Salim Nadim Valji, a reporter for TSN and the Calgary Flames, posted a video recently saying he’s hearing there could be a big on-ice reunion next season that would make Flames fans extremely happy. Not revealing the name of who might return to the organization, he noted that he made a wager with his co-workers that this person would be back in a Flames uniform this summer.
Fans immediately took to making predictions in the video comments section trying to figure out who Valji was talking about.
The most common guesses were Chris Tanev or Sean Monahan. Both left the Flames organization via trade. Tanev was moved this season ahead of the deadline and sent to the Dallas Stars. He was always open about the possibility of returning to Calgary as a free agent and wouldn’t rule them out when asked following the trade. Monahan was moved in a deal to Montreal on Aug. 18, 2022, along with a conditional first-round draft pick in 2025 from Calgary for future considerations. The trade was a cap dump at the time by Calgary and they had to pay a draft pick to move the salary. Monahan went on to find his game, then was traded to Winnipeg at this season’s deadline. It was incredible asset management by Canadiens’ GM Kent Hughes.
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Other guesses include Mark Giordano (a pending UFA) and Johnn Gaudreau who chose to go to the Columbus Blue Jackets as a free agent, but that team is in shambles, potentially going through a full rebuild.
Could It Be Two Former Non-Flames?
One possibility is that this isn’t about a former Flame returning, but two players getting back together that played somewhere else. One guess was that the Flames might try to sign a player like Anthony Duclair and reunite him with Jonathan Huberdeau. Those two had great chemistry in Florida and could do well together in Calgary.
Sam Reinhart is also a pending UFA, but it would take big bucks from the Flames to get him to overlook an offer that is sure to come from the Panthers on an extension.
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MoxNix
April 22, 2024 at 7:14 pm
Reinhart would be a terrific addition but that’s unlikely. Tanev and Monahan are certainly possible but other possibilities are Lindholm, Zadorov, Toffoli (all UFAs this summer) or even Bennett (UFA a year later in 2025).
I sure hope it’s not Duclair, gaudreau or Toffoli.