thecalgaryflames.com

The Flames sent Regehr, right wing Ales Kotalik and their second-round draft pick in 2012 to the Sabres for defenseman Chris Butler and center Paul Byron. We didn’t get much in return, but can you believe that the Sabres took back Kotalik? Wow.

Also Alex Tanguay signed a five-year, $17.5 million contract. The 31-year-old will earn $3.5 million annually until he’s 36, if he can last that long. It was the length of the deal that appealed to Tanguay,because after a couple shaky seasons it would be nice to sign a long-term deal based on the most recent solid season.

On draft day, the Flames chose LW Sven Baertschi with their 13th overall pick. The 18-year-old Swiss forward impressed NHL talent scouts for his goal-getting prowess. Last year playing for the Portland Winterhawks of North America’s Western Hockey League (WHL), he led all first year players in scoring with 85 points in 66 games.

The Flames picked twice in the second round, centre Markus Granlund 45th and defenseman Tyler Wotherspoon 57th.  Click here for a list of all Calgary Flames 2011 draft picks.

The best news of all? Ryan Smyth was traded back to the Oilers, and not Calgary. Whew.

Brett Carson inked a one-way, two year deal worth $1.15 million with the Calgary Flames. The 25-year-old has two goals and 10 assists in 78 career NHL games.

The deal pays Carson $550,000 next season, and $600,000 in 2012-13. Carson was originally acquired by the Flames off waivers from Carolina in February.

“Based on his solid play at the end of last season, we believe Brett can be an every day defenseman for us,” said Flames general manager Jay Feaster. “In our end-of-season meetings, a number of our top forwards commented on his consistent ability to get the puck to them in transition, and we are confident he will continue to develop his overall game.”

Wait what? We only have so very few of those, why are we trading him away?

According to Erixon, he simply didn’t see a future here, telling Feaster he thought young players didn’t get a chance in Calgary — a horrible reputation to tag a franchise with.

However, making the best of a bad situation, instead of getting a second round compensatory pick (54th overall) from the league had Erixon gone back into the draft, Feaster got two second rounders from the Rangers (projected at 43rd and 57th).

Feaster explains why: “Once we realized that we were not going to be able to come to terms with Tim Erixon, we wanted to make sure we turned that pick into an asset,” said Flames General Manager Jay Feaster. “We are excited to be able to get a player of Roman [Horak]’s caliber in addition to landing two second round picks in the upcoming draft.”

Although Horak’s 26 goals and 52 assists for 78 points in 64 games in the AHL is nothing to sneeze at.

While I don’t think anyone was surprised by Jay Feaster’s ‘Oh-by-the-way-I’m-now-your-GM’ announcement, I have to say that I am surprised with Curtis Glencross’ four-year, $US10.2-million deal with the Flames. For a few reasons…

1. He’s had one 24-goal season and two inconsistant 13 & 15-goal seaons prior to that. Before that, he had two seasons where he couldn’t even consistantly crack the Oilers and Blue Jackets’ line-ups. Does this sound worthy of a 4-year deal?
2. After all the complaining about how hard it was to mange a team with so many players with No Movement Clauses, you give another player a NMC. Again, to a player you defined at the beginning of last season as ‘inconsistant.’
3. It’s not like he’s the youngest of players, he’ll be turning 29 this season. So one — maybe two — 20-goal seasons out of him and then you’re again paying $2.5 for someone to play in Abbotsford? That ain’t right. Maybe he can take over Kotalik’s rental agreement?

Here is a really great post by Ryan Lambert on the Puck Daddy Blog. When all is said and done, the only thing that Calgary Flames fans will remember of this year is this goal. Check out the post.

What We Learned: Jarome Iginla reminds us why he’s an NHL legend