Wranglers add Feist, Imamoto and Dineen on one-year deals

Calgary’s roster planning took another step forward with one-year deals for defensemen Tyson Feist and Tyler Imamoto and forward Will Dineen, a move that adds controllable depth before the 2026-27 season. Feist and Imamoto signed two-way AHL-ECHL contracts, while Dineen landed a one-way AHL deal.

That contract split matters. Feist and Imamoto give the Wranglers insurance on the blue line, because they can be moved between Calgary’s AHL roster and the ECHL without changing their basic contract status. In a season when injuries and NHL recalls can strip a lineup quickly, that kind of flexibility protects the Wranglers from having to patch together pairings on short notice.

Dineen’s one-way AHL deal points to a different job. As a forward, he fits the kind of depth that can slide into the middle and lower portions of the lineup when the Wranglers need bodies who are already under AHL contract, not emergency call-ups from elsewhere. For an affiliate that has to absorb the churn of a full pro season, that is the kind of addition that keeps the lineup stable when the Calgary Flames need help.

The three signings also fit a larger pattern. Calgary Wranglers transaction posts have already shown the club adding multiple players at once, including a page titled Wranglers Sign Five Players and another noting Connor Murphy’s return alongside three more AHL-ECHL additions. This latest trio keeps the organization in roster-building mode rather than waiting for camp to solve every problem.

That approach makes sense for a Flames affiliate that practices at WinSport’s Markin MacPhail Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The Wranglers have spent years building a pipeline that can absorb injuries, absorb recalls and still keep development on track, and these signings suggest the organization is again prioritizing depth, flexibility and short-term reliability over leaving roster holes open until the last minute.