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The 2020 NHL Entry Draft might be moved to early June. Should that happen, we’re going to be flooded with a ton of rankings in the very near future.
To get everyone in the spirit of rankings I thought it’d be fun to share mine for best contracts on the Calgary Flames.
I focused on the forwards in Part 1. Today, I’ll be looking at the defenders and goaltenders.
I should note that only contracts signed *beyond* the 2019-20 season will be listed. Let’s get to it.
1. Mark Giordano ($6.75M, signed through 2021-22)
The 36-year-old continues to crush value on his current contract. He won the Norris Trophy just a year ago and is providing Calgary with top-level play on a nightly basis.
While his offensive totals regressed in 2019-20, he still put together a really strong campaign. Giordano produced at a 43 point clip, ranked 11th among defenders in shot attempts, and his on-ice impact was fantastic. The Flames’ share of the 5v5 goals was 12.98%(!) higher with Giordano on the ice and he has only bested his xGF (53.48%) twice over the last nine years.
Given the way Giordano takes care of himself, he’s a pretty good bet to remain a bargain for the remainder of his contract.
2. David Rittich ($2.75M, signed through 2020-21)
There are 28 goaltenders slated to make more than Rittich next season and that’s with Braden Holtby, Corey Crawford, Robin Lehner and Jacob Markstrom, among others, in need of new contracts. It’s a lock that Rittich will enter the 2020-21 campaign making less than 31-35 goaltenders. I don’t think that is right.
Big Save Dave owns a 51-26-11 record over the last two seasons and has posted the same 5v5 save percentage as Carey Price and John Gibson during that time. Both seasons his overall save percentage was above league average.
Oh, and most impressively, only nine goaltenders fared better than Rittich against high-danger shots. He made *a lot* of saves you wouldn’t necessarily expect him to make.
If Giordano wasn’t so damn good, Rittich would sit No. 1 on this list. He’s giving the Flames quality play as the 1A while being paid like a backup.
3. Rasmus Andersson ($4.55M, signed through 2025-26)
I love Andersson. Always have, always will. He might not put up a ton of points – I still think there is upside there – but he’s an awesome player. His first passes are almost always crisp and on the tape. He can help transition from defense to offense with ease and I honestly believe Giordano is the only defender on the roster who is better without the puck. Andersson is rock solid as is and, again, there is room to grow. This contract could look really good in the not too distant future.
4. Noah Hanifin ($4.950M, signed through through 2023-24)
This contract, like Hanifin’s game, is very meh. Not *awful*, just not good. Hanifin doesn’t bring a ton of offense to the table. Once in a while he’ll put together a sequence that reminds you why he was drafted so highly. You’ll get excited thinking he’s finally unlocked the talent, only for him to revert back to the disappointing norm. Defensively he’ll be completely fine for a couple of weeks; then he’ll look like he doesn’t belong in the NHL for a couple of weeks. It’s weird. When Mark Giordano went down he mostly held up while logging uncomfortably large minutes. Again, showing signs he might have turned a corner. Then he’ll move back down the lineup and get walked by opposing 3rd liners and depth defenders. It’s puzzling.
I know there are a ton of moving parts on Calgary’s defense right now but I’d be more than open to trading Hanifin if a respectable offer is tabled.
Recent posts:
Ranking Calgary Flames contracts: Part 1
Flames sign Dustin Wolf to ELC
Flames sign Emilio Pettersen to ELC
2020-21 player profile: Sean Monahan
2020-21 player profile: Johnny Gaudreau
2020-21 player profile: Travis Hamonic
2020-21 player profile: Mark Giordano
2020-21 player profile: Andrew Mangiapane
2020-21 player profile: Mikael Backlund
2020-21 player profile: Noah Hanifin
2020-21 player profile: Elias Lindholm
Calgary Flames Blogger • 
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