Calgary made a roster move on Wednesday, signing blueliner Matt Bartkowski to a professional tryout.
Bartkowski, 28, has spent all of this season with Boston’s AHL affiliate in Providence, scoring 10 points in 34 games. His last NHL action came in ’15-16, when he scored 18 points in 80 games with Vancouver.
And that’s where the familiarity angle comes into play.
Though he was oft criticized for his play last season, Bartkowski did log career highs across the board with the Canucks -- under the watchful eye of then-assistant coach Glen Gulutzan, who’s now the head man in Calgary.
That said, it’s tough to see where Bartkowski would fit in the Flames lineup. He could push for a spot in the bottom pair, currently comprised of Brett Kulak and Deryk Engelland, though the likes of Jyrki Jokipakka and Tyler Wotherspoon are fighting for those minutes as well.
He also might provide the Flames some roster flexibility as they head into the Mar. 1 trade deadline, and the upcoming expansion draft.
If Flames end up signing him to a real NHL contract, he would qualify as a guy they could expose in expansion draft. https://t.co/lgUEhjuKLh
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 15, 2017