Latest news with #CalgaryFlames
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'Thanks for Bennett and Tkachuk': Brad Marchand trolls Calgary Flames after the Florida Panthers win Stanley Cup again
Brad Marchand #63 of the Florida Panthers celebrates with the Stanley Cup (Credit: Getty Images) After winning his second Stanley Cup, Brad Marchand made sure to use the moment not just to celebrate, but to send a not-so-subtle reminder to teams that once doubted the Florida Panthers roster. One of his sharpest jabs came at the Calgary Flames, who once traded away both Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk, now vital parts of Florida's championship core. Calgary Flames' trade history under fire again It has been a difficult stretch for the Flames. Missing the playoffs for three straight seasons while watching Tkachuk and Bennett dominate the postseason makes the trades sting even more. The Matthew Tkachuk deal, though initially considered a strong return, hasn't aged well. Calgary received Jonathan Huberdeau and Mackenzie Weegar, but Huberdeau's struggles in Calgary have been well-documented. Brad Marchand celebrates the Florida Panthers teammates and takes shots The 37-year-old Marchand, acquired by Florida from Boston earlier in the year, has leaned fully into his new role as both on-ice leader and off-ice agitator. At the celebratory dinner that quickly turned into a nightclub-style party, Marchand publicly thanked teams like Calgary for 'giving up on' key players like Bennett and Tkachuk. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo Flames left to reflect while Brad Marchand enjoys the last laugh Brad Marchand has never been one to shy away from controversy. Now, as a Cup winner again, he's embracing the spotlight with the same energy he brought on the ice. For the Calgary Flames, his post felt like salt in a still-fresh wound. While there is some long-term upside to the trades they made, the optics are hard to ignore. Read more: Connor McDavid's wife, Lauren Kyle, sharesa heartfelt message with the Edmonton Oilers fans after the Stanley Cup loss As Marchand danced and toasted his teammates, he left Calgary fans, and former GM Brad Treliving with a tough pill to swallow. The Panthers are champions again, powered by players the Flames once let go. And Marchand made sure no one would forget. Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
National Post
5 hours ago
- Sport
- National Post
Talks provide Flames, Rasmus Andersson some 'clarity on where we're headed'
Article content The Calgary Flames and Rasmus Andersson know what comes next. Article content Whether that's a contract extension or a trade isn't something they're speaking about openly, but they've agreed on what direction they'll be working towards in the coming days, weeks and months. Article content Article content 'We've been talking to his representation,' Flames GM Craig Conroy said on Thursday morning. 'We understand where they're at and they understand where we're at and we're going through that process, but at least we have some clarity on where we're headed.' Article content Article content Andersson's future has been a source of rampant speculation since the end of the season and that will only ramp up over the next week as the NHL's 2025 Draft approaches on June 27-28. Article content The 28-year-old blueliner has played all 536 games of his NHL career with the Flames, who picked him in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. But he's an unrestricted free agent next summer and is eligible to sign an extension on July 1. Article content With a well-stocked cupboard of defensive prospects, including Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz, in the pipeline, there's a strong argument that it doesn't make sense to sign Andersson to a big-money, long-term deal. Article content And, for Andersson, there may be a better contract elsewhere. That's something he was all-too-aware of when he spoke at the Flames end-of-season availabilities in April. Article content 'I don't know what's going to happen, honestly,' Andersson said 'I have to sit down with my family. Conny and all those guys upstairs, they have to sit down and talk about what's best for the team. Article content Article content 'I wish I could say 'Hey, I'm signing July 1,' but I can't at the moment. Or 'I'm getting traded July 1.' I just don't know, right? I hope the fans know I've loved every second of it. I've never taken it for granted. I hope I'm here for many years to come, but this is where it's a big decision for me and the Flames. It's the first time in my career I'm in this spot.' Article content Article content Andersson played for Sweden at the IIHF world championship in May and it's understood that he has taken some time to figure out his priorities as he approaches free agency for the first time. Article content He didn't have his best year in 2024-25 and, while some of that can be attributed to the fact that he was playing with a broken fibula for the last 12 games of the season, he still finished minus-38 and put up his lowest points total in years.
