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Hagman sent to AHL

Niklas Hagman

Calgary forward Niklas Hagman has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL.

Hagman was a key part of the Dion Phaneuf trade, coming over from the Leafs along with Jamal Mayers (no longer with the club), Ian White (no longer with the club), and Matt Stajan (awful contract, can’t get rid of him).

So that worked out well for the Flames.

Hagman, 31, is in the final year of a contract with a cap hit of $3 million. He only appeared in eight games for Calgary, scoring once and adding three assists.

Flames GM Jay Feaster gets some additional cap space out of the move, which will lead to speculation a trade is on the horizon. I suppose it’s possible, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Hagman still has to be paid his full NHL salary, something ownership can’t be thrilled with.

This is probably more about cutting ties with a player that has no future with the club while allowing his roster spot to be filled with someone that does.

In this case, that someone is Mikael Backlund, who will make his season debut with the Flames tonight in Chicago. Backlund missed the first 14 games with a broken pinky finger.