Sportsnet is reporting the re-signings of Craig Conroy, Eric Nystrom, Curtis McElhinney and Daymon Lankgow. Conspicuously absent: Owen Nolan and Eric Godard (although there's lots of time left).
Nothing surprising here. More analysis when the dollars and terms are released.
UPDATE - Flames have also extended qualifying offers to Brandon Prust, David Van Der Gulik and Adam Pardy. All three of these guys should be fighting to make the big club this year.
That leaves the likes of Ryan Donnally, Derek Couture and Tomi Maki (no doubt upsetting his best and only fan, WI) out in the cold. Couture and Maki played for Omaha last year while Donnally plied his trade in the ECHL. None of them are - or will be - NHL calbier players.
Finally, Lefebvre and Cruickshank also confirm that Rhettro will indeed be bought out. Also:
Morris says Warrener is disappointed his time in Calgary — four seasons — comes to an end in this fashion.
"But in one breath, he's happy he's got his freedom . . . at a time when people are coveting defencemen," Morris said Friday afternoon as he awaited the formal buyout notice. "He still has some play in him. I would expect that there will be opportunities for him.
Warrener strikes me as a great guy and a tough competitor - but it'll shock me if he plays in the NHL this coming season. Besides being painfully slow and terrible with the puck, he's is pretty much always injured. Unless Warrener's willing to up-root himself for a league minimum salary, chances are he'll be facing un-official retirement a la Tony Amonte and Jeff Friesen.
UPDATE II - According to Inside the Flames (these guys rule), Calgary has also qualified Cam Cunning, Andrei Taratuhkin and Tomi Maki. Im pretty surprised about the latter two, given that both are going to be playing overseas next year.
