The Calgary Flames have re-signed two players to cheap new deals.
The team announced today that it has reached agreements with forward Adam Klapka and defenceman Yan Kuznetsov.
The 6-foot-8 Klapka played his first six NHL games this season, scoring his first career goal against the San Jose Sharks during that stint.
It’s a one-year, two-way contract for Klapka worth $775,000.
The undrafted forward was a significant contributor for the Flames’ AHL team, the Calgary Wranglers, last season. He scored 21 goals and had 46 points in 65 games for the minor league squad.
👏 👏 👏
The #Flames have signed Adam Klapka to a one-year contract extension!
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) August 12, 2024
Kuznetsov has even less NHL experience, having played in just one game — a contest against the Ottawa Senators last year in which he recorded two shots.
The Russian’s new deal is a one-year contract worth $775,000. It’s a two-way contract for the 50th overall selection in the 2020 NHL draft.
He had 13 points in 63 games last season with the AHL’s Wranglers. At 6-foot-4 and weighing more than 210 pounds, the blueliner also offers a lot of size.
KUZY!
The #Flames have signed Yan Kuznetsov to a one-year contract extension!
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) August 12, 2024
These two players, should they take another step forward in their development and join the NHL club in the near future, will provide a lot of size and physical impact. They’re the type of players who make a team hard to play against, a characteristic that all NHL teams are chasing.
The Flames finished last season with a 38-39-5 record, good for fifth place in the Pacific Division. They missed the playoffs by 17 points.
The organization decided to sell off many players throughout last season in exchange for draft picks, prospects, and other assets. Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Chris Tanev are just some of the players who were dealt midseason.
The result of those deals and other moves made over the past few seasons is a team that is starting to show a lot of promise for the future.