We are now a month past the beginning of free agency on July 1. Over a billion dollars in contract value were handed out on day one. After that, there was a gradual decline, and now the noise has quieted over the summer. With that, there are still quite a few players looking for new homes. Some of those names are former Flames. Let’s take a look at some of those former Calgary Flames who are still on the free agent market:
Mark Giordano
A veteran of over 1,100 NHL games, Mark Giordano is still chasing that Stanley Cup. He spent 14 seasons with the Flames, with eight of those as captain. Giordano won the Norris Trophy for the 2018–19 season when he had 74 points in 79 games.
Giordano was selected by the Seattle Kraken in their expansion draft and later named captain. He was flipped to the Toronto Maple Leafs at the trade deadline and has played for the Maple Leafs for the past two seasons. Soon to be age 41, here’s hoping he can land a one-year deal with a cup contender and win a Stanley Cup.
Oliver Kylington
It sounded like the Flames and Oliver Kylington were headed to a contract extension. However, Kylington and his agent overplayed their hand, and the Flames pivoted in a different direction by signing Calgary product Jake Bean. After everything the Flames did for Kylington over the last couple years, it was definitely a surprise that he wanted to test the open market.
Who knows what the future holds for Kylington now? Kylington was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. He played 201 games with the Flames over five seasons, scoring 55 points.
Matthew Phillips
Matthew Phillips is a fun story about an undersized guy who played a few games for his hometown team. Phillips was drafted by the Flames in the sixth round of the 2016 NHL Draft and was an exceptional AHL player in 2021–22 and 2022–23. The Flames wanted to re-sign him last summer, but he chose to try his hand in a new organization and signed with the Washington Capitals on a one-year deal.
Phillips played 28 games with the Capitals last year, scoring his first NHL goal (against the Calgary Flames, no less) and adding four assists. He was thrown on waivers and claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins. He played three games with the Penguins before being placed back on waivers, reclaimed by the Capitals, and sent down to their AHL team, the Hershey Bears. Phillips won the Calder Cup to cap off a busy 2023–24 season. Could the Wranglers bring him back?
Milan Lucic
Milan Lucic played four seasons with the Flames from 2019–20 to 2022–23. He signed with the Boston Bruins last summer, heading back to the place where he won his Stanley Cup. He only played four games with the Bruins before facing injury and some off-ice troubles.
Tyler Pitlick
Tyler Pitlick was traded to the Flames from the Seattle Kraken after they selected him in their expansion draft. He played 25 games with the Flames before being included in the package sent to the Montreal Canadiens for Tyler Toffoli. Pitlick spent last season between the NHL and AHL with the New York Rangers.
Ryan Carpenter
Ryan Carpenter was acquired by the Flames on deadline day from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2021–22. He played eight games with the Flames, scoring one assist. Carpenter spent 2023–24 between the NHL and AHL with the San Jose Sharks.
Austin Czarnik
Austin Czarnik played a few seasons with the Flames in 2018–19 and 2019–20. He was signed as a guy who bounced around in the Bruins’ system and could be something if given an opportunity. He did have his best NHL season with the Flames in 2018–19, scoring six goals and 18 points in 54 games. After that, Czarnik bounced between the NHL and the AHL. He spent the last two seasons in the Detroit Red Wings organization.
Radim Zohorna
Radim Zohorna was claimed by the Flames off waivers from the Penguins during training camp in 2022–23. He played eight games with the Flames, was waived, and spent the majority of the season with the Calgary Wranglers. At the 2022–23 trade deadline, Zohorna was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Dryden Hunt. Zohorna spent last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Byron Froese
Byron Froese played six games for the Flames in 2020–21, scoring one goal. Since then, he’s featured in 25 games with the Vegas Golden Knights over the past two seasons, scoring a goal and adding two assists.
