It has been nothing short of an incredibly painful season for Calgary Flames fans. It hasn’t been our day, week, month, year, or even decade. Tonight, we get to cap off the season by watching at least two former Flames hoist the Stanley Cup. Then, and only then, can we look forward to the NHL Entry Draft—where the Flames currently hold two first-round picks—and, hopefully, a brighter future.
Each of these players is searching for his first Cup tonight. Let’s get to it!
Matthew Tkachuk – Florida Panthers
Easily the most painful one on this list, the Flames drafted Matthew Tkachuk sixth overall in 2016. He played six short seasons for the organization before forcing his way out of town. Flames fans were still reeling from the departure of star forward Johnny Gaudreau at the time Tkachuk informed the organization he would not sign long-term in Calgary.
On July 22, 2022, Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers in a blockbuster deal that saw the Flames receive Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt, and a first-round pick.
Tkachuk was a fan-favourite, scoring 152 goals and 382 points for the Flames. Here’s one of his standout performances:
Sam Bennett – Florida Panthers
This is another tough one. The Flames drafted Sam Bennett fourth overall in 2014, one pick after Leon Draisaitl. He was—and still is—the Flames’ highest-ever draft pick.
Bennett spent parts of six seasons in Calgary, scoring 67 goals and 140 points, primarily in a depth role. Many Flames fans believe the organization mishandled Bennett, and there’s something to that. He averaged 14:08 time on ice for the Flames and never recorded more than 18 goals and 36 points in a season.
The Flames traded Bennett to the Panthers on April 12, 2021, and received prospect Emil Heineman and a second-round pick in return. Upon joining Florida, Bennett immediately saw an uptick in ice time as he centred the second line. He scored six goals and 15 points in 10 games following the trade and has eclipsed 40 points in each of the last three seasons. In his first full year in Florida, Bennett scored a career-high 28 goals. Over 213 games as a Panther, Bennett has scored 70 goals and 145 points while averaging 17:01 TOI.
Ryan Lomberg – Florida Panthers
The Flames signed undrafted free agent Ryan Lomberg to a two-year contract on March 17, 2017. At the time of the signing, Lomberg had been playing for the Stockton Heat in the AHL and making a name for himself. He finished that year with the Heat with 13 goals, 29 points, and 127 penalty minutes in 68 games.
Lomberg played just 11 games in a Flames uniform and collected one assist while racking up 23 hits and 32 PIM. The Flames gave Lomberg a one-year deal for the 2019–20 season before letting him walk as an unrestricted free agent where he signed a two-year pact with the Panthers.
In his four years with the Panthers, Lomberg has been a regular NHL depth player. Averaging 10:34 TOI across 246 games, he’s scored 28 goals and 49 points, dished out 535 hits, and collected 327 PIM. Suffice it to say, he’s been effective in his role and has certainly contributed to Florida’s back-to-back Cup Final appearances.
Derek Ryan – Edmonton Oilers
Derek Ryan was a big UFA signing back on July 1, 2018, for the Flames. After entering the NHL at age 29, Ryan put together a couple of solid seasons for the Carolina Hurricanes before testing free agency. Former Flames General Manager Brad Treliving saw fit to hand Ryan a three-year, $9.375 million contract ($3.125 million cap hit).
Ryan was an efficient depth forward for the Flames over those three years. He played 192 games in a Flames uniform, averaging 13:38 TOI and scoring 25 goals and 80 points. Most notably, he was very effective in the faceoff dot; Ryan’s faceoff record as a Flame was 957–749 (54.8 percent).
The Flames chose not to re-sign Ryan after his three years, but he stayed in Alberta, signing a two-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency. His production has dipped—this is not surprising, as he turns 38 this year and has averaged 10:57 TOI for the Oilers—but he’s been just as effective in the faceoff dot, sporting a 731–624 record (53.9%).
Brett Kulak – Edmonton Oilers
Brett Kulak was a fourth-round pick of the Flames back in 2012, 105th overall. It took him until age 24 to really establish himself in the NHL. Over that time, he played 101 games for the Flames across four seasons and recorded two goals and 11 points while averaging 13:16 TOI.
As I mentioned, Kulak was just beginning to establish himself as an NHL defenceman when the Flames shipped him off to the Montreal Canadiens before the start of the 2018–19 season for Rinat Valiev and Matt Taormina.
Kulak spent a few years in Montreal before being traded again at the trade deadline in 2022. The Habs sent him to Edmonton in exchange for William Lagesson and a second-round pick (Lane Hutson). Not a bad return for Montreal! Since leaving Calgary, Kulak has established himself as a reliable depth defenceman who is also capable of chipping in offensively.
