Calgary Flames Expansion: Deryk Engelland is Going to Vegas

With the expansion, Calgary Flames fans were hoping it’d be Troy Brouwer leaving. Well I hate to break the news to you, but it wasn’t him.

For basically months, Calgary Flames fans were hoping Troy Brouwer would be picked up in the Expansion Draft. Then Expansion day came and leaks were happening. Now, I didn’t want to hear about the leaks because 1) that ruins the fun of the expansion and 2) I knew if it wasn’t Brouwer for the Flames, I would be in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

Well, a leak was released. And it was Flames Sniper Deryk Engelland (if you follow our Twitter account, you know this is a joke we play on all the time).

Engelland was signed by the Vegas Golden Knights for avg. salary of $1 million on a one-year contract. A signing the Flames could have easily made for a grit bottom-two defenceman.

What’s also somewhat confusing is that Engelland would be a free agent on July 1st. And he has ties with Vegas and most likely would have signed with the Golden Knights when free agency started. So Vegas could have gotten another player from the Flames (read: Troy Brouwer), but instead went with Engelland.

Calgary Flames

Via Calgary Flames:

"“I’m really happy for him, quite frankly,” confessed Flames’ GM Brad Treliving, bidding farewell to the 35-year-old after three seasons at the Scotiabank Saddledome.“(Vegas) is home to him.“Part of you is sad that you lose a great teammate, a solid pro, but knowing he’s going back ‘home’ and that he’ll be with his family every day …“Deryk loved his time in Calgary. He’d be the first to tell you that. The coaches, his teammates.“But this is a real good fit, a tremendous opportunity, for he and his family.”[…]“You need people like Deryk Engelland as part of a team. You really do. A real blue-collar guy. A great example to the younger players of how to train, how to conduct yourself.“He had a strong voice, a strong presence, in our room. Those are important, often overlooked qualities.“I think he’d tell you he grew as a player, as leader, as a person while he was in Calgary.“We wish him all the best.“Vegas got a good man.”"

No I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Engelland has a career total of 22 goals and 86 points in 469 NHL games. He played 226 of those games with Calgary and 39 points with the Flames.

Next: Monday Roundtable - Draft Day Edition

All the best, Deryk! I’ve finally forgiven you for fighting Jarome Iginla this season. And with exciting trades already happening today, maybe Treliving should join in on the fun and trade Troy Brouwer… just saying.