The Calgary Flames have re-upped with three players who played with the organization during the 2022-23 season. Per the club, they’ve re-signed restricted free agent forward Martin Pospisil to a one-year, two-way deal and signed unrestricted free agent forward Dryden Hunt to a two-year, two-way deal and blueliner Colton Poolman to a one-year, two-way deal.
All three deals are worth $775,000 at the NHL level.
Pospisil, 23, is a product of Slovakia and was a fourth-round selection of the Flames in 2018. He’s got size. He’s got skill. He’s unfortunately had just horrendous injury luck, which has limited him to just 107 AHL games over four seasons. Former Flames GM Brad Treliving once quipped that Pospisil “could find trouble in church,” and it’s that playing style that makes him such an attractive prospect. If he can stay healthy, he still has oodles of potential. He’s a left shot winger that can play both sides, but has been used most often on the right in recent seasons. He had 10 points in 20 AHL games in 2022-23, and has 56 points in 107 career AHL games.
Hunt, 27, is a Calgary kid who was originally signed to an entry-level deal by the Florida Panthers in 2016. He joined the Flames via a trade deadline day swap this past March and fit in quite well with the Wranglers. He’s primarily a two-way winger and, at his age, maybe he’s a quad-A guy who’s going to provide the Flames’ youngsters with a proven pro to guide them. But he’s played over 200 NHL games and has played in the NHL recently, so don’t necessarily close the book on him as a potential call-up. Hunt’s a left shot winger that play either side. He had three points in 37 NHL games and 24 points in 32 AHL games in 2022-23, and 43 points in 2020 career NHL games and 174 points in 246 career AHL games.
Poolman, 27, joined the Flames as a college free agent in 2020 and found a great niche last season as a defensive partner and mentor for young Jeremie Poirier. It worked really well in 2022-23, so why not run it back? He’s a really reliable two-way blueliner and while his NHL upside is debatable, he’s a really good pro and the type of player your AHL team really needs. He’s a left shot blueliner who can play either side. He had 14 points in 64 games in 2022-23, and 33 points in 147 career AHL games.
The three signings bring the Flames to 39 players under contract for the 2023-24 season. They also have two unsigned restricted free agents remaining: Emilio Pettersen and Ben Jones.
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