Calgary Flames place Adam Ruzicka and Nick DeSimone on waivers

The Calgary Flames have placed center Adam Ruzicka and defenseman Nick DeSimone on waivers.

Ruzicka & DiSimone (CAL) on waivers

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 24, 2024

At this point, there is no indication as to the purpose of both of these moves. It’s possible that it has something to do with defenseman Oliver Kylington’s return to the lineup, as he’s been practicing with the Flames recently. Other than Kylington, Martin Pospisil is the only other player currently injured, but he’s not due to return until after the All-Star Game. The moves could also coincide with a trade as the Flames projected to sell at the Trade Deadline this season, but there has yet to be any indication that they’re close to a deal.

Ruzicka, 24, has had a solid season but not good enough to not make him expendable with 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points in 36 games. Should he clear, it will be the first time Ruzicka’s played an AHL game since the 2021-22 season.

The Bratislava, Slovakia product was a fourth-round pick for the Flames in the 2017 NHL Draft, and has spent the entirety of his five-season North American professional career in the Calgary organization, making his NHL debut in the 2020-21 season.

Ruzicka is currently in the final year of a two-year contract with a $762,500 cap hit, and is set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in the 2024 offseason.

DeSimone, 29, has been relatively productive on the blueline this season for the Flames, with 1 goal and 4 assists for 5 points in 23 games. He’s also gotten into 10 games with the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL already this season, with eight assists in that span.

The East Amherst, New York product was an undrafted free agent signing out of Union College by the San Jose Sharks, spending parts of five seasons in the AHL with the San Jose Barracuda before he was dealt to the Vegas Golden Knights as part of a three team trade that sent Mattias Janmark from the Chicago Blackhawks to the Golden Knights in 2021. He then went to free agency in the 2021 offseason, where he signed with the Flames and has since spent his career with, making his NHL debut in the 2022-23 season.

DeSimone is currently in the final year of a two-year contract with a $762,500 cap hit, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2024 offseason.

The Flames will look to end a three-game losing streak when they host the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday at 9 p.m. EST. They currently sit in sixth in the Pacific Division with a 21-21-5 record, and are four points behind the Nashville Predators for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference.