What should the Calgary Flames do with their 2023 free agents?

1. Milan Lucic

When Milan Lucic came to the Calgary Flames, he was struggling to live up to his massive contract with the Edmonton Oilers, and while he became a fan favourite with the team over his four seasons, it’s safe to say that many fans grew weary of his struggles throughout this past season. Now, Lucic is officially off the books, and at 35-years of age with 1,173 NHL games of experience, he will no doubt weight up this time to consider his future, even though he was a solid veteran influence on the recent Canadian gold medal winning squad at the 2023 IIHF World Championships.

While his role was questionable this past year due to Darryl Sutter’s insistence on playing his veterans big minutes, Lucic has clearly slowed down and is no where near as physical as he once was, and as a player, his time in Calgary has likely come to an end. That doesn’t mean the Flames should completely let him go, as he is a beloved figure in the city and a great leader, so if his time on the ice is done, the Flames should be looking to bring him in as a coach or give him a role somewhere in the organization, but for now, his on-ice career as a member of the Calgary Flames should be over.