When the Flames signed Austin Czarnik, they reportedly beat out roughly two-thirds of the league in order to acquire his services. Signed for just two years with an annual average value of $1.25 million, it isn’t a particularly glamorous deal, and yet they got him.
One reason? He’s a right-shot centre who can play the wing, and with the Flames’ dismal lack of right shots, he has an easier path to the NHL – fewer guys he has to be better than. This was a factor that helped the Flames land Spencer Foo a year ago, with a key difference: Czarnik already had three years’ worth of pro experience, including NHL time.