4 former players the Flames could bring back through free agency

Despite being in the early stages of what appears to be a rebuild, the Calgary Flames are expected to be players in free agency.

While the Flames won’t be targeting potential star-like talent that could be on the market such as Steven Stamkos, Sam Reinhart, and Jake Guentzel, they may look at some players who would sign on lesser terms to help them reach the cap floor.

What they could also consider doing is bringing back some former players. Though some such as Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, and Tyler Toffoli (who are all UFAs) made it clear they no longer wanted to be in Calgary, there are a few others who will be on the market who seemed to enjoy their time here. Perhaps a reunion between at least one of these four happens this summer.

Mark Giordano

Mark Giordano spent the first 14 seasons of his career with the Flames and was the captain for eight of them. He’s one of the better defencemen in the history of their franchise, having won the Norris Trophy in 2018-19.

Giordano has spent time with the Seattle Kraken and Toronto Maple Leafs since departing from the Flames, but is set to hit free agency this summer. The 40-year-old has no plans to retire, with recent reports suggesting he’d like to play at least a few more seasons.

Sean Monahan

Another former Flame who is still beloved in Calgary is Sean Monahan. The ending of his tenure with the Flames had gotten ugly due to injury troubles slowing down his production. Thankfully, he has been able to get his health back on track, and with it, his stats have improved.

Because of injury concerns, Monahan likely won’t get the long-term deal he desires, which makes him an interesting option for the Flames. That said, with nearly 800 regular season games and only 35 playoff outings under his belt, he may prefer signing with a contender in the hopes of chasing down a Stanley Cup.

Chris Tanev

The most recent Flame on this list is Chris Tanev. The 34-year-old began the 2023-24 season in Calgary and remained there until he was traded to the Dallas Stars in late February. He was very popular amongst the fan base and many rooted for him following the trade.

Like Monahan, Tanev has yet to win a Stanley Cup, which may intrigue him to join a team with a better chance at contending in the near future. That said, if he were interested in returning, the Flames would certainly oblige.

T.J. Brodie

Yet another former Flames defenceman who is on the market this summer is T.J. Brodie. The 34-year-old spent the first 634 games of his career with the Flames, before joining the Maple Leafs as a free agent ahead of the 2020-21 season on a four-year, $20 million deal.

Brodie’s play has started to decline with age, though he has still proven effective when given a lesser role. With the Flames in need of some additional blue-line help going into the 2024-25 season, there are worse options than signing Brodie to a cheap deal with short term.

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