Flames' 5 most disappointing free-agent signings in franchise history
The Calgary Flames have just a single Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, and poor free-agent signings have played a part. While there is something to be said about having a harder time attracting free agents than some teams south of the border, there are some contracts they have given out to free agents that have been unjustifiable from the get-go.
While every general manager is prone to making the occasional mistake here and there, Flames fans will be hoping that Craig Conroy can make better decisions in this regard than some regimes have in the past. That said, here’s a look at the five worst free-agent signings in Flames history.
Deryk Engelland
Three years, $8.75 million
From the minute the Flames chose to give Deryk Engelland a three-year contract, fans and analysts alike were left scratching their heads. Engelland was already 32 years old at the time the deal was signed, and had never earned more than $567,000 on a contract prior.
Nevertheless, the Flames gave him a deal that carried a $2.92 million cap hit. While he provided toughness and did what was asked of him throughout his three seasons in Calgary, he was nothing more than a depth option through his entire NHL career, making this contract a very confusing one.
Mason Raymond
Three years, $9.45 million
Before signing with the Flames, Mason Raymond was viewed by Vancouver Canucks fans as a player that had the tools to be successful but could never put it all together consistently. The final few seasons of his Canucks tenure didn’t go as hoped, but he bounced back in a lone season with the Maple Leafs, prompting the Flames to give him a three-year deal.
The deal backfired from the get-go for the Flames, as Raymond had just 12 goals and 23 points in his first season and wound up spending a good chunk of the next in the AHL. He ended up being bought out by the Flames after the second year of the deal and would go on to play just four more games in his NHL career.
Dennis Wideman
Five years, $26.25 million
After posting a career-high 46 points during the 2011-12 season with the Washington Capitals, the Flames signed Dennis Wideman to a five-year deal with an AAV of $5.25 million. At the time, he was regarded as a skilled offensive defenceman, though his play in his own end was sometimes a cause for concern.
Besides the 2014-15 campaign in which he managed 56 points, Wideman’s five seasons in Calgary were quite underwhelming. He spent plenty of time in the press box as a healthy scratch in his final two seasons and is best remembered for receiving a 20-game suspension after hitting linesman Don Henderson from behind into the boards.
Troy Brouwer
Four years, $18 million
Heading into the 2016 offseason, Troy Brouwer was a sought-after free agent thanks to the consistent secondary scoring and Stanley Cup championship pedigree he gained from being with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010. Still, many believed the $4.5 million cap hit the Flames signed him to was simply too much for a player of his calibre, and those who doubted were proven to be correct.
Brouwer’s tenure in Calgary was a complete disaster, as he recorded just 19 goals and 47 points in 150 games combined between his first two seasons. Due to his horrid production, he was bought out after year two and only managed to play another 88 NHL games in his career.
James Neal
Five years, $28.75 million
Former Flames general manager Brad Treliving needed to add scoring to his lineup during the 2018 offseason. He attempted to do so by signing James Neal to a five-year deal with an AAV of $5.75 million. While some expressed hesitancy at how the contract would be in the final year or two, most felt it was fair given that Neal had scored north of 20 goals in all of his 10 NHL seasons prior.
Unfortunately, that first season in Calgary would see his streak of 20+ goals snapped, as he managed just seven goals and 19 points in 63 games with the Flames. He ended up being traded that very next offseason to the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for another player on a bad contract in Milan Lucic. Neal would have a brief resurgence the next season but was bought out by the Oilers after the 2020-21 campaign.
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