After parting with Michael Ferland in their trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, the Calgary Flames are looking for someone to line up with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan and Gaudreau believes free agent signing James Neal is a perfect fit.

"I’m pumped," Gaudreau told The Cherry Hill Courier-Post of the signing. "Nealer’s obviously a great player, a great leader. I’ve heard a lot of great things about him. I got to introduce myself to him at a couple All-Star Games now.

"I think he’s gonna be a great addition to, hopefully, our line. I think that would be great fit for me and Mony - a strong player who can shoot the puck and me and Mony have played together for four or five years now. We know each other really well on the ice and Neal would just be a great addition to our line. Hopefully we can do some big things together."

New Flames head coach Bill Peters said after the team's trade with the Hurricanes that Matthew Tkachuk would get the first look in training camp on the right wing of the team's top line, but that was before Neal was signed.

Gaudreau said he trusts in Peters and believes the Flames' off-season overhaul, which included adding two new centres lias Lindholm and Derek Ryan, will pay off this year.

"I’m very excited. I think it’s a really good off-season for our team with Nealer signing with us and bringing in (Noah) Hanifin and Lindholm, two great players," Gaudreau said. "And bringing back some of our younger guys to come back and help us. We’ve done a lot this off-season. I think it’s put us on the right stepping stone for next season with a new coach in Bill Peters. I’m really excited to work with him. Obviously, a good coach. I got to see him at World Championships and meet him at World Championships. I’m looking forward to next season.

"Can’t wait to get back out there and get things going and meet the new guys and get our team back in the playoffs this season."

Gaudreau led the Flames with 84 points last season, while Monahan finished second on the team with 64 points. Neal's 44 points with the Vegas Golden Knights would have tied him for fifth on the Flames in scoring last season, five points back of Tkachuk.