Flames sign longtime NHL defenceman Mark Pysyk

After sending Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a fifth round pick in 2024 and a third round pick in 2026, the Flames have made another move involving a defenceman with the signing of Mark Pysyk to a one-year two-way $725K contract. The Flames placed him on waivers shortly after the signing.

The ten-year NHL veteran started the season playing eight games in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and last played in the NHL in 2021-22, skating in 68 games with the Buffalo Sabres. The right-shot 31-year-old Alberta product has played 521 career games in the NHL and is familiar playing with Jonathan Huberdeau, having spent four seasons in Florida.

The defensive defenceman’s experience will be a good addition to the Flames and he may add some occasional depth scoring, something Calgary’s defencemen have been doing a lot of recently, with four of five goals coming from blueliners going back to the MacKenzie Weegar overtime goal versus the Golden Knights.

Looking back at highlights of Pysyk’s career, we go back to his best career season of nine goals and nine assists in 2020, when he scored his first career hat trick.

With rumours of interest from teams in Chris Tanev, the news of Oliver Kylington hitting the ice in practice, and now the signing of Pysyk, could Conroy be cooking up another move?