SportsHockeyFlames

Calgary Flames lose defenceman to Colorado Avalanche and get nothing in return

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Oct 3 2025, 6:42 pm
Calgary Flames lose defenceman to Colorado Avalanche and get nothing in return
Sergei Belski/USA TODAY Sports

The Calgary Flames will have one less defenceman in their system following a waiver claim this afternoon.

The Flames placed three players on waivers on Thursday, including Rory Kerins, who some thought would get snatched up. While Kerins cleared, defenceman Ilya Solovyov did not.

Solovyov, who some felt deserved to be on the Flames roster this season, was claimed by the Colorado Avalanche.

Solovyov, 25, was selected in the seventh round of the 2020 draft by the Flames. He appeared to be a promising prospect, logging a combined 15 NHL games over the course of two seasons, but was never able to establish himself as a regular in the lineup. A lack of foot speed, paired with little to no offensive upside, worked against him.

The Flames gave Solovyov a good look in training camp last year as well, before placing him on waivers for the purpose of re-assignment. He didn’t get claimed that time around, keeping him part of the Flames organization.

Solovyov spent the vast majority of the 2024-25 season with the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL, where he had six goals and 28 points in 54 outings. It marked the first time in what was his third AHL season that he surpassed the 20-point mark.

The Russian defenceman is set to begin the second of a two-year contract, which will carry a $775,000 cap hit. He’s set to become a UFA at the conclusion of the 2025-26 season.

ADVERTISEMENT