The Calgary Flames have a new starting goaltender in Jacob Markstrom and won’t give up on one of their depth options either. The team re-signed Tyler Parsons to a one-year, two-way deal worth $735K at the NHL level. That’s the qualifying offer that the Flames extended Parsons, who was not eligible for arbitration this offseason.
A second-round pick in 2016, Parsons spent the entire 2019-20 season in the ECHL, posting a .911 save percentage with the Kansas City Mavericks. He’s clearly not ready to step into a role in the NHL, but after just turning 23 last month there is still plenty of time for him to develop and improve his game.
The Flames now have some impressive depth at the position, given that not only did they bring in Markstrom, but Louis Domingue as well. Prospect Dustin Wolf can go back to the WHL once again (should there be a season), meaning Parsons will need to battle with Artyom Zagidulin for the AHL backup role behind Domingue.
Of course, that’s assuming that the team isn’t forced to carry three goaltenders at the NHL level like some are speculating. If the league goes to regional bubbles, teams may want to keep a third goalie with them in case of injury. The ECHL did announce that 13 of its teams will start play on Dec. 11, which includes Kansas City kicking things off in the first game of the year. Whether Parsons will be on that Mavericks roster on opening night isn’t clear, but he’s a candidate given the rest of the goaltending depth in the system.
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