The Calgary Flames are bringing back general manager Brad Treliving on a (well-deserved) multi-year contract.
The team announced the move on Monday.
Here are some of Treliving’s best moves made as GM of the Flames.
Dougie Hamilton trade/signing
Treliving built on a back end led by Mark Giordano and T.J. Brodie by snagging pending restricted free agent Dougie Hamilton from Boston on a draft day deal in 2015.
Hamilton didn’t come cheap (a first- and two second-round picks went to the Bruins), but the young, right-handed defenceman was a valuable addition to Calgary’s core.
Even better was the contract given to the then-22-year-old: six years, with a $5.75-million cap hit. Hamilton had 13 goals and 37 assists this season, both career highs.
Chad Johnson signing
The Flames would not have made the post-season this year had Chad Johnson not done such an admirable job taking over the Calgary crease while Brian Elliott worked out of his early season funk.
Johnson went 11-2-0 with a .946 save percentage in 13 games in November and December this season, helping the Flames recover from a tough start to 2016-17.
Kris Versteeg signing
Versteeg looked to be on the verge of signing with the rival Edmonton Oilers (he was with the Oilers on a professional tryout), when he instead signed a one-year deal worth $950,000 to join Treliving’s Flames.
The 30-year-old provided cheap depth scoring in the form of 15 goals and 37 points in 69 games, and was a valuable veteran on an otherwise young team.
Calgary’s playoff run was brief, but Versteeg did put up four points in four games.
The two-time Stanley Cup champion said in March that re-signing with the Flames was his No. 1 option.
Locking up his two young stars
The Flames will be led for the foreseeable future by forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, and Treliving did well to keep them in the fold long term without handcuffing Calgary’s salary cap.
Both players are under the age of 24 and are locked into contracts that will keep them in Calgary through the 2021-22 season for under $7 million per year.
It’s hard to look at each player’s respective deal and not see them becoming huge bargains in the coming years.
Michael Stone trade
Stone can be a polarizing player; his possession numbers are bad, but he’s a big body (six-foot-three) that did help stabilize a Calgary blue line that needed help.
The 26-year-old gave the Flames a better option to play with Brodie, bumping Dennis Wideman down the depth chart.
Treliving only gave up a third-round pick for Stone, and the Flames promptly went on a 10-game winning streak with him in the lineup, solidifying the team’s playoff position.
Honourable mentions: signing Michael Frolik, Mikael Backlund‘s contract, hiring Glen Gulutzan, drafting Matthew Tkachuk, trading for Brian Elliott, drafting Oliver Kylington in the second round.
Think we missed something? Let us know in the comments below.
