The Flames are headed into NHL free agency with the kind of stance that can sound boring on the surface and still say plenty about where the team is right now: don’t expect much.
In fact, Craig Conroy was almost blunt about it when asked this weekend about July 1. “You might be able to take that day off,” the Flames GM told reporters.
“I do think with where we are, we have a lot of bodies right now, anyways. We’re going to see how these guys do.
“Again, there’s always opportunities and we’re always looking to do something but as you go, you just see rights are moved … guys are going to get signed and I really don’t know how many guys are going to be available to us who make sense, where the fits are what we’re looking for.”
That’s the clearest sign yet that Calgary probably won’t be a major player when the market opens.
The team also made a notable move this week by declining to extend qualifying offers to a cluster of pending restricted free agents. John Beecher, Lucas Ciona, Parker Bell, Carter King, Artem Grushnikov, Gavin White and Owen Say are all free to talk to other teams beginning Wednesday.
And then there’s Ryan Lomberg, whose future in Calgary appears to be over, too. Conroy said it simply no longer made sense to bring him back.
Lomberg remains a fan favourite and, by all accounts, someone who is deeply appreciated around the Saddledome, but the roster direction has changed. Calgary is trying to get younger and create openings for players who are pushing to establish themselves in the NHL, and Lomberg no longer fits that picture.
In Other News...
Senators May Be Eyeing A Division Swing Fans Will Debate
The Senators are being linked to a familiar name with a strong local tie, as Ottawa reportedly has interest in Buffalo forward Jack Quinn. The Ottawa native and former 67s standout has become a plausible trade candidate for the Sabres, and his profile makes sense for a Senators team still looking to add more finishing skill up front.
Quinn is entering the final year of his contract and is expected to head toward restricted free agency next season, which gives this idea a timing edge as Buffalo weighs its next move. Any deal would also have to satisfy the Sabres need to keep building on the blue line, with a prospect such as Logan Hensler potentially part of the conversation, setting up the kind of swap that could spark plenty of debate in Ottawa. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Make Two More Moves That Reignite A Familiar Debate
The Senators added a little more clarity to their roster picture with two more moves, bringing goalie Samuel Ersson back on a two-year deal and extending Nick Cousins for two more seasons. Both were the sort of depth decisions that matter in a long NHL season, especially for a team trying to stabilize its supporting cast while keeping options open around the edges of the lineup.
For Ottawa, the moves also reopen a familiar debate about how much value the club wants to place on familiarity versus upside in its lower-cost bets. Ersson had already been in the organization before briefly reaching free agency, while Cousins remains the kind of veteran depth piece who can be useful in a specific role. The question now is whether the Senators are simply filling out the roster or locking in pieces that will shape how they manage the rest of the summer. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Suddenly Have A Toronto Scoring Target Worth Debating
After adding William Eklund and Andre Burakovsky, the Senators still look like a club that could use one more swing on the wing, especially if they want to keep reshaping the forward group around more skill. That is why Matias Maccelli has surfaced as a name worth watching in Ottawa circles. The Maple Leafs forward has put himself back on the radar after a productive season in Toronto, and his profile is the kind that can tempt teams looking for a playmaker who might fit into a more defined role.
For Ottawa, the appeal is less about splash and more about fit. Maccellis game suggests a player who could help the Senators in the middle of the lineup and add another layer of puck movement to a forward corps that still has room for more creativity. Whether he ends up as a middle-six option or pushes higher in the pecking order, he gives the Senators a legitimate discussion point as they sort through the rest of their offseason shopping list. [Read more 🡒]