The Calgary Flames have been busy in the off season with a host of restricted free agent signings and the acquisition of new blood for a much-needed return to the playoffs.
With new head coach Bill Peters behind the Flames’ bench this coming season, the signing of free agent Derek Ryan was not a stunner.
Center Travis Konecny (#11) and Left Wing Michael Raffl (#12) of the Philadelphia Flyers screen Goalie Mike Smith (#41) of the Calgary Flames as Defenseman Michael Stone (#26) of the Calgary Flames looks on.
Ryan, 31, had 15 goals and 38 points with the Carolina Hurricanes last season.
“I know there’s been lots of speculation with Derek coming to Calgary and obviously we were able to finalize the deal,” Flames general manager Brad Treliving said. “We think he brings a lot of versatility. He’s a right-shot center. One of the things we looked to address this offseason was adding depth and versatility to our forward unit.
“At the end of the year I talked a little bit about us as a team relying on too few of guys to do too many things, to do too much of the heavy lifting. Derek provides us the ability to move up and down the lineup, able to play different positions, touches both sides of the puck, right-shot center who was very proficient in the face-off circle last year … We’re excited to bring Derek on board.”
As reported on these pages earlier this off season, James Neal signed a five year deal with Calgary as an unr5estricted free agent.
Mark Jankowski, a restricted free agent, agreed on a two-year deal with the Flames this past week.
“What I want from myself next season is more consistency in my game, to play well consistently instead of just in spurts,” Jankowski told the Flames homepage. “I’m glad the business side is out of the way now so I can concentrate on the hockey side.”
Jankowski, 23, had 17 goals and 25 points on the campaign.
“All things considered, Mark had a good rookie year. Now he’s got to build on that. We feel there’s still a lot of upside,” Treliving said. “I told him that hopefully in two years he’s coming back looking for a whole lot more.”
The Flames retained the services of Elias Lindholm who arrived from Carolina via trade late in June.
The six-year contract is reportedly worth $29.1 million with an average annual value of $4.85 million.
“Coming to a new opportunity, changing everything — organization, conference, country — is going to be good for me, a restart,” Lindholm, who was traded to Calgary by the Carolina Hurricanes on June 23, told the Flames website. “With the players we have in Calgary … I think there’s a lot of goals. I hope to be a part of that.”
Left Wing Johnny Gaudreau (#13) of the Calgary Flames
Familiar faces on the roster may help players and Peters get more comfortable, more quickly in Calgary.
“We think Elias has had a good career to date,” Treliving said. “But we believe there’s even more there. So it was a question of finding that balance of the potential we believe he has and from their side wanting to manage the risk if and when he does pop here. We eventually came to a term and a number that worked for both sides.”
The Flames ended the last season with a record of 37-35-10 and were not much better than that record all season.
Johnny Gaudreau ended the season with 24 goals and 84 points to lead the team in points.
Sean Monahan led the team in goals with 31 and 33 assists in 71 games; Matthew Tkachuk kicked in 24 goals and 25 assists in 68 games.
From there it was a dramatic drop-off in production so the new roster moves should help, a bit.
The defense was as average as the record with 243 goals surrendered for a 2.96 average per game.
The penalty kill was eighth in the league at 81.8% success but the power play unit was downright dreadful at 16% for 29th in the league.
The Courier Post interviewed Gaudreau this week and asked him about the moves the club has made.
“I’m very excited. I think it’s a really good offseason for our team with Nealer signing with us and bringing in Hanifin and (Elias) Lindholm, two great players,” Gaudreau said. “And bringing back some of our younger guys to come back and help us. We’ve done a lot this offseason.
“I think it’s put us on the right stepping stone for next season with a new coach in Bill Peters. I’m really excited to work with him. Obviously a good coach. I got to see him at World Championships and meet him at World Championships. I’m looking forward to next season. Can’t wait to get back out there and get things going and meet the new guys and get our team back in the playoffs this season.”
File photos courtesy of Lewis.Bleiman@prohockeynews.com
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