Calgary Flames sign Dryden Hunt, Martin Pospisil, and Colton Poolman
The Calgary Flames have signed forwards Dryden Hunt and Martin Pospisil, as well as defenseman Colton Poolman, to new contracts.
The club announced the signings on Sunday morning. Hunt and Poolman had been unrestricted free agents, while Pospisil had been an RFA with arbitration rights after being tendered a qualifying offer on Friday.
All three players signed two-way deals with $775,000 NHL cap hits. Hunt signed for two years, while Pospisil and Poolman signed for one.
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Hunt, 27, is a short but skilled winger who appeared in 34 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Colorado Avalanche during the 2022–23 season, scoring two goals.
The Flames acquired Hunt from the Maple Leafs in exchange for Radim Zohorna ahead of the 2023 trade deadline. He finished the season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, scoring 15 points in 17 games and six points in nine playoff contests.
Pospisil, 23, is a physical forward who appeared in just 20 games with the Wranglers in 2022–23, collecting four goals and 10 points. The 2017 fourth-round draft pick missed most of the season due to injuries.
Poolman, 27, is a six-foot defenseman who plays both sides. He racked up two goals and 14 points in 64 games with the Wranglers in 2022–23 while primarily playing on a pairing with top defensive prospect Jeremie Poirier.
All three players are likely to spend the majority of the 2023–24 regular season with the Wranglers. The Flames still have two restricted free agent forwards to negotiate with this summer: Emilio Pettersen and Ben Jones.
The Flames also lost top minor-league forward Matthew Phillips on Sunday as he signed a one-year, one-way deal with the Washington Capitals. Phillips led the Wranglers in scoring in 2022–23 as they finished first in the league and won the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy.