The Calgary Flames have spent the offseason sticking to the plan Craig Conroy laid out: no real dive into free agency, just trades and a handful of depth signings that help the Wranglers after a rough 2025-26 season.
That approach fits where the Flames are right now. They’re rebuilding, keeping cap space open as a tool, and trying to create room for younger players to get real NHL minutes. But with several notable free agents still sitting on the market, it’s fair to wonder whether Calgary might at least kick the tires on a PTO or two when camp opens.
A professional tryout would give the Flames another body in camp and another layer of competition. And if someone shows enough, there’s a path from PTO to a one-year deal - and maybe even to a trade deadline flip for more future assets. That’s the kind of low-risk move a rebuilding team can at least entertain.
One obvious name is Vladimir Tarasenko. The right winger put up 47 points in 75 games in 2025-26, and it’s a little surprising he’s still unsigned.
If he’s still available in September, Calgary would have to consider the upside. He’d immediately strengthen the offence and could get a heavy dose of 5-on-5 and power-play minutes, which would also help build his value for later in the season.
Michael Bunting is another interesting fit. The 30-year-old winger, who can play left or right side, had 33 points in 74 games last season.
That wasn’t his best year, but the production track record is still there over 418 career games. He also brings the kind of irritating, penalty-drawing edge that makes life miserable for opponents.
If Calgary gave him runway, he could turn into a useful depth scorer and a player playoff teams would circle later on.
Eeli Tolvanen belongs in the conversation too. Claimed off waivers by Seattle during the 2022-23 season, he looked like he had found a real groove after scoring 23 goals for the Kraken in 2024-25.
Last season, though, his numbers dipped to 12 goals and 36 points in 78 games. He’s still strong defensively and has already shown he can score, which makes him a reasonable PTO candidate if he’s forced into that kind of opportunity.
Patrik Laine is the wild card. Once seen as one of the league’s premier young scorers, the 28-year-old is now in a very different place after appearing in just five games in 2025-26 and finishing with one assist.
Even so, he has still posted three 20-goal seasons since 2021-22 despite never getting to 60 games in any of those years. A PTO wouldn’t require Calgary to bet the house; it would simply let them see what’s left.
Then there’s Philipp Kurashev, whose last two seasons have been tough even though his 54-point campaign in 2023-24 still stands out. At 26, he remains young enough to matter, and he can play both center and wing. For a team like Calgary, that kind of versatility is worth a look.
The Flames have made their intentions clear this summer, but the market still has enough recognizable names to make a PTO worth considering. If Calgary wants more competition in camp - and maybe a movable asset down the road - these are the types of players that make sense to examine.
In Other News...
Flames Rebuild Now Comes Down To One High Stakes Balancing Act
After dealing away Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar and Nazem Kadri, the Flames have made their direction pretty clear: this is a rebuild, and it is going to be measured by how quickly the next wave can be brought along. Calgarys focus now shifts to development, with young players like Simon Nemec and Zayne Parekh expected to be part of the core conversation, while prospects from the Wranglers are likely to see more NHL opportunity as the organization tries to sort out who fits the long-term picture.
The harder part is making the rebuild work without rushing it. Calgary also wants to keep adding draft capital by handling pending free agents and looking for trade opportunities, which means the next stretch will be a constant balancing act between giving youngsters room to play and preserving enough flexibility to keep stocking the cupboard. For a team that has already moved on from established pieces, the remaining decisions may say just as much about the timeline as the deals that started it. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Still Face A Blue Line Question After Latest Rumors
The Flames blue line remains a work in progress, even as the trade chatter around them keeps shifting. Calgary has shown some interest in Arber Xhekaj, a defensively minded defenseman whose style would fit the kind of physical edge teams still value on the back end, but the clubs recent acquisitions appear to have changed the equation. With the roster picture still taking shape, any possibility of adding another defenseman has to be weighed against what the Flames have already brought in and how much room is left for more change.
For Calgary, the bigger question is not whether Xhekaj could help, but whether the need is still as pressing as it looked earlier. The latest rumblings around the league, from Torontos search for help on Auston Matthews wing to Vancouvers long-term planning off the ice, only underline how quickly priorities can move in the NHL. The Flames may like the idea of another steady defender, but after their recent moves, the front office has to decide if this is still the right moment to keep chasing that fit. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Blue Line Suddenly Has A Roster Crunch Fans Will Debate
The Flames have built something that should make any coach happy and any roster manager sweat: a blue line crowded with NHL-calibre defencemen and only about seven spots to sort out for the 2026-27 season. Kevin Bahl, Simon Nemec, Zayne Parekh, Yan Kuznetsov and Jake Middleton all look like near-locks to be there, which already leaves very little breathing room for everyone else trying to carve out a place.
What makes the situation even more interesting is the layer of uncertainty around the rest of the group. Zach Whitecloud and Hunter Brzustewicz are among the names with more to prove, whether that ends up meaning a clearer role in Calgary or perhaps a different kind of value altogether. It gives the Flames a useful problem, but also one that will need answers through camp, performance and maybe even the trade market before the picture settles. [Read more 🡒]