SportsHockeyFlames

Calgary Flames fans are loving the Brayden Pachal contract extension

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Dec 17 2024, 5:31 pm
Calgary Flames fans are loving the Brayden Pachal contract extension
Steve Roberts/Imagn Images

The Calgary Flames have signed Brayden Pachal to a two-year extension, much to the delight of the fan base.

Pachal, who has played in all 31 games this season, put pen to paper on the two-year deal this morning. The contract will carry an average annual value of $1.187 million.

The Flames claimed Pachal off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights last season, in part to add blue line depth before trading Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin. Despite having just 29 NHL games under his belt at the time, he quickly proved to be a solid third-pairing defenceman and has been even better in 2024-25.

By no means is Pachal a budding star as evidenced by his two points on the season, but his essentially mistake-free game has made him a valued asset, something not many fans would have expected when he was first claimed. Many in Calgary have quickly grown to love his game and were quite excited by today’s news.

With the extension, five of the Flames’ eight defencemen are locked up through at least the 2025-26 season. Tyson Barrie and Joel Hanley are likely to hit the free-agent market in the summer, while Kevin Bahl, who will be an RFA at season’s end, is in line for a raise from his current $1.05 million cap hit.

ADVERTISEMENT