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Over the last couple of seasons, the Calgary Flames have entered a new era. The Flames captured the Pacific Division title during the 2021-22 season. However, departures followed, with the team losing a chunk of its core after that point.
The Matthew Tkachuk-for-Jonathan Huberdeau blockbuster ended up being a massive bust for Calgary, while the late Johnny Gaudreau had joined the Columbus Blue Jackets in free agency. From there, Tyler Toffoli, Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Nikita Zadorov were all shipped away at various points, while Jacob Markstrom and Andrew Mangiapane were traded this summer.
As a result, the Flames seem to be firmly in the midst of a rebuild. So below, we examine the team's projected roster, and what could be in store for Calgary this season.
Flames' projected defense Group and goaltending
On the blue line, the Flames have two pillars in MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. Especially with Noah Hanifin out of the mix, the duo will continue to be counted on for a massive workload.
After that though, it's a bit of a cluster of players trying to make their mark. Daniil Miromanov was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights last season in the Hanifin trade, but has just 49 games of career NHL experience at 27 years old. Kevin Bahl was a solid add in the Jacob Markstrom trade, but he's only ever really played a smaller role as well.
After that, the team turns to Jake Bean, who didn't get a qualifying offer from the Blue Jackets, and Brayden Pachal, who has just 62 games of NHL experience. So assuming this is the defense group they begin the season with, it's an incredibly inexperienced unit.
In net, it's also tough to tell what to expect. Dustin Wolf has the potential to be a long-term NHL netminder, but he's far from established. He was outstanding in junior hockey, then the AHL, but saw mixed results in his 17 NHL games last season. At just 23 years old, the assumption is that he'll be taking a larger workload this season. But with limited NHL experience and a lackluster team in front of him, we don't know how smooth his transition will be in his first full NHL season.
Aside from Wolf, Dan Vladar is the team's other option. However, Vladar has has typically only ever been a backup goalie, and has never played even 30 games in a single NHL season. This past year, Vladar also managed just an .882 save percentage.
As a result, goaltending is a pretty huge question mark for the Flames, heading into the year.
Nazem Kadri leads projected forward group
Up front, the Flames do look a little better. Nazem Kadri will be counted on for a lot once again, as the team's top point producer last year. Meanwhile, Yegor Sharangovich also put together a really strong first season in Calgary, with his 31 goals and 59 points marking the highest totals of his career.
Andrei Kuzmenko was an excellent fit after coming over from Vancouver. The forward scored 14 goals and 25 points in just 29 games with Calgary, and we saw in the 2022-23 season that a 70-plus point season is possible for him. Blake Coleman is also coming off the best season of his career, scoring 30 goals and 54 points last year.
Meanwhile, Mikael Backlund can consistently provide secondary offense as well, in addition to his defensive impact. Connor Zary is poised to continue getting better too, while Anthony Mantha was a decent short-term add, who the Flames will likely flip at the deadline for assets. It's also possible we could see either of Matt Coronato or Jakob Pelletier make the team.
More than anything though, the Flames desperately need a resurgence from Jonathan Huberdeau. Coming to Calgary in 2022 fresh off a 115-point season with the Florida Panthers, Huberdeau hasn't even reached the halfway point of that mark in either season with the Flames. If Huberdeau can find his game again, Calgary's forward group actually looks pretty competitive. Again though, that's a big if.
The Flames also lack a bit of depth at the bottom of the forward group. They'll rely on the likes of Martin Pospisil, Kevin Rooney, Walker Duehr, and offseason addition Ryan Lomberg. It's an alright group, but not one that'll provide much offense.
Still, Calgary's offense is the least troubling part of their roster.
Flames unlikely to be a serious playoff contender
The Flames' roster is drastically weaker than what we saw a couple years ago. Especially on the blue line and in goal, Calgary is really counting on inexperienced players to carry the load.
As a result, the Flames could find themselves hovering around the bottom of the division, with the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks. The young talent does provide some reason for excitement, but any short-term success is unlikely. Expect Calgary to sell at the deadline, with the likes of Anthony Mantha, and even Andrei Kuzmenko and Rasmus Andersson as potential trade chips.
Assuming the Flames' season follows expectations, they could be quite a ways back from the playoff race.
