Calgary Flames 15 Worst Contracts (2005-2022)

This was originally published in my 2020 book The Definitive Guide to Salary Mismanagement, and has now been updated with new contracts. I will continue to update each team’s list every summer going forward. The rule is that only active contracts can move up or down. Expired deals cannot pass each other. Next summer it may even be expanded to top 20. The book is still available on Amazon, though some of the stats on active contracts are now out of date. You may yet find it interesting because there were detailed stat graphics that you won't find here.

My latest book The Hockey Economist’s Betting Prospectus is now available. It's a comprehensive commentary on the last 3 years of hockey betting, broken down by team, by category, by strategy, by season. There is plenty of useful information for bettors of all skill levels. It covers pre-pandemic, peak-pandemic, post-pandemic. What worked, what failed. Lessons learned, market trends, team-by-team analysis. What impact did the pandemic have on hockey betting? The market differences between these 3 seasons are discussed at length, and there's a lot to talk about. To read more, visit the Amazon store.
 
Enjoy! Please note: The formatting on the graphics got scrambled being copied from Excel into Google Blogger. It's among the reasons my blog is looking for a new home.

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Darryl Sutter was responsible for the Calgary Flames best season since 1989 when they advanced to the Stanley Cup final in 2004 before the lockout. Though it might have been his skill as a coach that drove that success, rather than his prowess as a General Manager. His greatest transaction by far was acquiring Miikka Kiprusoff from the San Jose Sharks, but by the end of his regime in 2010, the roster had devolved into a perennial non-playoff team (missing the playoffs 5 consecutive years until 2015). 

Sutter would be replaced by Jay Feaster, the GM who built the team who beat Calgary to win the Cup in 2004, but the team’s fortunes did not improve. Jay dropped the baton and will mostly be remembered for a failed Ryan O’Reilly offer sheet, where O’Reilly would have had to clear waivers because he played in the KHL after the start of the season. Had the Avalanche not matched, the Flames would have lost both the draft picks and the player.

Feaster would lose his job a few months later, briefly replaced by Brian Burke as interim GM before Brad Treliving was hired. Brad has helped restore the Flames status as a playoff team, but has made a few mistakes along the way.

 

1. James Neal

Signed By:	Brad Treliving		Position:	F
Date:	2018-07-02		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	6
Total Money:	$28.75M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$5.75M		Stanley Cups:	0

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	29.2	147	60	304
Per 82 GP	5.8	82	33	170	14.9

"One of the things we looked to address this off-season was adding depth and versatility to our forward unit. At the end of the year, I talked a little bit about us as a team relying on too few guys to do too many things."

– Brad Treliving

When James Neal inked this 5-year ticket at age 30, most analysts expected Calgary to get at least one or two good seasons before he became a waste of money. Much to everyone’s surprise, Neal was a train wreck from the beginning, scoring just 19 PTS in 63 GP in year one with the Flames.
 
During the summer he was traded to Edmonton in a controversial swap of bad contracts for Milan Lucic. Calgary sought more toughness after getting steam rolled in round 1 of the playoffs, and Oilers fans could not have been happier. While Neal’s tenure in Edmonton got off to a fiery start, he did eventually slow down before suffering an injury that cost him a chunk of the season. He was eventually bought out.
 
 
2. Cory Sarich
 

Signed By:	Darryl Sutter		Position:	D
Date:	2007-07-01		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	12
Total Money:	$18M		Playoff PTS:	2
Cap Hit:	$3.6M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	26.0	351	57	271
Per 82 GP	5.2	82	13	63	17.5

"It will take me into my early 30s so I am excited. I am a guy who likes to stay put. I was like that in Tampa"

– Cory Sarich

Cory Sarich won a Stanley Cup in 2004 playing with the Tampa Bay Lightning, who defeated Darryl Sutter’s Calgary Flames in the final. That likely contributed to Sutter’s desire to sign Sarich as an unrestricted free agent on July 1st at age 29. It’s rarely a good idea to overpay for a defensive specialist on the UFA market, and this deal was no different.
 
