The Calgary Flames stayed the course this offseason, spending almost nothing in free agency and retaining their massive amount of cap space for the future. With that in mind, it’s worth looking down the road to see who might be available in free agency over the next two years if Craig Conroy is looking to spend some of the ample cap space he has.
We’ll only be considering players who will be 30 and under when their next contract begins, as it doesn’t make much sense to go for veterans given where the Flames are in their retool.
Flames free agent targets in 2026
PositionPlayerAge at beginning of next contractCurrent AAVCConner McDavid29$12,500,000CJack Eichel29$10,000,000WKirill Kaprizov29$9,000,000WKyle Connor29$7,142,857WAdrian Kempe30$5,500,000WPatrik Laine28$8,700,000WAlex Tuch30$4,750,000WMartin Necas27$6,500,000DJake Walman30$3,400,000
There are some massive names currently set to hit the free agent market next summer. With that said, the number that actually makes it to July 2026 will not be this long. Let’s just get this out of the way first: Connor McDavid is not coming to Calgary. The odds of him even hitting free agency are slim to none, and the odds of him coming to the Oilers’ archrival are pretty much zero. It would be the wildest of timelines, though.
After McDavid, the biggest names are, of course, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov. Again, I doubt either of these two makes it to July. Much like McDavid, even if they did somehow go unsigned over the next 10 months, there would be 20+ teams lining up for their services, and the odds of them coming to Calgary are essentially zero.
Players Calgary could realistically target
This is where the realistic options start to come up, though. I could certainly see a case where a player like Kyle Connor or Adrian Kempe reaches free agency next year, especially if their respective teams fail to impress in the playoffs yet again. Personally, I think both players would be great fits in Calgary. Both Connor and Kempe are high-end first line wingers—something the Flames currently have zero of. They’ll also both be under 30 next summer, meaning they’ll still have plenty of years left in the tank to help the Flames contend during their currently planned 2027 Cup window.
Patrik Laine and Alex Tuch don’t interest me much. Both players are a step below what one would consider a high-end winger. Laine, in particular, comes with a ton of baggage defensively and has a history of effort issues. Unless you could snag him for a cheap contract, I don’t see much of a fit in Calgary.
The most intriguing name here is Martin Necas. If you remember, the Flames reportedly almost had a deal in place to send Matthew Tkachuk to Carolina in 2022, with Necas being the primary piece coming back. Since then, Necas has taken major strides and looked like a legitimate top line player this past season with 83 points in 79 games.
There’s already been rumours the Avalanche may not be able to get him signed long-term, so I wouldn’t at all be surprised to see him available next summer. Necas will be just 27 when his new contract starts, and plays a position of need as a right-shot winger. He’d be a picture-perfect add for the Flames next summer and would be my primary target if he became available.
On defence, there isn’t exactly an interesting free agent class next year or anyone who would be a good fit in Calgary. In fact, right now, the biggest projected free agent defenceman is Rasmus Andersson, and we know he won’t be back.
Flames free agent targets in 2027
PositionPlayerAge at beginning of next contractCurrent AAVCNico Hischier28$7,250,000WAlex Debrincat29$7,785,000WDrake Batherson29$4,975,000DCale Makar28$9,000,000DQuinn Hughes27$7,850,000DVince Dunn30$7,350,000DBowen Byram26$6,250,000
Unlike in 2026, the 2027 free agent class is chock-full of high-end defencemen. The group is, of course, highlighted by local Calgary kid Cale Makar.
The Makar factor in 2027
From the day he signed his current six-year deal to walk him to free agency, there has been a movement among Flames fans to bring him home. I mean, I see the argument. By 2027, the Avalanche very well could be nearing the end or already exiting their Stanley Cup window, while the Flames should hopefully just be starting theirs.
Add on the fact that Makar has won just about everything you possibly can in Colorado, and the Flames will be moving into the NHL’s newest and fanciest arena starting in 2027, and you’ve got a real solid case to bring Makar home. As crazy as these theories typically are, Makar to Calgary has a ton of merit. You know if he makes it to the open market in 2027, the Flames will throw everything they can at him to bring him home. They’re currently looking at over $64M in available cap space for the 2027–28 season, meaning they could give Makar any number he wanted.
Unlike Makar, there’s really no case for Hughes coming to Calgary. If the American decides to leave Vancouver, it will almost certainly be to play with his brothers in New Jersey or a different American city. Vince Dunn could be a sneaky good fit, though. The left-shot defenceman fits a need in Calgary and has been one of the more underrated defenders in the NHL over the past couple of years. At 30 years old, he would still have a couple of good years in him, although a long-term deal could be a risk.
Nico Hishcier would also be a perfect fit in Calgary. A 28-year-old top-line centre? There isn’t anything the Flames need more right now. With no plans to find a long-term first liner down the middle, picking one up of Hischier’s calibre for free would be a huge get for the Flames. He’d be my top target after Makar.
Lots to work with for Calgary
The Flames are currently slated to have some of the most cap space in the entire NHL over the next two years. With the cap shooting up and the Flames only sitting on a couple long-term deals, their flexibility could be a massive strength in building out their roster. If Conroy has his way, there’s a good chance one of the above names is a Flame over the next two offseasons, if not multiple.
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