It only took a few hours of unrestricted free agency for the Calgary Flames and defenceman Joel Hanley to circle back and come to terms on a new deal.
With Daniil Miromanov missing time due to injury, last season saw the now 34-year-old Keswick, Ontario native move into a top-four role on head coach Ryan Huska’s blue line, playing alongside MacKenzie Weegar. Hanley posted a career-high 18:35 average time on ice to go with a +12 even strength goal differential.
Hanley and Weegar played 610 minutes together at 5v5, outscoring the opposition 29-19 (60.4%) and posting an expected goals percentage of 57%.
The five-foot-ten, smooth-skating Hanley recorded a career high two goals and seven assists in 53 games and will carry a cap hit of $1,750,000 over each of the two seasons.
Full House
Joel was a water carrier among a defence group that wasn’t perfect last season, but you have to wonder about Flames general manager Craig Conroy’s decision to bring him back.
By the final game of last season, the fanbase was celebrating the idea that it was now time for the youth to storm into the lineup as Calgary ventured into the next chapter of their retool.
With the signing of Hanley, the Calgary Flames now have a full house at both forward and defence. Martin Pospisil also fits somewhere in the prospective lineup below.
Sharangovich-Kadri-Zary (RFA)
Huberdeau-Frost (RFA)-Coronato
Farabee-Backlund-Coleman
Lomberg-Kirkland-Klapka
Weegar-Miromanov
Bahl-Anderson
Bean-Pachal
Hanley
The signing may be yet another indicator that Rasmus Andersson’s days are numbered in Calgary, but even trading the 28-year-old defensive mainstay would leave Calgary with six one-way contracts on defence.
That is before we factor in the presence of offensive phenom Zayne Parekh. The ninth overall selection at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft isn’t eligible to play in the AHL due to his age, 19, but has outgrown the OHL.
Parekh and fellow defenceman, Hunter Brzustewicz, fit right in with the veterans as the Flames went on to beat the Kings 5-1 in game 82 of last season. Zayne Parekh scored his first NHL goal, and Brzustewicz showed off stronger skating skills than several current roster blueliners.
With today’s signing, we are forced to ask: What is the point of drafting players if you won’t provide a spot in the lineup for them to grow into?
Flames Moving On
Also announced today was the signing of goaltender Daniel Vladar to a two-year, $6,700,000 deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. The six-foot-five Czech played four seasons with the Flames. Vladar was originally acquired for a third round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft during the 2021 offseason.
Stats via MoneyPuck, Puckpedia, and the National Hockey League.
Looking for discussion? Check out our forums section and weigh in on what’s happening around the NHL!
