Right winger's speed and size, and youth, gives Calgary a strong piece on the fourth line
There are a litany of big decisions to make for the Calgary Flames in the coming month or so.
That does not mean smaller moves are not important, and the Flames took care of one of those key to-do items with Monday’s announcement that forward Walker Duehr has signed a two-year extension.
The one-way contract is reportedly worth an annual average value of US$825,000. Duehr could become an unrestricted free agent after the 2024-25 season.
Duehr, 25, collected seven goals and 11 points in 27 NHL games this season, but the 6-2, 210-lb. right winger came into his own down the stretch, collecting four goals and three assists in the final 12 games.
The contract will be a nice boost for Duehr and at the right time. At season’s end, he was sent to the AHL Calgary Wranglers, and will begin what the franchise hopes will be a lengthy playoff run Wednesday when they play host to the Abbotsford Canucks.
In 41 games with the Wranglers this season, Duehr collected 15 goals and 26 points before earning a summons to the big club.
Duehr, who was signed as a free agent in 2021 after finishing his senior year at Minnesota State University Mankato, worked his way to becoming a key component on Calgary’s fourth line, which is the most likely spot for him next season. Curiously, both of the other skaters he spent the most time with in that role — Milan Lucic and Trevor Lewis — are both due to become unrestricted free agents.
For a team with salary cap constraints, barring a couple of trades involving higher salary skaters, keeping Duehr in the fold for little more than the league minimum is a very good move.
The Flames have a few other pending unrestricted free agents in forward Nick Ritchie and defensemen Troy Stecher and Michael Stone, as well as a handful of players with the Wranglers.
Of course, there is those big-ticket pressing needs of finding a new general manager to replace the now-departed Brad Treliving, as well as the status of coach Darryl Sutter — whose two-year contract extension has yet to kick in — plus various assistant coaches.
