Calgary Flames’ 5 Worst Contracts Heading Into 2026-27

The Calgary Flames aren’t a team that has to worry about their salary cap situation just yet. Still in the early stages of a rebuild, they have intentionally kept plenty of cap space open in case they need to utilize it in the future. Despite not being in salary cap trouble, however, that doesn’t mean they don’t have some bad deals on the books.

The Flames, largely due to the failure of previous management, have some less-than-desirable contracts on the books that they would likely be moving out if they could. For now, they’ll just have to endure them and hope they don’t become a bigger pain down the road. With that said, here are the five worst contracts the Flames have on the books heading into the 2026-27 season.

1. Jonathan Huberdeau ($10.5 Million Through 2030-31)

There was no question as to whose name would be at the top of this list. The eight-year, $84 million extension former general manager (GM) Brad Treliving handed to Jonathan Huberdeau is widely viewed as the worst current contract in the NHL.

Huberdeau has surpassed the 60-point mark in just one of four seasons with the Flames, and has not once led his team in scoring despite being their highest-paid player. Any hopes of a late-career resurgence have seemingly died out after the 33-year-old was forced to undergo hip resurfacing surgery in the spring.

2. Yegor Sharangovich ($5.75 Million Through 2029-30)

Much like there wasn’t any debate as to who would slot in at number one on this list, few, if any, will be surprised to see Yegor Sharangovich come in at number two. The 28-year-old isn’t lacking skill, as proven by his 31-goal season in his first year with the Flames. Unfortunately, other parts of his game are severely lacking.

One issue with Sharangovich’s game is his defensive play, though that isn’t uncommon for a skilled forward. The bigger issue is that when he isn’t producing, he provides next to nothing. There is zero intensity in his game, which has really started to draw the ire of the fan base.

3. Simon Nemec ($7.25 Million Through 2030-31)

Simon Nemec’s recent extension is a hard contract to rank considering we haven’t seen much of him. The 22-year-old was recently acquired by the Flames and is expected to be a big part of their blue line for years to come. The issue, however, is that his contract extension was based far more on potential than what he’s shown so far.

Nemec is still quite inexperienced at the NHL level, having logged just 155 games in his career. The results over that span have been middling at best, though he never got a true opportunity in New Jersey to show what he can do. Time will tell on this deal, but at least in the early going, it seems like a slight overpay.

4. Jake Middleton ($4.35 Million Through 2028-29)

With the rebuild the Flames are in, it sometimes requires them to take on bad contracts in order to add draft capital. They did exactly that when trading Blake Coleman and Olli Maatta to the Minnesota Wild, receiving three draft picks along with a less-than-desirable contract in Jake Middleton.

Middleton’s contract is by no means awful, but it’s a significant chunk of dollars with term remaining for a bottom-pairing defenceman. This deal won’t cause any fits for the Flames given where they sit as an organization, but this one of the worst contracts they have at this time.

5. Martin Pospisil ($2.5 Million Through 2028-29)

The Flames are suddenly in a weird position where it feels like they have too many forwards under contract, and one you can’t help but think they’d be okay moving on from is Martin Pospisil. The 26-year-old has shown flashes throughout his 166-game NHL career, but is far too inconsistent to rely on as an everyday player in the lineup.

On top of Pospisil’s inconsistencies, there is also some serious injury concern. He’s had several head issues throughout his career, the latest of which limited him to just 22 games in 2025-26. Hopefully he can move past those, though whether he lives up to these three years on his contract remains to be seen.

No Major Causes for Concern

While having a series of bad contracts on the books is never ideal, Conroy has done a great job at leaving so much cap space open that it isn’t a big deal for the Flames. By the time they are ready to compete, the vast majority of these deals will have expired or be close to expiring. The Huberdeau and Sharangovich contracts could prove troublesome down the road, though the constant increase in the cap will continue to help in a big way.