With the Calgary Flames projected to have some major cap space to work with next season, many wonder if they’ll potentially be big players in free agency. It’s clear that last offseason, the Flames stuck with the theme of short-term deals, bringing in players who would help aid the rebuild.
Well with the team exceeding expectations this season, could Craig Conroy have some bigger plans up his sleeve? According to one source, the Flames could be involved in the pursuit of a big name this offseason, and that name is Mikko Rantanen.
The Flames could have a strong interest in signing Rantanen
Sportsnet’s Ryan Leslie who is the Flames TV host, was a guest on the Real Kyper and Bourne Podcast. He stated that with the Flames exceeding expectations, the team may consider spending some of their cap space on big-name free agents due to the flexibility they have and the rising cap. Here’s what Leslie said about it below:
“They (Flames) have traditionally and historically been to-the-cap spenders, they have no problem with that. Murray Edwards and company of the ownership group are serious about a contender and a winner, and they have always done that. Now right now, it hasn’t made a lot of sense – but now you have some dough (cap space) and as everybody knows in Calgary, Craig wants to spend it wisely. Did Craig fancy a guy like Mikko Rantanen? You’re darn right. Does he fancy some of the big-name free agents? Yes, he does. So, this is just a holding pattern to get various ducks in a row to where he can then go “big name hunting”.
Based on Leslie’s thoughts, it seems like Craig and company want to build a team with strong complementary pieces in hopes that they can attract big-name players in the near future. While it’s a bold strategy, it’s one where I see multiple risks involved in it.
Are the Flames already getting impatient?
I’ll say it for what it is: If Leslie’s theories are accurate on what the Flames are doing here, then I’m severely worried for this team’s future outlook. Yes, the Flames have been surprising a lot of people this year, but one player in particular has been responsible for that: Dustin Wolf.
Good goaltending hides a lot of blemishes, and Wolf has done that for this team. Without him, the Flames are likely picking within the top five in this year’s upcoming draft.
Could this be another attempt by ownership to get their way? After all, we’ve seen big free agency moves blow up in the team’s face before. If the Flames were to bring in a big name this summer, that move would have Murray Edwards written all over it.
Final thoughts
It’s absurd to me that the Flames would already be thinking about big-name hunting. I’m not saying the team shouldn’t be active in free agency, but signing players to big contracts isn’t the move here.
Flames fans don’t want to see another player who underperforms on a big contract. If the team goes out and signs a big name, the contract will be hefty. Using Rantanen as an example, his ask would be at least $12.5 million in the open market, with Calgary likely having to offer more due to it being a Canadian city with taxes.
Also, money aside, would a player like Rantanen even want to play in Calgary right now? The team isn’t exactly oozing with talent and I think he’s better off choosing a team like Chicago where he gets to play with a future superstar, or even re-signing in Carolina. I mean who knows? Maybe money is all what matters to him as a player in free agency.
But going back to the Flames’ perspective, the fear is that the success they’re having this season is giving the team this false reality that they’re suddenly back in the game, which they’re not. This team isn’t a Mikko Rantanen away from contention, and they shouldn’t exactly be throwing their money at players just yet. Instead, do more of what you did last season: Bring in players on reasonable contracts that can aid in this team becoming better in hopes that they can take the next step. Suddenly spending lots of money wouldn’t exactly fit Conroy’s mold of wise moves.
