Flames qualify seven players as free agency looms
The Calgary Flames are tying up some loose ends before free agency opens tomorrow as they sent out qualifying offers to seven players in the organization.
These seven players will now enter free agency as RFAs and will have their rights retained by the Flames. Goaltender Dustin Wolf and forward Jakob Pelletier highlight the list of players but also include the likes of AHL standouts such as Adam Klapka and Ilya Solovyov.
The #Flames have provided qualifying offers to seven players:
ā¢ Adam Klapka (RW)
ā¢ Yan Kuznetsov (D)
ā¢ Nikita Okhotiuk (D)
ā¢ Jakob Pelletier (LW)
ā¢ Cole Schwindt (C)
ā¢ Ilya Solovyov (D)
ā¢ Dustin Wolf (G) pic.twitter.com/ZdbCMP8hvp— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 30, 2024
These players will now have the option of accepting their qualifying offer for a one-year deal with the team or negotiating another contract with the Flames. Of course, they could also accept an offer sheet from another team, but the Flames would have a chance to match any offer that they accept.
Dustin Wolf is by far the biggest name on this list. The 23-year-old goaltender is expected to get plenty of work between the pipes now that Jacob Markstrom is no longer on the team. Wolf appeared in 17 games with Calgary last season where he put up a 7-7-1 record and a .893 save percentage. He will most likely make up the team’s goaltending tandem alongside Dan Vladar.
A notable omission from this list is Dillon Dube, who has reportedly made his way over to Belarus to play in the KHL next season with Dinamo Minsk. The 25-year-old is one of the four players facing sexual assault charges concerning a 2018 incident that occurred in London, Ontario
With the Flames passing on the opportunity to qualify him, Dube has now become a UFA.
Four of the Canadian world junior players facing sexual assault charges won't be tendered a qualifying offer and have effectively been cut loose by their NHL teams: Carter Hart (PHI), Dillon DubƩ (CGY), Michael McLeod (NJ) and Cal Foote (NJ).
They'll become UFA's.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 30, 2024
The Flames will now look to add a few more pieces in free agency, which opens up tomorrow. The team will have plenty of cap space to play with as they are expected to open up the free agency period with $28.9 million in projected cap space.
We’ll see what GM Craig Conroy has up his sleeve.
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