While things could change between now and the start of the 2024-25 season, all signs are pointing towards the Calgary Flames having an abundance of cap space moving forward. The main reason is that several of their highest-paid players such as Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, and Noah Hanifin were all traded this past season.
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The Flames currently have just under $20 million in cap space. They do have a few pending free agents such as Oliver Kylington, A.J. Greer, and possibly Dennis Gilbert who they will look to bring back, but even if all of them are signed, they won’t take up much of that space. Factor that in with potentially trading Jacob Markstrom this summer, and general manager Craig Conroy will have a ton of cap space to work with and could use it to take on a bad contract or two while also accumulating picks and/or prospects. Based on a recent report, he may already be looking into doing just that.
Flames Serve as Good Fit for Jeannot
One bad NHL contract that could be on the move this summer belongs to Tanner Jeannot. The 26-year-old has one season remaining with a $2.665 million cap hit, which is far too much for a player who had only seven goals and 14 points in 55 games this past season. The Tampa Bay Lightning are a team that is already in a tough spot cap-wise as it is, and will need to find a way to move out money if they have any hope of signing pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) Steven Stamkos.
For the Flames, acquiring Jeannot from a desperate Lightning team makes plenty of sense. Despite his struggles in recent seasons, he was able to score a career-high 24 goals and 41 points in 2021-22 with the Nashville Predators, while also recording 130 penalty minutes. At 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, he at the very least a physical and intimidating presence, and may be able to rediscover his scoring touch with a change in scenery.
Given the Lightning’s desperation to move money out, the Flames should be able to acquire a draft pick or prospect along with Jeannot, which will further help their roster retooling efforts. If the big winger can get his game back on track, Conroy would likely have many suitors come the trade deadline to move him for even more future assets.
The fit seems to make sense to many, including Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek, who discussed the possibility of the Flames targeting Jeannot this offseason in the latest episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast.
“I wonder if there could be a fit with Jeannot and the Calgary Flames,” Marek said. “That one always jumped out at me.
“Just knowing how [Jeannot] plays and how that style of play is valuable in Alberta itself. It’s a young team, and Conroy has a lot of young players making their way into the NHL. I’m sure he would like to provide a security blanket [for them].”
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Marek’s comments regarding the Flames’ young talent make plenty of sense as well. Players like Connor Zary, Jakob Pelletier, and Matt Coronato were able to see NHL playing time this season, and figure to be a part of the roster in 2024-25. Adding a security blanket, as Marek referred to it, would not only help those budding stars, but also another young Flames player in Martin Pospisil, who was one of the team’s only players stepping up in that regard this past season.
Plenty of Options in Offseason for Flames
While this fit certainly seems to make sense, it isn’t known whether Conroy is willing to take on a few bad deals to speed up the retool. Though he should certainly be wary of taking contracts that have plenty of term remaining, what makes Jeannot so interesting is that he is set to become an UFA after the 2024-25 campaign, which significantly lowers the risk of bringing him in. It will be interesting to see if Conroy does indeed choose to go down this path with a player or two on the market this offseason.
