego, Coachella Valley, San Jose, Abbotsford (twice) and Ontario (twice). Colorado and Tucson are the only Pacific Division teams the Wranglers won’t visit during that milk run.
The 2025-26 campaign will be the first under new head coach Brett Sutter, and could feature a ton of new faces as a bunch of Flames prospects graduate to the pros. Some of the players potentially making their full-time pro debuts include Owen Say, Arsenii Sergeev, Etienne Morin, Aydar Suniev, Andrew Basha, Carter King and Matvei Gridin.
Stay tuned to FlamesNation all year long for continuous updates on the Wranglers and all Flames prospects!
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