Four UFA centres the Calgary Flames could potentially target

Nazem Kadri has done a solid job leading their current group for the last three seasons. However, with Yegor Sharangovich spending most of the season on the wing and Mikael Backlund beginning to show signs of losing a step, their centre depth is looking the worst it has in quite a few seasons.

Thankfully for Calgary, this year’s free agency class appears to be quite loaded with centres for the taking. Let’s look at a few that Craig Conroy may consider taking a swing at.

Sam Bennett

Age: 28
Previous AAV: $4.4M
Rumored asking price: $7.0-$8.0M

Many Flames fans are sure to recognize this name. Sam Bennett is coming off a season where he had a career high of 51 points, which marks his fourth straight season with at least 40 points as well. He has already been connected to the Flames with Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg stating that he believes they will make a large effort to try and sign the former Flame.

“I do think if Sam Bennett becomes available in unrestricted free agency, the Flames will go hard after him. I think they will put one of the better offers on the table to Bennett in free agency and I think they will try to see if they can convince him to come back to Calgary.” – Pat Steinberg on Flames Talk

With the rumored price to be as high as $8M AAV, Bennett is the most expensive option on this list. That said, he would immediately help Calgary’s top six in ways the others on this list may not be able to match.

Christian Dvorak

Age: 29
Previous AAV: $4.4M
Rumored asking price: $3.0M

Christian Dvorak was a major part of the Montreal Canadiens’ return to the playoffs this season, putting up 33 points in 82 games. Despite his contributions, it is looking like he is leaning towards the door and could be another option for Calgary.

Dvorak is 29 years old, which puts him on the younger side of the free agency class. Whether or not he would be interested in returning to another Canadian market is yet to be seen, but if Calgary could sway Dvorak in their direction, he could be a potentially cheaper option that would greatly improve their middle six.

Mikael Granlund

Age: 33
Previous AAV: $5.0M
Rumored asking price: $2.5-$5.0M

With the Dallas Stars’ season not quite done yet, Mikael Granlund’s availability in this year’s free agency class is still very much up in the air. He could potentially be a very nice fit in Calgary, though. At 33 years old, Granlund would most likely not be a long-term solution for the Flames, but could work well as a rental.

Coming off back-to-back 60-point seasons, he appears to still very much be in his prime and could be exactly what the Flames need to get back into the playoffs. Finding an estimated price for Granlund is tough, but there are rumours that he could be available for as low as $2.5M. The real question is whether or not he would sign with a rebuilding team like Calgary for that price.

Ryan Donato

Age: 29
Previous AAV: $2.0M
Rumored asking price: $4.0-$4.5M

Ryan Donato is coming off a career year with the Chicago Blackhawks. Normally a career 20–30 point scorer, next to Connor Bedard, he was able to net 31 goals and 62 points. This massive jump in production almost certainly raises his price tag quite a bit. If he can come anywhere close to matching his previous production, $4.0M AAV would be very cheap for a 30-goal scorer.

He isn’t currently projected to be targeted by any major contenders, so his chances of signing with the Flames in their current form are not necessarily unlikely.

Tons of money, tons of options

This year’s free agency class is loaded with centre talent, and Calgary has all the money in the world to do something about it. Sitting at $17.8M of cap space, it would be rather shocking to see Craig Conroy not make an attempt at landing at least one of these potential impact players. A new top-six calibre centre could be exactly what Calgary needs to finally make a return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after four seasons away.