NHL Contracts: Each team’s worst deal

Calgary Flames: Troy Brouwer

Contract: Two years remaining, $4.5 million average annual value, $9 million total salary remaining, 15-team modified no-trade clause.

Back in 2016, the Calgary Flames were desperately looking to add to their right wing depth. It’s an issue that still plagues them to this day. But anyway, the Flames also wanted to add grit. Instead of just heading to Cracker Barrel and getting some tasty grits, they added it in the form of Troy Brouwer. He was coming of a very impressive postseason for the St. Louis Blues.

Calgary was hoping to get at least one or two good years out of Brouwer, but so far, they’ve gotten zero.

A good rule of thumb in free agency is “avoid overpaying someone for playoff performance”. The Flames broke this cardinal rule and are now suffering for it. Brouwer, not surprisingly, has not lived up to the expectations of his contract.

In 2015-16, he had 18 goals. Brouwer has 19 goals combined in his first two seasons in Calgary. He has also had the two lowest point totals in his career (25 in 2016-17 and 22 in 2017-18). Brouwer’s playing time has rightfully been reduced to just over 13 minutes per game.

Everybody but the Flames could have told you his deal was a really bad one from the moment it was signed. Calgary was hoping to get at least one or two good years out of Brouwer, but so far, they’ve gotten zero.