The Calgary Flames have settled on a two-year contract with Mark Jankowski, avoiding the arbitration process entirely. The deal will carry an average annual value of $1.675MM. Jankowski was scheduled to have an arbitration hearing on Friday, but will no longer need to go through it.
Jankowski, 23, played his first full season in the NHL in 2017-18, and rewarded the Flames’ patience with 17 goals. Selected in the first round of the 2012 draft, he’d previously played just a single game in the NHL and looked like he might never become the powerful two-way center that Calgary had hoped for. Now that future looks bright again and he’ll head into next season fighting for a role on the third line. The team did bring in Derek Ryan to help out their center depth, but Jankowski has a much greater upside with his big frame and scoring ability.
That upside could be a huge factor for the Flames this season if they’re going to get back to the playoffs and compete for the Stanley Cup. Even with outstanding seasons from the top duo of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, the team didn’t have enough secondary scoring or defensive unity to compete in the Pacific Division. Jankowski, along with newcomers like Elias Lindholm and James Neal, should bring an added punch to the forward group that will allow them to score with anyone in the west, while also being stable enough in their own end to help Mike Smith post another good season.
The two-year deal will carry Jankowski to age 25, at which point he will still be a restricted free agent. Technically he could qualify for Group VI unrestricted free agency, but only needs seven more games played to become ineligible. Instead, he’ll be trying to sign a long-term deal that pays him like the first-round pick he was, and solidifies him as the team’s third center option behind Monahan and Mikael Backlund.