The Calgary Flames didn’t have a hugely busy offseason, but they made meaningful moves designed to aid with their current rebuild. Flames GM Craig Conroy stuck to his promise of not signing any long-term deals and added some intriguing pieces to the team’s roster.
With the season in full swing, let’s take a look at some of the key players the Flames acquired in the offseason and evaluate how they’re performing with the team so far.
Anthony Mantha’s play has been filled with ups and downs
One of the first signings the Flames made when free agency opened was bringing in Anthony Mantha on a one-year, $3,5 million deal. The main idea behind this signing was to give Jonathan Huberdeau a winger to play the majority of the season with, hoping that some chemistry would develop between the two. However, the Flames also know that Mantha’s contract is only for one year, so it was likely that he would get shipped out near the NHL Trade Deadline for assets. That was… until Mantha was injured.
Mantha’s time with the Flames so far has been up and down as in 13 games, he’s scored four goals and seven points and has a +6 rating. His highlight of the season so far includes recording a Gordie-Howe-hattrick in his Flames debut against the Vancouver Canucks during their season-opener.
Overall, Mantha has been somewhat meeting expectations. He isn’t the goal scorer he once was, but a bigger role in Calgary has positively affected him. The whole reason behind bringing him in was to give him big minutes in hopes that he could put up meaningful numbers for himself, leading to him getting traded to a playoff contender later in the season.
Now that he’s sidelined for the year, this bet isn’t going to yield the dividends it could have, similar to how playing on the best payout online casino Canada can have ups and downs.
Jake Bean will have more time to establish himself
When the Flames decided that they wouldn’t bring back Oliver Kylington on the blueline, they instead decided to turn to a hometown player in Jake Bean. Bean was signed to a two-year, $3.5 million deal and was projected to be a third-pairing defender on the left side.
Bean has found himself sitting in the press box a lot to start the season, as he’s only appeared in eight games with the team so far. In eight games, Bean has recorded a goal and three points. When he has been playing, Bean has been averaging about 15 minutes of ice time per game. He was never expected to be a bonified top-four defender for Calgary, as he’s done a decent job in a third-pairing role so far.
It’s unknown if the 26-year-old is a part of the Flames’ future plans, but Bean hasn’t been sitting out due to poor play. The Flames’ blueline is filled with NHL-caliber players and it’s likely the team wants to give all their defenders a fair look. Also not to mention that the Flames have many intriguing defence prospects in their pipeline.
Bean has been just as advertised so far. A player joining his hometown team is always a good story, and hopefully, Bean gets more chances to establish himself as the season continues.
Devin Cooley has been dominating in the minors
The Flames needed a third goaltender for the organization, so they opted to sign 27-year Devin Cooley to a two-year, $1.55 million dollar contract, with the first year being a two-way deal while the last year will be one-way.
The former San Jose Sharks goaltender only has six games of NHL experience and was expected to be the main starter for the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL. As expected, Cooley has yet to play a game with the Flames, but he’s been putting up an amazing performance as the Wranglers’ starting netminder.
In nine games with the Wranglers, Cooley has put up a 7–2 record with a 0.953 save percentage and a 1.54 GAA. Those are incredible numbers and he’s played a big part in the Wranglers having a strong start to the season.
It’s only a matter of time before Cooley gets a call-up to the NHL. After all, his strong start has even sparked rumours about a potential Dan Vladar trade. Not to mention his presence in the locker room and the way he presents himself in the media have already made Cooley a fan favourite. The signing of Cooley shows how the Flames are committed to having a positive culture among their players.
Ryan Lomberg is a leadership add
The Flames brought back a familiar face to the organization, signing Stanley Cup champion Ryan Lomberg to a two-year, $4 million deal. Lomberg started his career as a Flame playing 11 games in Calgary before joining the Florida Panthers where he would establish himself as an NHLer.
Lomberg has recorded two assists in 15 games so far this season. His stats aren’t going to jump out at you, but he makes up for his lack of production through leadership. There’s a reason why the Flames targeted him in the first place: his recent winning pedigree and strong presence in the locker room.
Lomberg is the perfect type of veteran you want to have around young players. He isn’t afraid to get in the dirty areas and drop the gloves to stick up for his teammates when needed. He’s also a great guy off the ice and young players see that. It all comes back to the type of culture the Flames are trying to build.
Fans never expected Lomberg to come in and put up numbers with the team as that’s not the type of player he is. Instead, he’s a strong veteran presence where his personality and competitiveness contribute to a strong team culture.
Tyson Barrie was another culture add
Speaking of team culture, the Flames brought in another locker room favourite late in the offseason. The Flames signed Tyson Barrie to a Professional Try-Out (PTO) near training camp, which later turned into a one-year deal.
The 33-year-old clearly isn’t the player he once was, as he’s struggled mightily throughout his last few seasons in the NHL. Barrie only managed to play 41 games last year with the Nashville Predators, where he notched a goal and 15 points. Nashville wasn’t a fit for him, and Barrie was hoping to get traded at last year’s deadline, but there were no takers.
The demand for Barrie wasn’t high during free agency either, so the Flames decided to take a chance on him. As mentioned earlier, the Flames blueline is quite crowded, but adding a veteran presence on a cheap, one-year deal is never a bad idea, especially if the player is known to contribute positively to team culture.
Barrie has appeared in seven games, scoring a goal and an assist. He’s also been getting looks quarterbacking the Flames’ power play units, a position where he once thrived in.
Defensively Barrie has been alright, and overall he’s fit in nicely so far. As for his future with the team, he likely is another potential trade chip for the team since he’s only signed for a year.
Kevin Bahl has been a fit so far
When the Jacob Markstrom broke, fans at the time were somewhat underwhelmed by the return of Kevin Bahl and a first-round pick. Despite being underwhelmed, fans were still intrigued by Bahl and how he would fit into the Flames’ system.
It’s safe to say that so far, Flames fans are quite happy with how Bahl is playing. The 24-year-old defenceman already has six assists in 15 games, while last season he recorded 11 points in 82 games with the New Jersey Devils. Bahl has also been quite defensively responsible sporting a +3 rating. He’s also been a good fit with Rasmus Andersson, as their playing styles have worked quite well together.
With Bahl only being 24, there’s still a lot to learn and lots of growth that he’ll go through. While he isn’t going to put up big numbers, his defensive awareness and puck control have been positive, especially being paired alongside Andersson. Bahl’s bigger role with the club has done well for him, and his strong play has made the Markstrom trade for the Flames look even better.
Good additions to the Flames
Overall the Flames found some strong names in the pool of free agents and trades, and they’re all already or trending toward being net positive assets for the team both on and off the ice.
