The Flames announced the signing of 5 youngsters to entry level deals today, including former first-rounder Matt Pelech, WHL stand-out Matt Keetley, his teammate Gord Baldwin, Sutter the lesser (Brett) and undrafted blueliner Brad Cole.
The Keetley signing likely signals the end of the Krahn era in Calgary. The Flames are now ankle-deep in goalie prospects: McElhinney, Lalande, Keetley and Irving, to name a few. Krahn's constant struggles with injuries and consistency, not to mention his pending UFA status, means he'll cease to be Flames property this summer.
Pelech and Baldwin were top 2 blueliners for their respective junior clubs this past year. Likely the latter will be looking to crack the top 4 in the AHL come September. Sutter took a big leap, stats-wise, as an overaged winger in the dub last season. That said, his numbers still aren't mind-boggling. He'll be trying out for 3rd/4th line duty on the Knights next year. Brad Cole, like Mark Giordano, was passed over in the draft and was signed by Sutter as a free agent. He managed a pretty good season last year as the Captain of the Saskatoon Blades. Looks like a low-risk, moderate-reward kind of move.
