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Justin Kirkland, Calgary Flames (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)

Flames Made Mistake Re-Signing Justin Kirkland

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 10:15 AM ET

The Calgary Flames made another personnel decision on Monday, as they announced that they had agreed to a one-year contract extension with pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) Justin Kirkland. The contract, which carries a cap hit of $900,000, marks the first one-way deal of Kirkland’s career.

This was news that went over well with Flames fans, as Kirkland quickly became a fan favourite early in the 2024-25 season thanks to his outstanding resiliency that was finally allowing him to carve out a full NHL role. The fact that he went 3-for-4 in the shootout certainly didn’t hurt, either.

Unfortunately, Kirkland’s promising season came to a quick and abrupt end, as he suffered a torn ACL in December and needed surgery to repair it. That injury very well could have spelled the end for Kirkland, who has just 30 NHL games under his belt. Instead, general manager (GM) Craig Conroy chose to give him another opportunity, which, while an honourable move, wasn’t the best one for the Flames.

Kirkland Not a One-Way Type Player

The main reason why fans fell in love with Kirkland’s story this season was because of the fact he was appearing to carve out an NHL role for the first time at the age of 28. What made it all the more special was that he didn’t even earn a spot on the roster out of training camp, but was recalled very early into the season.

Prior to the 2024-25 campaign, Kirkland had logged nine NHL games, split between the Arizona Coyotes and Anaheim Ducks. By all accounts, he was a depth player who could be used as a plug-and-play for an NHL team should they run into injury troubles. On a weak Flames roster, however, he didn’t look out of place as a fourth liner.

What’s important to keep in mind, however, is that this same player was only able to log seven NHL games with a Ducks team in 2022-23 that finished 23-47-12. It goes to show you that he is likely more of a tweener than a regular NHLer, though the Flames made the decision on Monday to pay him like he’s the latter.

Given the one-way contract, it’s safe to assume Kirkland will be pencilled in for a spot on the Flames roster next season. It isn’t the most outlandish of decisions, though there were certainly some better and younger in-house options such as Rory Kerins or even perhaps Sam Morton. Both players are younger, have higher ceilings, and are arguably already better players.

Many will point towards this being a classy gesture by the Flames organization, and it certainly is. That said, being ‘nice’ doesn’t get you wins. Take the Vegas Golden Knights, for example, who have gained a reputation as being a cutthroat organization. They will part ways with any player at any time, and while it may not be the best for morale, they continue to be in the mix for the Stanley Cup year in and year out. Suffice to say, a player like Kirkland would not be inking a one-way deal there, regardless of the circumstances.

Kirkland Will Need to Earn Opportunity

While Kirkland likely does have the inside track for a spot on the fourth line to begin the 2025-26 season, he won’t be able to let his foot off the gas at any point. A player with such little experience always needs to be at their best, as they are easily replaceable. That pressure could help Kirkland be an impactful player for the Flames, or it could prove to be far too much and see him get demoted quicker than many envision. Should that happen, it’s more than fair to question why management, even with their ample cap space, chose to give a very fringe NHLer a one-way deal above league minimum.