The Calgary Wranglers are heading into the summer with a very different look, and the turnover has been relentless. By late July, the list of departures already stretches deep enough to reshape the AHL club’s roster from top to bottom, with players moving on through free agency, trades and overseas opportunities.
Among the biggest names out the door is Clark Bishop, the Wranglers’ captain for the past two seasons and the second captain in franchise history. He’s set for Syracuse next season after the Crunch announced on July 1 that he will join them on an AHL contract.
Martin Frk is also gone after leading the Wranglers in goals last season. Rumours about his exit started in mid-June, and the move was confirmed by the Dragons on July 6. Another familiar forward, David Silye, is also headed overseas, with early reports linking him to Ferencvárosi TC in Budapest, Hungary, in the IceHL.
The blue line has taken hits too. Nick Cicek, who had been viewed as a possible returning veteran presence, is now set to join Frk in the KHL with that move confirmed on July 9.
Turner Ottenbreit is taking the same route, becoming the third 2025-26 Wrangler to land on that roster when the news broke on July 18. Artem Grushnikov is also expected in the KHL, with reports saying he’ll play for CSKA Moskva after not doing enough in Calgary to earn an extension.
There’s movement in goal as well. Ivan Prosvetov is headed back to the KHL to join Avangard Omsk after a frustrating season in the AHL.
He had come back to North American hockey hoping to earn NHL backup work behind Dustin Wolf, but Devin Cooley’s rise left Prosvetov stuck in the minors, where a lower-body injury and mental setbacks made the year even tougher. Connor Murphy, meanwhile, has signed with the Coachella Valley Firebirds after spending most of his time as a dependable starter with the Rapid City Rush and serving as a call-up option when injuries hit higher up the ladder.
Justin Kirkland is the lone player on this list leaving the Flames organization for an NHL deal elsewhere. That move was announced on July 1. Kirkland had bright moments with both Calgary and the Wranglers during his second stint in the organization, but injury recovery and the rise of younger players kept him out of the NHL lineup for most of last season.
The Wranglers also lost Etienne Morin in a major trade on June 23. The former Moncton Wildcat champion was part of the deal that sent him, along with two first-round picks and a second-round pick, to New Jersey in exchange for Simon Nemec and Maxim Tsyplakov. Calgary’s announcement said the package included conditional ’27 and ’28 first-round picks and a ’26 second-round pick, with both firsts top-10 protected.
Lucas Ciona is moving on too. The Wranglers’ two-time man of the year struggled through an injury-hit season and wasn’t given a qualifying offer. He has since landed with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on an AHL deal, announced on July 13.
Another depth piece, Simon Mack, is headed to Slovakia after confirming a move to HK Spisska Nova Ves on June 21. Gavin White will join the Abbotsford Canucks after being announced as part of a group of signings on July 15.
That leaves a few names still hanging in the balance. Brennan Othmann received a qualifying offer and remains tied up in the business side of things, while Parker Bell and Carter King were not given qualifying offers. Bell and King’s next stops are still unknown.
Even without those final decisions, the count is already heavy: 14 regular roster players from last season have moved on, leaving the Wranglers with a summer overhaul that’s already well underway.
In Other News...
Flames Prospect Theo Stockselius Just Gave Fans A Real Debate
Theo Stockselius has already become one of the more interesting names in the Flames prospect pool, and not just because Calgary spent the 54th pick on him in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3 centre signed his three-year entry-level deal in May, then spent the 2025-26 season moving between Djurgardens IFs senior SHL club and its U20 team, giving the organization a look at both the upside and the rough edges in his game.
What stands out is how much there still is to sort through. Stockselius brings real playmaking and finishing touch, but the same reports that praise his offensive instincts also point to areas that will decide how quickly he climbs, including his physical assertiveness, face-off work and puck security. He was also named Playoff MVP in the J20 Nationell, which only adds to the sense that there is more here than a simple long-term project, even if the next step in his development is still the part everyone wants to see. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Suddenly Face A Bigger Leadership Question Behind Backlund
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Jonathan Huberdeau, Joel Farabee, Kevin Bahl and Zach Whitecloud are all in the mix to wear letters alongside Backlund, giving the Flames a blend of veteran presence and positional balance. There is also a chance the group expands further if the roster keeps shifting, with Ryan Strome and Jacob Middleton among the names that could emerge as additional voices as Calgary sorts out who fits best in a room that may need more than the usual amount of direction. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Fans Just Got An Early Read On Maceo Phillips
Maceo Phillips has given Flames fans a clearer look at his next step, signing a WHL Scholarship & Development Agreement with the Medicine Hat Tigers for next season. It is the kind of move that helps map out a prospects path a little earlier than usual, especially for a player still in the junior pipeline and working toward his college future at the University of Minnesota.
Around the same time, other familiar prospect names were making their own decisions abroad. Dmitri Ivchenko, a Vancouver Canucks pick, locked in a three-year extension with Avangard Omsk, while former Maple Leafs prospect Dmitry Ovchinnikov landed a tryout deal with HK Sochi in the KHL, underscoring how many young players are still sorting out where their development will continue. For Calgary, Phillips arrival in Medicine Hat offers a more immediate local read, even if the bigger picture on his long-term timeline is still unfolding. [Read more 🡒]