The Calgary Flames were very busy on the first day of NHL Free Agency, signing three players to one-way contracts and four players to two-way deals as well as renewing Yegor Sharangovich for five more years. Elsewhere across the league, a number of former Flames also signed new contracts with new teams. Here’s where they signed.
Nikita Zadorov
After being traded to the Vancouver Canucks mid-season, Nikita Zadorov will be heading to the East Coast to join the Boston Bruins. His new deal will pay him five million dollars a season for the next six years. Finally, the long-term deal that he has been looking for.
Tyler Toffoli
After splitting time this season between the New Jersey Devils and Winnipeg Jets, Tyler Toffoli signed a four-year deal with the San Jose Sharks. This deal will see him earn six million dollars a season and he will likely be playing alongside Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, and other future superstars on the rebuilding team.
Elias Lindholm
Like Zadorov, Elias Lindholm was traded to Vancouver mid-season, and just like Zadorov, will be joining the Boston Bruins this season. The 29-year-old signed a seven-year deal that will see him make $7.75 million per season. This is less than what was rumoured to have been offered by Calgary, but is a very good amount of money for the Swede.
Sean Monahan
After spending time in Montreal and Winnipeg this season, the former Flames centreman will reunite with Johnny Gaudreau in Columbus. The five-year deal will see Sean Monahan make $5.5 million per season. He deserves every dollar of that deal.
Chris Tanev
After having his rights acquired by the Toronto Maple Leafs at the end of the 2024 NHL Draft, Chris Tanev signed a six-year deal with the team that pays him $4.5 million per season. This deal will pay him until he is a forty-year-old. A great deal for the warrior defenceman.
A.J. Greer
The former Flames fourth-liner signed a two-year deal with the Florida Panthers. The deal will pay him $850,000 per year.
Cam Talbot
Now 36, the former Flames’ netminder signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Cam Talbot will earn $2.5 million per season.
Jordan Oesterle
Joining the other Flames heading out to Boston, Jordan Oesterle signed a two-year two-way deal with the Bruins that pays him $775K per season.
Derek Forbort
Very briefly a Flame, Derek Forbort signed a one-year deal with the Vancouver Canucks. He will earn $1.5 million per season, and should feature as the sixth defenceman for the team.
Erik Gustafsson
Like Forbort, Erik Gustafsson did not feature for the Flames for long, Erik Gustafsson signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Red WIngs that will pay him $2 million per season.
Minor moves
Glenn Gawdin
Once expected to be a good depth centreman in the NHL, Glenn Gawdin hasn’t quite developed as expected. He signed a two-year deal with the Los Angeles Kings that pays him $775K per season. It’s a two-way deal.
Ben Jones
A group-six UFA from the Flames this year, Ben Jones signed a two-year two-way deal with the Minnesota Wild.
Dennis Gilbert
The left-shot blueliner signed a one-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres. For Dennis Gilbert, this is a one-way deal.
Unknown for now
The big question mark on the table surrounds Oliver Kylington, who did not sign a contract on the first day of free agency. Rumoured to be quite far apart on a deal with the Flames, Kylington elected to test the market, but did not sign a deal on the first day. Now, free agency is a long period and he could sign in an instant, but smart money would think that the longer this plays out, the more likely it is that he’s back in Calgary.
In either case, the Flames will look very different this season, and it will be even weirder to see some of these players wearing colours other than red this year. For some, it’s for the worse, but for many, it’s very much for the better.
