3 Players Entering Final Season With Calgary Flames

It is going to be a tough year for the Calgary Flames and the team will likely be sellers at the trade deadline. The pending UFAs who aren't moved will likely move on and make way for some younger talent to help turn the team around faster. That being said, these are three Flames who are entering their final season with the team.

Dan Vladar

The Flames already moved on from Jacob Markstrom this offseason to make the team worse before it gets better and to make room for the future, Dustin Wolf. Dan Vladar would've been the option to move this summer as he has one year left on his deal if the team wasn't prepared to fall in the standings. He started 19 games and had a record of 8-9-2 with a .882 SV% and 3.63 GAA. These are poor numbers and he is likely going to get more playing time this season. It isn't going to be pretty and the Flames will be looking for an upgrade to split time with Wolf or be a better backup for the future.

Anthony Mantha

Anthony Mantha was brought in on a one-year deal after a solid season. He can be good or he can disappear. I expect both from him next season with the Flames and this is likely just a one-and-done deal. He is a candidate to be moved at the deadline like he was from the Washington Capitals to the Vegas Golden Knights last season. Mantha could be playing anywhere from the second line to the fourth line, so that will impact his season a lot and when he leaves.

Joel Hanley

Joel Hanley came over to the Flames late last season and is just a depth veteran presence for the back-end. The Flames have a particularly young defense core now, which isn't a bad thing for a team expected to start rebuilding. He is in the final year of a two-year deal and can easily be replaced. He likely won't play very many games over the course of the season anyways as there will be ample opportunity for the younger players trying to find a place in the NHL.