Hey everyone, with just a week to go until the 2024 Young Stars Classic kicks off in picturesque Penticton, B.C., and about two weeks until the Calgary Flames’ main training camp starts, there are still a few details Craig Conroy needs to sort out.
Three players remain unsigned as restricted free agents. All are young and promising, having spent time in the NHL last season, but each faces a unique situation. So, let’s explore why they haven’t signed yet. (Hint: It mostly comes down to the sides not agreeing on contract terms and structure.)
Jakob Pelletier
A 2019 first-round pick, Pelletier is a 23-year-old left winger who has built a solid resume in junior and minor-pro hockey but hasn’t yet secured a regular spot in the NHL. His achievements include being named to the QMJHL’s All-Rookie Team, Second All-Star Team, and First All-Star Team, as well as winning gold at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup and silver at the World Juniors. He also made the AHL’s All-Rookie Team.
Last season, Pelletier split his time between the NHL and AHL, playing just 31 games due to a shoulder surgery and a minor upper body injury. He’s a versatile forward with high energy, tenacity, and strong two-way play. While not dominant in any area, he’s valuable for his ability to contribute in many ways. Given his three years of pro experience and 37 NHL games, determining his contract value is tricky. His first-round pedigree and solid junior/minor-pro performance contrast with mixed NHL results, partly due to coaching changes and his injury last season. Finding a comparable contract for Pelletier is challenging, so we wait for further developments.
Cole Schwindt
Schwindt, a 23-year-old right-shot forward who mainly plays center, was part of the Matthew Tkachuk/MacKenzie Weegar trade. Flames GM Brad Treliving had high hopes for Schwindt, noting his potential as a strong third-line center with face-off and penalty-killing skills.
His first season with the Wranglers was inconsistent, but he improved significantly last season. He got brief NHL experience and was a key player for the Wranglers in crucial defensive situations. Schwindt is a reliable two-way AHL center, scoring between 0.46 and 0.56 points per game. Despite his solid minor-pro performance, his limited NHL results make it hard to pinpoint his value.
Ilya Solovyov
Drafted by the Flames in the seventh round in 2020, Solovyov has spent a year in the KHL and three seasons in North America, mostly in the AHL. He’s developed into a dependable, defensively-focused blueliner. His offensive contributions are modest, but he played 10 NHL games in 2023-24 without looking out of place on the third pairing and penalty kill. Given his limited NHL experience and modest offensive impact, assessing the market value for the 24-year-old left-shot defenseman is challenging.
In July, we estimated Pelletier might receive a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 in the NHL and $100,000 in the AHL, while Schwindt and Solovyov could each get a one-year, two-way deal worth $775,000 in the NHL and $90,000 in the AHL. These estimates reflect their uncertain NHL success, but we’ll see how negotiations play out.
