Calgary Flames best and worst contracts

Every NHL team has its share of awesome contracts, as well as awful contracts. The Calgary Flames have an abundance of both on their team. They have signed contracts based on single-season performances and peer pressure that have gone bad for the franchise. However, they have also signed some contracts that have excellent long-term value. Let’s take a deep dive into the worst and best contracts on the Flames roster.

Worst contracts

1) Jonathan Huberdeau

The obvious contract to put at number one is forward Jonathan Huberdeau. He was acquired from the Florida Panthers in the famous trade that sent Matthew Tkachuk the other way. Huberdeau came to Calgary with a chance to prove the Panthers wrong. Unfortunately, things were awful in Huberdeau’s first two seasons in Calgary. Meanwhile, Tkachuk has won back-to-back Stanley Cups with Florida and was recently named the cover athlete of NHL 26.

Huberdeau signed a max-term contract worth $84.00M over eight years. This contract has been a disappointment, as Huberdeau has failed to live up to his superstar potential since leaving Florida. The deal’s no-movement clause prevents the Flames from trading, sending him down to the AHL, or waiving Huberdeau without his approval.

This, along with the cap hit, makes it a near-impossible contract for the Flames to get out of. On the bright side, Huberdeau had a great season last year, where he scored 34 goals and 62 points.

2) Yegor Sharangovich

The second-worst contract on the Flames belongs to forward Yegor Sharangovich. This is extremely upsetting because he had a fantastic first season as a Flame. The Belarus-born forward put up 31 goals and 59 points in his first season. After this early success with the Flames, general manager Craig Conroy extended Sharangovich with a five-year deal. The contract has a value of $28.75M with a cap hit of $5.75M per season. This deal begins next season for the first year.

Sharangovich had a great start as a Flame, although things went downhill fast in his second season. He got injured near the end of preseason, which messed up the beginning of his season. This gave him a setback that was difficult to recover from. It felt like he was behind everyone else. Sharangovich finished the season with 17 goals and 32 assists. If he can stay healthy, I think he is a strong choice as a bounce-back candidate for the Flames.

3) Blake Coleman

Next on the list is veteran forward Blake Coleman. The two-time Stanley Cup champion is coming off a down season. He posted 39 points in 2024–25 after posting 30 goals in the 2023–24 season. Coleman could be a trade candidate for the Flames in the future, as he only has two years left on his deal. He has a cap hit of $4.90M a year with a 10-team approved trade list.

Coleman is one of the older players who takes chances away from younger players. Guys like Martin Pospisil, Connor Zary, and Rory Kerins might not get as much playing time with Coleman in their way.

Coleman is another strong candidate to have a bounce-back season. He still has the potential to score 20 goals in a season and will get consistent time on the third line. Do you think the Flames should consider moving Coleman? Or will he finish his contract as a Flame?

4) Joel Farabee

The fourth-worst contract on the Flames belongs to forward Joel Farabee. Craig Conroy acquired him and Morgan Frost from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, and a couple of draft picks.

Farabee had a few strong seasons with the Flyers and showed some serious promise. He got a fresh start with the Flames. Overall, he struggled mightily after the move, recording six points in 31 games. Going into next season, expect Farabee to get a strong chance in the middle-six to have a bounce-back season.

Farabee has a cap hit of $5.00M per season. He is signed through the 2027–28 season, without any contract restrictions. This means that the Flames can attempt to trade him if things never turn around. The current value of his deal is not worth his production on the ice. Farabee would have to hit the 50–60 point mark to make his contract worth it. Do you think he can turn things around?

Best contracts

1) MacKenzie Weegar

The best contract on the Flames roster belongs to defenceman MacKenzie Weegar. He has been phenomenal during his time with the Flames. There is an excellent chance that Weegar can make a push for a roster spot on the 2026 Canadian Winter Olympic hockey team. He truly deserved a chance to play in the 4 Nations tournament, but Thomas Harley was picked over him.

Weegar has had his best offensive years as a Flame. In the 2023–24 season, he posted a 20-goal campaign along with a career high 52 points. Last season, he recorded a career high of 39 assists and 223 hits. The 31-year-old has been a beast on the Flames’ blue line and deserves more credit.

After being traded to Calgary, Weegar signed a max-term contract worth $50.00M over eight years. His $6.25M cap hit per season is an outstanding deal for the Flames. Seeing players such as Noah Dobson and Evan Bouchard get over $9.00M a season makes Weegar’s contract look like one of the best in the league. Signing this contract was Brad Treliving’s final good moment as the Flames’ general manager.

2) Matt Coronato

The recent contract extension Matt Coronato signed this offseason was arguably a perfect deal. He is coming off a fantastic season and got rewarded with a valuable contract. Believe it or not, Coronato began last season in the AHL. After a quick two-game stint with the Calgary Wranglers, Coronato rejoined the Flames and became an impactful player. He scored 24 goals and 47 points in 77 games.

The young 22-year-old is poised for a breakout season next year. Coronato should be getting consistent first-line minutes alongside Nazem Kadri.

Coronato signed a seven-year extension with the Flames worth $45.50M. His cap hit of $6.50M a season provides excellent value for a potential 30–40 goal scorer. I think Coronato can hit 30 goals as soon as next season. Further down the road, he could potentially be a 40-goal scorer if he continues to work on his quick release. His shot is only going to get better as he ages.

3) Nazem Kadri

This one may be a bit of a hot take, but I believe that Nazem Kadri has lived up to every bit of his contract. Kadri has been a true leader with the Flames, proving many people wrong. Many fans expected him to fall off shortly after signing with the Flames; however, he has had some of his best seasons in Calgary.

Over the last two years, Kadri has led the Flames in points. He set a career high of 35 goals last season and nearly helped drag the team into the playoffs. His veteran presence has been excellent to have around for the younger guys—especially since Huberdeau has struggled so much.

Kadri will turn 35 at the beginning of next season. He has four years left on his contract, with a cap hit of $7.00M per year. This will eventually turn into a bit of a rough contract, as it is likely that Kadri will fall off by the time he is 38.

The good news is that after next season, Kadri’s contract will only contain a 13-team no-trade list. If the Flames must move him in the future, a deal could definitely get done. I think the Flames should keep him around for now, as they likely will not get much trade value in a 35-year-old forward.

4) Martin Pospisil

This one may also be another hot take, but the recent extension Martin Pospisil signed was great in value. One could argue that Dustin Wolf belongs in the top four, but I decided to leave him out because he has not signed a big NHL contract yet. Pospisil is coming off a rough season. The Slovakian forward only scored four goals in 81 games. This diminished the confidence he had in his game.

Even though he did not score a lot, Pospisil can be an extremely useful player. He hits a ton and brings some speed to the lineup. The 25-year-old is not afraid to get in the other team’s face, which is something the Flames lack a bit of. That is one of the reasons he is on this list.

Pospisil signed a nice three-year extension with the Flames at the end of July. This deal will not kick in until the 2026–27 season, as he still has a year left at $1.00M. Once the deal begins, Pospisil will have a $2.50M cap hit over those three seasons. This is a great price as Pospisil can be an effective depth forward that drives the play.

His performance alongside Connor Zary and Nazem Kadri in the past has been amazing. He just needs to bring back the game he brought when he first joined the Flames. Do you think Pospisil can bounce back next year?