Over 5 years Cory averaged 13 PTS per 82 GP and 17.5 minutes per game of ice time. That’s like paying $5.1M for a D-man worth $1.8M, multiplied by 5. The Flames liked him enough to sign him to another deal after this expired, albeit at a significantly reduced price.
 
 
3. Troy Brouwer
 

Signed By:	Brad Treliving		Position:	F
Date:	2016-07-01		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	4
Total Money:	$18M		Playoff PTS:	2
Cap Hit:	$4.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	19.3	150	47	165
Per 82 GP	4.8	82	26	90	15.1

''I think sometimes we get to this stage where we see 30 and everybody starts shaking in their boots a little bit. Troy's got a lot of good hockey ahead of him.''

– Brad Treliving

Troy Brouwer scored 39 PTS with 200 hits at age 30 before arriving on the UFA market. The age was a red flag, but so too were the over 1500 hits he had accumulated during his career, putting many hard miles on the body before banking $18M on July 1st 2016. Those red flags might have been obscured by the 8 goals and 13 PTS he scored for St. Louis in the 2016 playoffs.
 
Giving power forwards significant term over the age of 30 is seldom a good idea, and history repeated itself, as his offensive contribution immediately bottomed out despite the Flames actually increasing his power play time up to 2.4 minutes per game. The first 2 years in Calgary produced 25 and 22 PTS, before being bought out. This did not mark the end of his career, signing a 1-year deal to play in Florida at a fraction of this price.
 
 
4. Rene Bourque
 

Signed By:	Darryl Sutter		Position:	F
Date:	2010-02-25		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	6 years		Playoff GP:	22
Total Money:	$20M		Playoff PTS:	14
Cap Hit:	$3.3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	25.3	346	125	719
Per 82 GP	4.2	82	30	170	15.2

“Who in the world would trade for this guy? Come on, that’s a joke that they’re saying that teams are calling for him.”

– Kelly Hrudey

 
“This guy, I don’t even think he cares about the game. He should apologize to his teammates and start playing.”

- Kelly Hrudey

Rene Bourque signed an extension at the end of February while having the best season of his career (Matt Stajan inked a similar deal with the Flames a week later that also made this list). Bourque fit the mould of the type of power forward that Darryl Sutter wanted on his roster, unfortunately Sutter was fired before his vision come to fruition.
 
The winger’s production dipped slightly in year one, then plummeted in year two, when Kelly Hrudey said “who in the world would trade for this guy? Come on, that’s a joke.” Two months later, Jay Feaster shipped Bourque out of town with a 2nd round pick to Montreal for a bad Mike Cammalleri contract. Cammalleri improved in Calgary while Bourque continued to decline. Rene’s point totals over these 6 seasons were (50, 24, 13, 16, 14, 18) for an adjusted AAV of $4.2M. That’s not good, like getting 50 cents of value for each dollar spent. Rene finished this contract with a -62 and bounced around 4 different rosters.
 
 
5. Robyn Regehr
 

Signed By:	Darryl Sutter		Position:	D
Date:	2007-07-02		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	18
Total Money:	$20M		Playoff PTS:	1
Cap Hit:	$40M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	27.6	352	51	305
Per 82 GP	5.5	82	12	71	20.6

"He is a big, strong player, a good skater who is capable of playing against the opposition's best players"

– Darryl Sutter

Robyn Regehr reached his apex in 2006 when he was named to the Canadian Olympic team and could have become an unrestricted free agent in July 2008 at age 28. Instead, he signed a long-term extension with the Flames the day after Darryl Sutter awarded a similar deal to Cory Sarich.
 
In year one he played 75 games and scored 8 PTS (his totals the 3 previous seasons were 26, 21, 20). His Corsi For % over the 5 seasons of this contract were 53%, 50%, insert 30th birthday, 48%, 44%, 42%. This was too much money for a player that produces very little offense who got old fast. It would not have been a terrible investment at a reduced price.
 
