One of the bigger stories down on the farm was the rise of David Rittich. The goaltender was a signing from the Czech Extraliga, a favourite market for the Flames in recent years. He was mostly brought in to solidify the goaltending depth in the AHL, which had been a mess after Jon Gillies went down with an injury early in 2015-16. Fair to say that he was mostly there for protection rather than as a potential impact player.
Of course, he became an impact player and stole the show for the Heat. It may have been absurd to think this a few months ago, but Rittich has become a possible answer to “what the heck are the Flames going to do for goalies next year?