The Flames disappointed once again this season failing to qualify for post-season play after getting swept in the opening round the year prior. They have already made a blockbuster trade shipping out top-pair defenceman Dougie Hamilton, fan favourite Micheal Ferland and prospect Adam Fox for up-and-coming Noah Hanifin and two-way pivot Elias Lindholm. The Flames have some dire needs including goal scoring, toughness, speed, depth, leadership and goaltending. Here are some free agent signing ideas in no specific order the Flames should explore.
Carter Hutton:
17 W 7 L 3 T 2.09 GAA 0.931 SP%
Once Mike Smith went down with an injury it signaled the end of the Flames' playoff hopes as neither David Rittich or Jon Gillies could hold down the fort. Smith is injury prone and he is getting up there in age so it's time to get some insurance policy behind him. Carter Hutton is the best goalie available so they would have to offer him a large contract but it may be worth it. If not they could turn to Jonathan Bernier or Robin Lehner for the backup position.
Riley Nash:
76 GP 15 G 26 AST 41 PTS
Riley Nash would fit perfectly as the third-line center as he is a huge upgrade from Mark Jankowski or Sam Bennett. He would provide depth scoring from the third line which was invisible for the Flames last year plus he could kill penalties and play in his own zone. Nash set career numbers in Boston last year in a limited role so increased responsibility could mean a career year at a reasonable price.
Ryan Reaves:
79 GP 4 G 6 AST 10 PTS
Calgary was pushed around by everyone last year; no one would fight or stick up for anyone. The key to fixing this: bring in one of the league's toughest players in Ryan Reaves. Reaves will fight anybody and can win any scrap he gets involved in. He would also provide energy and may even be able to pot more goals than Calgary's fourth-line wingers last year.
Patrick Maroon:
74 GP 17 G 26 AST 43 PTS
Patrick Maroon would bring in physicality and scoring to a squad that desperately needs both. He can play a third-line role or a top-line role as he proved when he rode sidekick to Connor McDavid in 2017 scoring a career high 27 goals. In Maroon you would also get someone who is afraid of no one. A perfect replacement for the recently-traded Micheal Ferland.
Derek Ryan:
80 GP 15 G 23 AST 38 PTS
Derek Ryan could be a great fourth-line center or third-line center on Calgary, bringing offence and defence to the bottom six. He is also familiar with the new bench boss Bill Peters which makes this move more likely to occur than the others on this list. Due to Ryan's lack of games in his career at age 31, he would also come very cheap.
Antoine Roussel:
73 GP 5 G 12 A 17 PTS
Roussel had an off year this past season but it's not the scoring you ask for when Roussel is in your lineup. He is one of the league's best pests, trash talking and face washing anyone who comes in his way. He takes his fair share of penalties finishing with 126 this past season but the time in the box is worth it. Roussel would be cheap too coming off the worst season of his career.
Mike Green:
66 GP 8 G 25 AST 33 PTS
The Flames' power play was atrocious in the second half of the season and that was with recently-traded Dougie Hamilton. The solution: bring in power-play specialist and former Norris winner Mike Green back to his hometown. With an already deep blue line core, Green would not have much defensive responsibility; he would instead be there to replace the offence that departed when Hamilton left.
Michael Grabner:
80 GP 27 G 9 AST 36 PTS
The Flames seemed very slow last year relative to most teams in the NHL. Enter in Michael Grabner, who is one of the league's fastest players who fills the back of the net scoring 54 goals the past two season combined. Adding this caliber of speed and depth goal scoring would be a huge boost to a team who severely needs both. Grabner will be in for a hefty pay raise from his $1.65 million deal.
Jay Beagle:
79 GP 7 G 15 AST 22 PTS
The perfect fourth-line center, Jay Beagle is one of the league's best face-off men who plays a very defensive-centered game. Bringing Jay Beagle back to the place he was born would bring a penalty-killing machine to Cow Town as well as championship pedigree as Beagle is the only player ever with a Stanley Cup, Calder Cup and Kelly Cup.
Kris Versteeg:
24 GP 3 G 5 AST 8 PTS
If Calgary fails to bring in some of the above names, they could turn to somebody already in their system. Kris Versteeg's efforts on the power play were missed during his long absence last year. Versteeg is nearing the end of his career though so he may not be good enough coming off an injury but at a cheap price the risk may be worth it.
Zac Rinaldo:
53 GP 5 G 2 AST 7 PTS
If Ryan Reaves falls out of Calgary's reach, bring in last year's Michael Haley. Rinaldo is fearless who plays on the edge. In this signing, Calgary would get nothing more than somebody other teams' fear but it is also something needed.
David Perron:
70 GP 16 G 50 AST 66 PTS
It's now time to dive into the top of the free agency class. David Perron was great for the expansion Golden Knights but a Stanley Cup finals benching will probably lead to the end of Perron's tenure in Vegas. To gain Perron's services, Calgary could offer him a spot alongside Johnny Gaudreau where Perron would have a chance to repeat his season from last year or he could help fix the bottom six as well.
James Van Riemsdyk:
81 GP 36 G 18 AST 54 PTS
Putting James Van Riemsdyk on the Flames top line would give them one of the best lines in hockey. Van Riemsdyk is one of the free agency class' best pure goal scorers; he can score from anywhere including the dirty areas. It may seem like a good fit but based on the lack of other scorers, Van Riemsdyk will probably make way more money than the Flames or anyone else should be willing to pay him.
John Tavares:
82 GP 37 G 47 AST 84 PTS
No matter how slim the chances are of landing John Tavares, he should be on everybody's list. One of the greatest free agents to ever reach the open market, Tavares will earn one of the biggest deals ever awarded in the NHL. Tavares and Gaudreau would form a deadly combo but Flames fans will only be able to dream of it because Tavares has narrowed his team list down and unsurprisingly the Flames are not on it.
Jarome Iginla:
1554 GP 625 G 675 AST 1300 PTS
The greatest Calgary Flame of all time. Give Iginla one more chance to win hockey's ultimate prize. Even if he just plays the power play and provides leadership, he would sell tickets as Flames fans would pack the Saddledome to watch his farewell tour. As it stands now, Iginla's playing career is probably over but anything is possible.
Carter Hutton goes to http://foxsports.com/. Riley Nash goes to http://thehockeywriters.com/. Photo credit for Ryan Reaves, Antoine Roussel and Kris Versteeg goes to https://www.nhl.com/. Photo credit for Patrick Maroon goes to https://www.thefantasydoctors.com/. Derek Ryan and John Tavares goes to https://www.si.com/. Mike Green, Zac Rinaldo David Perron, James Van Riemsdyk and Jarome Iginla goes to https://www.sportsnet.ca/. Michael Grabner goes to http://nypost.com/. Jay Beagle goes to https://twitter.com/.
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