In the summer after year three, the Flames paid a 2nd round pick to dump Regehr and a bad Ales Kotalik contract on the Buffalo Sabres, who eventually flipped Regehr to LA as a rental for a pair of 2nd round picks. So they basically got three 2nd round picks to hold Regehr for 1.5 seasons, a rare of example of great asset management by the Sabres.
 
 
6. Rhett Warrener
 

Signed By:	Darryl Sutter		Position:	D
Date:	2005-08-12		Age July 1st:	29
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	13
Total Money:	$9.4M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$2.35M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	16.7	154	20	86
Per 82 GP	4.2	82	11	46	17.2

"If I can upgrade our team where we can win now and it fits in going forward, absolutely."

– Darryl Sutter

The Calgary Flames traded Chris Drury to acquire Rhett Warrener and Steven Reinprecht in the summer of 2003. That might have been a terrible trade in retrospect, but Warrener did score 17 PTS and helped the Flames advance to the Stanley Cup final, earning himself a 4-year deal at age 29 after the new CBA was signed. While Rhett did make a quality contribution in 2004, he also had a long injury history that should have been a red flag against a long-term extension (he had only topped 70 games twice in the previous 6 seasons).
 
No surprise, this contract was spoiled by injuries, including a broken leg. The defenseman played only 151 games, scoring 20 PTS. The Flames did try to waive him before the final season, but instead had to place him on IR with an injured shoulder that would eventually cost him the entire schedule. This marked the end of Warrener’s pro hockey career.
 
 
7. Daymond Langkow
 

Signed By:	Darryl Sutter		Position:	F
Date:	2008-06-27		Age July 1st:	31
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	22
Total Money:	$18M		Playoff PTS:	10
Cap Hit:	$4.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	25.1	222	117	405
Per 82 GP	6.3	82	43	150	17.2

"We felt it was important to sign Daymond to a long-term deal. He is a big part of the nucleus of our team and fits in our team's identity.”

– Darryl Sutter

Daymond Langkow had been a model of consistency, posting 8 consecutive seasons with at least 50 PTS when he signed this extension at age 31, but broke that streak in year one, dropping down to 49 PTS in 73 GP.
 
His scoring output plunged again in year two, with 37 PTS in 72 GP. Daymond missed the final 10 games of the season after getting hit in the neck with a slapshot, and complications from that injury cost him the majority of the 2010/11 season. Afterwards the Flames managed to trade him to the Phoenix Coyotes for Lee Stempniak, who still had some good hockey ahead of him. This market the end of Langkow’s hockey career.
 
 
8. Matt Stajan
 

Signed By:	Brad Treliving		Position:	F
Date:	2014-01-20		Age July 1st:	30
Term:	4 years		Playoff GP:	14
Total Money:	$12.5M		Playoff PTS:	4
Cap Hit:	$3.125M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	14.3	288	69	228
Per 82 GP	3.6	82	20	65	12.1

“You try to come to the rink every day and enjoy yourself. You work hard and control what you can. I know I’m a depth player for this team, and whatever I’m asked to do or where to play, I’ll do a good job of it.”

-Matt Stajan

For the two seasons prior to this contract, Matt Stajan scored at a rate of 44 PTS per 82 GP, averaging nearly 18 minutes per game of ice time. Then at age 30, both his production and ice time took a dark turn into the abyss, as Stajan scored 17 PTS in 59 GP playing 12 minutes per game in year one.
 
Matt’s average ice time got slashed by more than 6 minutes per game right out of the gate, showing a gross miscalculation of his worth by management. Over 4 years, he scored 69 PTS in 288 GP (20-point pace) while devolving into a bottom-6 role player. This was like getting a forward worth $1M for a $3.6M price tag. When this pact expired, Stajan left to play in Germany.
 
 
9. Jonas Hiller
 

Signed By:	Brad Treliving		Position:	G
Date:	2014-07-01		Age July 1st:	32
Term:	2 years		Playoff Wins:	3
Total Money:	$9M		Playoff SV%:	0.919
Cap Hit:	$4.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Avg Adj Cap Hit	GP	W	GAA	SV%
Total	5.3	78	35	2.73	0.905

“There’s been lots of ups and downs. It’s kind of too bad there were more downs this year — it was kind of a roller-coaster. But at the end, I’m really thankful for the chance I got here. I tried to do my best when I came in here every time.”

