The Calgary Flames have signed former Anaheim Ducks forward Sonny Milano to a PTO. The deal comes just days ahead of training camp and after it seems Milano was unable to get a deal signed with an NHL club that would see him locked in on a guaranteed contract.
Part of the reason seems to be the way he exited the Anaheim Ducks organization and the uncertainty surrounding his all-around game. Milano was not qualified by the Ducks after a breakout season that would have led to a large arbitration award. He required a qualifying offer of $1.8 million and it didn’t appear the Ducks felt that was a sound investment. Based on how long it took for Milano to get a PTO or shot with another team, the Ducks weren’t alone.
According to JFresh, who looks at the analytics of players on their Twitter account, the profile notes, “I think he’s a good player to take a chance on, but maybe not a sure thing to be a top six playmaker.” It adds, “Also could be in that category of “too skilled for a fourth line but not good enough for a first line” tweener.” Essentially, it’s his all-around game that teams are worried about as he’s got a tendency to try and be too flashy. At the same time, he is a fantastic playmaker. Milano had 14 goals, 20 assists, and a plus-minus of -9 in 66 games in 2021-22.
It’s important to note that the Flames have just over $2 million in salary-cap space. If Milano comes in and wows with a strong pre-season showing, another team could take notice and offer him a deal that is more than the Flames can afford. That’s the risk with any PTO and it’s a guarantee that teams were looking at Milano but wavered on giving him a shot. If it’s quickly learned that they were wrong to pass, they could circle back and reach out to his agent.
In other news, Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reports that the Calgary Flames are close to bringing back winger Brett Ritchie on a one-year deal.
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