With the trade deadline passing today at 3:00PM MT, all the talk has been about trades. The Flames made a fair share of their own during the lead-up to the deadline, with only one coming today. That was the deal that brought in 23-year-old defenceman Nikita Okhotiuk from the San Jose Sharks.
With trades out of the way, the Flames also made one other move. That was extending Kevin Rooney for another season.
The deal isn’t a raise nor a drop in terms of money. The contract carries $1.3M AAV for a year, and he will be an unrestricted free agent after 2024–25.
A rough start with the organization
Kevin Rooney was signed by the Flames on the first day of free agency in 2022. This contract carries the same value as his extension at $1.3M per year. It was a two-year deal, and he is currently on the second year of it.
Rooney was brought in to be a fourth-line centre for the team. In 2021–22, that is the role he filled at the beginning of the season. His performance was underwhelming, and he fell out of favor with then-head coach Darryl Sutter. He scored one goal, and by game 17, Rooney was placed on waivers to be assigned to the Calgary Wranglers. He cleared and was now in the American Hockey League.
That is where he played the rest of his season, filling in as a bottom-six centre for the Wranglers. In the 51 games he played, Rooney totaled five goals and 17 points, which obviously didn’t place him too high in team scoring. He added an extra three assists in the nine playoff games.
A bounce-back year for Rooney
With how the 2022–23 season went for Rooney, it was interesting to see how the next would play out. During preseason, it became clear the Flames wanted to give Rooney a second chance at fourth-line centre. Unfortunately, during a practice, he fell into the boards and required shoulder surgery. This sidelined him until January 8, 2024, missing 40 NHL games.
When he returned, the Flames didn’t want to rush him into NHL action and waived him again to have a stint with the Wranglers. He played four games, claiming one assist. About a month after returning from injury, he was recalled alongside Jakob Pelletier—who was also hurt—to join the Flames.
His season debut came against the Boston Bruins on February 6. While he didn’t score, he looked solid in his return. Rooney has played 13 games so far and has scored one goal. That goal came in just his second game back against his former team, the New Jersey Devils.
Rooney has been tasked as a fourth-line shutdown centre, so his production doesn’t need to be worried about. He typically impacts the game with his defensive play and other things that can’t be seen on the scoresheet. The Flames have, without a doubt, liked what they have seen this season, considering the new extension they just handed out to Rooney.