– Jonas Hiller

The Flames needed a reliable primary goaltender with Kari Ramo playing half their games in 2014. They looked to free agency on July 1st, signing a slightly below average Hiller, who was decent in year one of the contract with a 2.36 GAA and .918 SV%. Well, he was decent until they got to the playoffs, where he was yanked multiple times and replaced with Ramo. Hiller managed to finish that playoffs with a .919 SV%, but was benched for most of the 2nd round (it was more about the magnitude of the bad goals than the total quantity of goals allowed).
 
Jonas never recovered from that playoff failure, returning for year two of this tenure to post a disastrous 3.51 GAA and .879 SV% (finishing dead last in the NHL in that category among qualified keepers). The Flames missed the playoffs and Hiller returned to Switzerland.
 
 
10. Michael Stone
 

Signed By:	Brad Treliving		Position:	D
Date:	2017-06-30		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$10.5M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$3.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	11.0	96	15	110
Per 82 GP	3.7	82	13	94	16.6

"A goal right when I got traded here was to stay in Calgary and not only for the fact that we're close to family. But it's a really good hockey club. That's something I haven't been part of a whole lot."

– Michael Stone

The Flames traded a 3rd round pick to rent Michael Stone from the Coyotes, then signed him to an extension before he could hit unrestricted free agency. It’s entirely possible based on the history of insanity on July 1st that the D-man could have gotten a bigger deal had he hit the open market. That would have been a better outcome for Calgary than this faulty investment.
 
Stone’s production and ice time dropped significantly in year one. By year two he was a regular healthy scratch (also missing time with a blood clot), eventually leading to a buyout. The Flames did bring him back for the league minimum when nobody else seemed to be interested.
 
 
11. Michael Frolik
 

Signed By:	Brad Treliving		Position:	F
Date:	2015-07-01		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	9
Total Money:	$21.5M		Playoff PTS:	1
Cap Hit:	$4.3M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	23.4	338	149	726
Per 82 GP	4.7	82	36	176	15.3

"It was a difficult decision. You’ve got just a couple of minutes to decide. You don’t have much time there on the bottom of the line. You’ve got to make a decision quick. When I had the meeting with Calgary, I had a good feeling coming out of the meeting and I ended up here."

– Michael Frolik

Michael Frolik became an unrestricted free agent at age 27 following a 19-goal, 42-point campaign in 2015 with the Winnipeg Jets. The Czech winger was able to solicit a 5-year deal from the Calgary Flames close to what Mats Zuccarello had received from the Rangers a few months earlier. The salary was closer to what you’d expect from a 50-point winger, and proved to be too expensive.
 
Frolik would see his ice time flounder in Calgary, and he only surpassed the 40-point threshold once in 5 years. By the final 2 years, his ice time had declined over 4 minutes from the season that earned him this ticket, including healthy scratches. Michael may have been useful in a bottom 6 forward role, but was getting paid a top 6 price. He was shipped to Buffalo in the final year as a rental for a 4^th round pick.
 
 
12. Mason Raymond
 

Signed By:	Brad Treliving		Position:	F
Date:	2014-07-01		Age July 1st:	28
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	8
Total Money:	$9.45M		Playoff PTS:	2
Cap Hit:	$3.15M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	11.0	86	28	176
Per 82 GP	3.7	82	27	168	14.0

"The opportunity to play for the Flames has always been something I've dreamed of. For this to become reality is something special."

– Mason Raymond

Mason Raymond had a successful season in Toronto before signing this contract, scoring 45 PTS, the 2nd best season of his career. That was a great time to hit the UFA market, and he made the most of the opportunity at age 28. The optimism was fleeting, as his production plummeted upon arrival in Calgary, only scoring 28 PTS in 86 GP total.
 
