Calgary Flames recall blueliner Jordan Oesterle from the AHL’s Wranglers

Oesterle, 31, joined the Flames via free agency during the summer, but struggled early in the season to really find his mojo and was a regular healthy scratch. He was waived by the big club back on Nov. 2 and was sent to the Wranglers the following day.

In 12 games with the Wranglers, Oesterle has eight assists. In four games with the Flames, he has zero points. Per our pal Pat Steinberg from Sportsnet, Oesterle skated as an extra defender during Wednesday’s practice. Chris Tanev, who blocked a shot with his face on Monday night against Vegas, was a regular participant in practice, per Steinberg.

Why is Oesterle being called up? Well, as insurance against possible injury, it makes a lot of sense to have a veteran NHLer who’s served as a seventh defender in that role – he’s sat before and he’ll sit again, and based on his age, experience and developmental arc, it won’t really hurt him at all. The younger AHL defenders need to play games. That’s our read, at least.

Oesterle’s waiver clock was also reset when he cleared in early November, so he can be on the NHL roster for 30 days (or dress 10 times, whichever comes first) without needing to clear waivers again. Nick DeSimone, for example, only had eight days (or two games) left on his waiver clock. Choosing Oesterle extends the Flames’ window of flexibility waiver-wise without forcing them to make definitive decisions on any players.

The Flames are now carrying 22 players: two goaltenders, seven defenders and 13 forwards, and they’re $1.361 million below their long-term injury relief spending ceiling.