National Post
a day ago
- Sport
- National Post
Flames ‘continuing to plug away' on contract negotiations with Dan Vladar, says Conroy
Article content Second-string goalie Dan Vladar was emphatic in his end-of-season interview about his desire to stick around the Saddledome, while the Flames seemed similarly keen on continuing with their current twine-minding tandem. Article content But two months later, and less than two weeks before Vladar would become an unrestricted free agent, there's been no news of a contract extension for the 27-year-old from the Czech Republic, raising the possibility that rising star Dustin Wolf might have a different sidekick when the puck drops on the 2025-26 campaign. Article content 'We're talking to his representation and seeing where his mindset is at,' Flames general manager Craig Conroy told Postmedia on Thursday when asked for an update on negotiations with Vladar. 'We're open, just like he was open to a contract. But both sides have to come to terms with that. We're just continuing to plug away at that one.' Article content Vladar is at the tail-end of a two-year contract that carries an annual cap hit of US$2.2 million. Coming off the heaviest workload of his NHL career, and after finishing the season on a 6-1-1 run, it's safe to assume that he's looking for at least a slight raise. Article content The Flames have plenty of salary-cap wiggle room, but teams are often hesitant to be allocating too much loot to their backup puck-stopper. Article content Vladar and Wolf split starts last fall, but the youngster emerged through the winter as the obvious workhorse in Calgary. Wolf, en route to his runner-up finish in the Calder Trophy race, was tapped for 76 per cent of the crease time in the second half of the season. Article content In 30 appearances, Vladar posted a 12-11-6 record with a 2.80 goals-against average and .898 save percentage. It did not go unnoticed by teammates and staff that he was handed a lot of tough assignments, including the second half of any back-to-back sets. Article content Article content 'We talk about Wolfie a lot and the season he did have, but I think a big reason why he had such a good year was the way Dan was, too,' said Flames head coach Ryan Huska on locker clean-out day. 'We had a great tandem. You look at our team and that was probably the strength of our team this year — those two guys in net gave us a chance to win every night, and it was rare when one of them had an off-night. Article content 'When you're planning ahead, you know you have one area covered. For me as a coach, I know we're going to be good in net.' Article content The big question is, have those plans changed since mid-April, when their backup stressed he would 'love to be back' for a fifth season with the Flames? Article content
Calgary Herald
2 days ago
- Sport
- Calgary Herald
With Stanley Cup over, Calgary Flames' two first-round draft picks locked in
The Florida Panthers winning the Stanley Cup on Tuesday night has provided a little clarity for the Calgary Flames. Article content It doesn't exactly represent a seismic shift in the Flames' fortunes, but at least they now know their second pick of the first round at the 2025 NHL Draft will come at No. 32. Article content Article content The draft pick came to the Flames as part of the trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in 2022, when Brad Treliving was still the GM in Calgary. The deal also netted the Flames Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar and Cole Schwindt, who is now with the Vegas Golden Knights. Article content Article content The Panthers aren't going to be losing much sleep over losing the pick, although they might not have much sleep to lose as they celebrate their second straight Stanley Cup win. Article content Article content The Flames also hold the No. 18 overall pick in Friday's draft, which came to them as the result of the deal that saw them send Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils last year. That trade also netted them the services of young defenceman Kevin Bahl, who enjoyed a solid first season in Calgary. Article content They do not, however, have their own pick, which would have been No. 16 but instead is in the hands of the Montreal Canadiens as the result of a 2022 trade that saw Treliving package the pick with Sean Monahan in a cap-clearing move. Article content The Flames also have two first-round picks in the 2026 draft and had two last year as well, which they used to selected Zayne Parekh (ninth overall) and Matvei Gridin (28th overall). Article content
National Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- National Post
What can the Calgary Flames learn from Sam Bennett's Conn Smythe run?
Sam Bennett was the highest draft pick in Calgary Flames ' franchise history, selected fourth overall in 2014. Article content On Tuesday, for the second consecutive spring, Bennett raised the Stanley Cup high above his head. As a bonus, he received one of the NHL's highest individual honours, saluted as the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP. Article content If Bennett, who turns 29 later this week, opts to leave Florida and sign with the highest bidder, he is poised for a huge cha-ching as an unrestricted free agent. Article content Bennett skated for seven seasons at the Saddledome. When he was traded away in April 2021, shipped to the Sunshine State for a forward prospect and a second-round pick, he seemed like a guy who would benefit from a change of scenery. Boy, has he ever. Article content It might be better than rooting for the archrival Edmonton Oilers, but it has been bittersweet for Flames fans to watch two former faves leading the repeat in Florida. Article content While Matthew Tkachuk essentially forced his way out of Calgary, informing the organization that he wasn't willing to stick around on a long-term extension, Bennett was sold at a bargain rate to avoid the risk of losing him in the expansion draft. Article content Article content This isn't a case of sour grapes over one that got away, but there are some lingering lessons from Bennett's stint in Calgary. Here's what the Flames can learn, and how it can apply to the guys on the current roster: Article content Bennett led all lamp-lighters this spring with 15 playoff goals, including a record 13 in enemy rinks. Article content Article content A superb stat-line, for sure, but not necessarily a shocker for folks in Calgary. They'll remind you that this dude has always elevated his game in the big moments. 'Playoff Sam Bennett' was folklore around these parts. Article content
