The Flames' five upcoming free agents

Five Flames players are entering the final year of their contracts. A couple of them are newcomers, joining Calgary on one-year deals, while a couple more are reaching the ends of their short-term deals. Then there's one player who has spent most of his career as a Flame, and is entering a situation he hasn't seen for a while now: the need to play for a new contract.

After this season, none of these players will have any guaranteed income, so they'll be looking to have big years for bargaining power when they try to re-sign with the Flames, or possibly enter the free agent market.

The question is: should the Flames re-sign them?

Curtis Glencross, LW

Expiring contract: 4-year deal worth an AAV of $2.55 million with an NMC

2013-14 stats: 38 GP, 12 G, 24 P, 12 PIM, 42.78% corsi

Should the Flames re-sign him? Probably not.

Glencross is entering his seventh season as a Flame, the team he's spent most of his professional career with. He earned his current contract off the back of a breakout 24 goal, 43 point season, and took quite a discount (that included a no movement clause) in order to stay in Calgary.

Glencross signed his last deal back when Calgary was finishing just out of the playoffs and still looking to compete. Things have changed quite a lot since then, with the Flames getting significantly younger and significantly worse. They're also no longer up against the cap, meaning the payday Glencross sacrificed three years ago in order to remain with the team is no longer a factor.

The 31-year-old has already entered discussions with the Flames about re-signing, but with the season right around the corner, it doesn't look like he'll get the contract extension he's hoping for before hockey is back. And he's probably looking for a big payday on a long term deal, too, which means the Flames probably won't be in the right position to re-sign him.

Glencross has the misfortune of playing a position the Flames are relatively deep at. In addition to Mason Raymond, who is signed for three seasons, some of the Flames' best prospects - Sven Baertschi, Johnny Gaudreau, and Emile Poirier - are all left wingers. No matter how good a season he has, re-signing an aging Glencross would be taking a spot away from a kid ready to break into the NHL, and that kid would have far more value to the Flames than he could at this point in time.

Devin Setoguchi, RW

Expiring contract: 1-year deal worth $750,000

2013-14 stats: 75 GP, 11 G, 27 P, 22 PIM, 48.99% corsi

Should the Flames re-sign him? Maybe.

Setoguchi spent most of the summer an unrestricted free agent before signing a one-year, cheap deal with the Flames. While he didn't necessarily have a terrible year last season, he hasn't been able to recapture the highs he once reached in San Jose, and the fact that it took him until late August to sign a contract shows he'll be looking to have a major redemption year.

With the Flames, he'll get ice time and a capable centre, and he may very well find stability with Calgary as well. While the Flames have a lot of quality left winger prospects, they have almost nobody on the right wing, both in the present and for the future. Setoguchi is just 27, affordable, and there's room for him on the roster. If he has a rebound season, it may be worth the Flames' while to re-sign him.

Brian McGrattan, RW

Expiring contract: 2-year deal worth an AAV of $750,000

2013-14 stats: 76 GP, 4 G, 8 P, 100 PIM, 39.12% corsi

Should the Flames re-sign him? No.

While the Flames are lacking in right wingers, McGrattan is not one they should retain. He's a fourth liner at best, not particularly great at hockey and easily replaceable. Furthermore, he's 33 years old.

While McGrattan will likely come cheap and on a short term deal, it just doesn't make sense for the Flames to retain him. They already have Brandon Bollig signed for three years, as well as the budding Lance Bouma, and new prospect David Wolf. All three are younger than McGrattan and, in all likelihood, better.

McGrattan is a great fighter and a great locker room presence, but his time in the NHL is likely winding down, and with younger options with greater potential available, it's probably time to cut ties.

Corey Potter, D

Expiring contract: 1-year deal worth $700,000

2013-14 stats: 19 GP, 0 G, 5 P, 21 PIM, 42.69% corsi

Should the Flames re-sign him? No.

Potter is a depth signing. He's around to give the Flames an extra body, or maybe add some more experience to Adirondack's defence core, depending on how his season goes. He's 30 years old and unlikely to get better.

Tyler Wotherspoon is close to making the NHL, and by this time next season, could very well already be a regular. For this season, Potter makes sense, because it prevents the Flames from rushing prospects. Next season, that shouldn't be an issue.

He could, however, be retained for the AHL team's benefit.

Karri Ramo, G

Expiring contract: 2-year deal worth an AAV of $2.75 million

2013-14 stats: 40 GP, 1 A, .911 SV% (.919 ESSV%), 16-15-4 record

Should the Flames re-sign him? Maybe.

There are three main players in Flames goaltending right now: Ramo, whose contract expires first; Jonas Hiller, a veteran NHL starter; and Joni Ortio who, at this point in time, looks to be the Flames' plan for the future. There are only two NHL goaltending spots available, and one of them seems guaranteed to Ortio after this season.

That leaves just Ramo and Hiller, and Hiller has the benefit of experience, contract, and just plain better statistics. Ramo has the benefit of age - he's 28 to Hiller's 32 - and the possibility of being a hidden diamond in the rough. The two will likely spend the season competing with one another for the Flames' starting position, and if Ramo can't beat Hiller, he could find himself being the odd man out. If that's the case, it may not be worth retaining him, through no real fault of his own.

On the other hand, if things go sour with Hiller or Ortio for whatever reason, then extending Ramo would be a smart decision. He isn't old, was by far the Flames' best goalie last season, and could definitely still improve after his first season back in the NHL.