Though they’ve been pretty rare in the past, there is a feeling amongst many in the hockey world that offer sheets could start to become more and more common. The St. Louis Blues are a big reason why, as they made the bold and unusual decision to sign both Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway of the Edmonton Oilers to offer sheets and were able to land both.
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The signings have worked out brilliantly for the Blues. Holloway has been better than anybody would have imagined with 23 goals and 58 points, while Broberg has averaged more than 20 minutes in ice time while chipping in offensively with seven goals and 23 points through 59 games. It’s served as a good reminder to teams that adding young talent through offer sheets can quickly help alter the state of your organization.
Of course, in order to sign players to offer sheets, you need to have the cap space to fit them into the fold. The Calgary Flames have that in spades, and could, or perhaps should, look to get involved in the offer sheet game this coming offseason. Here’s a look at six players they could pry away from teams who are close to the cap ceiling and may not be able to match any high-paying offers.
Matthew Knies
If you’re going to go the offer-sheet route, you may as well swing for the fences. The Toronto Maple Leafs do not, under any circumstances, want to part ways with Matthew Knies. That said, if the Flames were to offer him a big enough deal, they may simply be unable to match it. After all, they still need to make a decision on pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) Mitch Marner. If they choose to re-sign him, they aren’t going to have very much money to dish out.
Knies would be a huge addition to the Flames. He not only fits into their rebuilding timeline at the age of just 22, but is already a very impactful NHLer. In just his second season, he’s scored 25 goals and recorded 45 points through 66 games. He has true star-studded potential and would immediately become one of the Flames most exciting young faces.
Mavrik Bourque
Another player to keep an eye on is Dallas Stars forward Mavrik Bourque. He’s had an average-at-best rookie season with 10 goals and 22 points in 62 games, but is just one season removed from a 77-point outing in the American Hockey League (AHL). The recently turned 23-year-old boasts a ton of potential.
What makes Bourque an extremely intriguing option for the Flames is that he can play down the middle. They were able to address that need by acquiring Morgan Frost, but he is viewed as more of a middle-six option, whereas Bourque has the true potential to become a top-line NHL centre.
Matthew Samoskevich
You may not have heard of Matthew Samoskevich just yet, but that will change in the near future. The 24th-overall selection from the 2021 NHL Entry Draft is quietly having a great rookie season with the Florida Panthers, and is still just 22 years old.
Though Samoskevich plays on the wing, he has a very high ceiling and appears to have the potential to become a top-six NHL winger. The Florida Panthers have a ton of players to re-sign including Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand, which could leave their hands tied if the Flames were to throw an offer sheet Samoskevish’s way.
Alex Laferriere
In a rather short time, Alex Laferriere is starting to make a big name for himself. The 23-year-old had a solid rookie season with the Los Angeles Kings, and has only upped that production in year two with 15 goals and 34 points in 65 outings. He projects to be a very good middle-six winger for several years going forward.
The Kings have no cap space to work with right now. They will get a bit of relief with names such as Andrei Kuzmenko and Tanner Jeannot coming off the books, though they will also need to find a new backup goalie as David Rittich’s deal is set to expire. A high-paying offer would be very difficult for them to match.
K’Andre Miller
K’Andre Miller is a defender who has all the tools but has yet to put them all together. He has a massive frame at 6-foot-5, can skate like the wind, and has some very underrated offensive instincts. His defensive play is solid thanks to his great positioning, though his lack of physicality has frustrated New York Rangers fans at times.
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Miller is also prone to inopportune lapses, though he’s still just 25 years old. He boasts a ton of potential and would immediately become a top-four defenceman in the Flames lineup. He also plays on the left side, which the Flames will need to improve upon moving forward. Signing him to an offer sheet would do just that.
Nicolas Hague
The final name on this list is Nicolas Hague. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound blue liner is someone who may have several teams interested in signing him to an offer sheet this summer. The Vegas Golden Knights simply don’t have the cap space to match any offer that may come his way from an opposing team, and would make for a great fit on the Flames’ back end.
Hague doesn’t have the top-pairing potential that Miller does, but he would be a great third-pairing defenceman on a Stanley Cup contending team. He fits into the Flames’ timeline at 26 years old, and would bolster that left side which, already mentioned, needs improving.
Conroy Can Get Creative
The one thing Flames general manager Craig Conroy has done really well since taking over is accruing cap space. The Flames currently have north of $18 million in cap space, and don’t have any pending UFAs that would require significant contracts to re-sign. Fans in Calgary shouldn’t be surprised in any fashion to see an offer sheet or two handed out by Conroy this offseason.