At the start of year two Mason cleared waivers and was sent to the AHL, and though recalled later, he was bought out at the end of the season. The winger did sign one more contract after this one, for close to the league minimum, played 4 games and moved to Switzerland.
 
 
13. Lance Bouma
 

Signed By:	Brad Treliving		Position:	F
Date:	2015-07-23		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	3 years		Playoff GP:	3
Total Money:	$6.6M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$2.2M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	7.4	105	14	102
Per 82 GP	2.5	82	11	80	11.6

“As soon as you sign that contract, you want to make sure that you do well and you prove that team right that they spent that money on you. To have it be bought out, it’s disappointing. That’s the best way to describe it. It was a disappointing day, for sure, for me. But it’s part of the business and you have to understand that.”

– Lance Bouma

Lance Bouma had only logged one good season in the NHL by age 24, chipping in 34 PTS as a grinder for the Flames (by far the best of his career to that point), earning a nice 3-year deal. The two sides went to arbitration and presented their cases, then reached this agreement while awaiting the arbitrator’s decision.
 
That scoring output came crashing back to Earth immediately, with 7 PTS in 44 GP in year one. The second year did not get any better, with 7 PTS in 61 GP before being bought out. He managed to get a 1-year contract from the Blackhawks, who sent him to the AHL later in the season. Bouma left North America to play in Switzerland, recording 2 PTS in 3 GP before a knee injury ended his European tenure.
 
 
14. Anton Babchuk
 

Signed By:	Jay Feaster		Position:	D
Date:	2011-07-04		Age July 1st:	27
Term:	2 years		Playoff GP:	0
Total Money:	$5M		Playoff PTS:	0
Cap Hit:	$2.5M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	6.4	39	11	53
Per 82 GP	3.2	82	23	111	14.0

"Anton Babchuk is a sound positional player on the back line and perhaps one of our most adept defenceman at pinching down the wall to keep the play alive in the offensive zone"

– Jay Feaster

Anton Babchuk scored 27 goals and 70 PTS over his previous two NHL seasons prior to signing this contract at age 27 with his big booming shot from the point. The Flames traded Ian White to get him as a rental from the Hurricanes, he went to unrestricted free agency, then decided to stay in Calgary (presumably because that was the best offer).
 
The result was a disaster, playing just 39 games, scoring 11 PTS, and averaging only 13.8 minutes of ice time per game, receiving dozens of healthy scratches. Getting paid millions to watch hockey is a great gig if you can get it. Afterwards Anton returned to Europe, never playing in the NHL again.
 
 
15. Jay Bouwmeester

Signed By:	Darryl Sutter		Position:	D
Date:	2009-06-30		Age July 1st:	25
Term:	5 years		Playoff GP:	12
Total Money:	$33.4M		Playoff PTS:	2
Cap Hit:	$6.7M		Stanley Cups:	0

 

	Adj Cap Hit	GP	PTS	SOG	ATOI
Total	44.7	375	141	589
Per 82 GP	8.9	82	31	129	25.4

"He's such a tremendous skater. A very, very intelligent player. Very solid in both ends of the rink. Hey, when you look at all the other free-agent guys out there, he was at the top of the list. There's no question about it as far as defencemen are concerned. I'm excited - and I know the coaching staff is excited - to have this player on our team."

– Brent Sutter

Prior to signing this contract, Bouwmeester was averaging 40 PTS per year as a Florida Panther, before being traded to Calgary for Jordan Leopold and a 3rd round pick. The trade price might have been higher if not for the fact that J-Bo was a pending UFA (after 7 years of service), and was going to command a steep price. Darryl Sutter signed him to this contract 3 days later, making Bouwmeester the 5th highest paid defenseman in the league right behind Scott Niedermayer.
 
Jay immediately saw a 13-point drop in scoring production in year one with the Flames. He averaged 26 minutes a night, but Calgary also never made the playoffs with J-Bo. The Flames would trade him in year four to St. Louis for 2 prospects and a 1st round pick. His production immediately increased with the Blues. Bouwmeester wasn’t a bad player, they were just paying him an elite price and he wasn’t delivering the offense that’s supposed to come at that pay grade.