The Calgary Flames have been criticized for being one of the quietest teams so far this offseason, despite a leaguewide consensus that they would be one of the busiest. It has been slow sledding for new General Manager Craig Conroy, as his to-do list is extensive, but the flat cap is doing him zero favours.
TWC’s John MacKinnon discussed why the Flames are in danger of falling too far behind and making the same mistakes they have in the past, but I see things different. Instead of pursuing business right away and rushing to the finish line, I’d prefer to see the Flames take a more careful approach and avoid free agency altogether. With the last few seasons as evidence, there is significant value to be had on the waiver wire around opening night, much more so than in free agency.
Season opening waiver wire in 2022–23
Just this past season, the Flames placed Juuso Valimaki on waivers before their season opener. The Arizona Coyotes claimed him, and Valimaki went on to have his most successful NHL season to date. The Flames were burned by their decision to keep Connor Mackey on the roster ahead of Valimaki, and lost their 2017 first round pick. However, the Flames were not the only team to suffer the loss of a valuable asset. Here are some of the other options available at the same time.
- Klim Kostin was placed on waivers by the St. Louis Blues. He was later traded to the Edmonton Oilers and went on to score 11 goals and 21 points for the Oilers in 57 games.
- Josh Mahura was placed on waivers by the Anaheim Ducks and was claimed by the Florida Panthers. He went on to play all 82 games for the Panthers putting up four goals and 16 points, played over 14 minutes per night, and suited up for all 21 playoff games.
- Mason Shaw was placed on waivers by the Minnesota Wild and was not claimed by another club. He had a solid season for the Wild, putting up seven goals and 17 points in 59 games in a fourth line role.
- Emil Bemstrom was placed on waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets and was not claimed by another club. He scored seven goals and 22 points in 55 games for Columbus in a fourth line role.
- Connor Ingram was placed on waivers by the Nashville Predators and was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes. He had a fantastic season in the desert logging 27 games and a .907 SV%. He also had a GSAA (goals saved above average) of 2.9.
- Jordan Martinook was placed on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes and was not claimed by another club. He played all 82 games for the hurricanes scoring 13 goals and 34 points.
- Sonny Milano was placed on waivers by the Washington Capitals and was not claimed by another club. He played 64 games for the Caps scoring 11 goals and 33 points averaging 13 minutes per night.
There was a ton of value to be had on the waiver wire last October. As the season wore on, there were other players who were free for the taking on the waiver wire as well.
- Eeli Tolvanen was placed on waivers by the Predators and was claimed by the Seattle Kraken. He went on to score 16 goals and 27 points in 48 games, and three goals and eight points in 14 playoff games.
Finding skill from waivers is a trend
This waiver wire activity isn’t a one-off, either. This is a trend. Going back one year, it was the same story with high value options available on the waiver wire at the start of the season.
In 2021-22 we saw Alex Lyon, Sam Montembeault, Rem Pitlick, Stefan Noesen, Michael Amadio, and Nick Ritchie on waivers.
In 2020-21 we saw Denis Malgin, Anthony Stolarz, Gustav Forsling, Frederick Gaudreau, Michael Bunting, Oliver Kylington, Corey Perry, Nick Hoden, and Alex Nedeljkovic.
There is value to be had and the Flames can probably pick up quality players without paying a premium or giving up any assets other than the NHL waiver fee. We saw a lot more claims on the waiver wire last season, likely because teams are starting to see the value available. If Conroy can execute trades for Noah Hanifin, and Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm if they won’t re-sign long term, then keeping a bit of cap space open would be wise so the Flames can have maximum flexibility to shop the waiver wire.
It’s not a bad thing to be patient, you just have to make sure your plan pays off.
