Wednesday was never going to be the day the Flames went shopping for headline-grabbing veterans. Craig Conroy made that much clear, and the team’s moves - or lack of them - fit right into that approach.
“We’ve had a plan the whole time, it’s still the same,” said Flames GM Craig Conroy. “If something made sense or there was an opportunity … but to be honest, we’ve got to stick to the plan so I told (the media) we wouldn’t be doing much going into free-agency.
That plan centers on what the Flames already have in the system, and Wednesday’s first day of their annual development camp at Winsport put that young group front and centre. The club’s next push, if it comes, is expected to be driven by the 18- and 19-year-olds working their way toward bigger roles, not by the names available on the open market.
Ryan Lomberg’s second stint with the organization is now over after he signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets on a two-year deal worth US$1.3-million per season. Depth centre Justin Kirkland also moved on, landing a one-year, two-way contract that pays $850,000.
The Flames did make a few smaller additions and retain one of their own later in the day. William Stromgren, the 23-year-old Swedish forward drafted in the second round in 2021, re-signed on a one-year, two-way deal worth $850,000. Stromgren has spent most of his time with the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL, though he did get into three games for the Flames last season.
Calgary also announced two-way deals for centre Ben Jones and defencemen Jake Livingstone, Mike Benning and Andreas Englund.
Conroy’s thinking is straightforward: keep roster and contract space open for the wave that’s coming. Cole Reschny, Carson Carels and Cullen Potter are among the players the Flames want to have room for when they’re ready to turn pro, and bringing in outside veterans who might block those paths would run against the club’s long-term plan.
In Other News...
Former Senators Goalie Prospect Is Getting Another NHL Chance
The Lightning kept building out their organizational depth in goal, signing Mads Sogaard, Olivier Rodrigue and defenseman Michael Callahan to one-year, two-way contracts. For Senators fans, Sogaard is the name that jumps out, since the big goaltender was once part of Ottawas pipeline and had become one of the more recognizable young netminders in the system before moving on to his next opportunity.
Sogaards path has been uneven enough to make this a noteworthy fresh start, with his most recent work split between Ottawa and Belleville. Tampa Bay is giving him another chance to push back toward the NHL picture, and the one-year, two-way setup suggests the Lightning want competition and insurance at the position while they sort out how all the pieces fit. [Read more 🡒]
Another Former Senator Is Following Brady Tkachuk To Florida
Another former Senator is heading to South Florida, with Lars Eller agreeing to a one-year deal with the Panthers in free agency and setting up a reunion with Brady Tkachuk. Ellers stint in Ottawa was a short one, but he brought veteran depth and a steady presence before moving on, and now he joins a Florida group that has been busy adding familiar names from the Senators recent roster.
Donovan Sebrango also landed a one-year contract with the Panthers after reaching free agency, giving Florida another Ottawa connection after he was previously claimed off waivers from the Senators. The Panthers have also brought in former Senator Boko Imama, making the pipeline from Ottawa to Florida even more noticeable as the two teams continue to cross paths in the offseason. [Read more 🡒]
Claude Giroux Decision Could Change Everything For The Senators
The first day of NHL free agency brought plenty of movement around the league, but Claude Giroux was still sitting there as one of the biggest names left unsigned. For Ottawa, that matters because the market is already thinning around the kind of experienced forwards teams lean on when the money gets tight and the options get fewer.
Girouxs next step is shaping up to be one of the more important decisions of the summer for the Senators, especially with so many teams still sorting through their budgets and their depth charts. Ottawa has work to do in a market where scoring help is still available, but the longer this drags on, the more this becomes about where Giroux sees himself fitting for what could come next. [Read more 🡒]