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Despite preseason expectations that had the Calgary Flames missing the postseason for a third consecutive year, the squad has emerged into one of the big surprises of the 2024-25 National Hockey League campaign. Through 54 games, Ryan Huska's group is 26-21-7 and just two points back of the Vancouver Canucks for the final wildcard berth in the Western Conference.
Instead of being sellers, as they were expected to be a couple of months ago, the front office has already been buying. General manager Craig Conroy shipped out a couple of underperforming players in Andrei Kuzmenko and Jacob Pelletier, turning them into a couple of talented but underutilized forwards in Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. Both players have been solid in Calgary and certainly will assist in the playoff outlook down the stretch.
At the beginning of the year, there were some rumblings that a couple of key pieces could be getting a change of scenery before the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline — most notably MacKenzie Weegar, Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Andersson. Fast forward to early February and it looks extremely likely that all three veterans will be hanging around Cow Town for at least a little longer.
Flames are still hanging around Western Conference playoff picture
The Flames have proved through four months of the 2024-25 NHL season that they're good enough to keep hanging around the playoff picture all year long, and they've already been rewarded by the front office. Frost and Farabee needed a change of scenery and should be much better in Calgary than they were with the Philadelphia Flyers.
The emergence of rookie Dustin Wolf also can't be overstated. The Calder Trophy favorite has emerged into an above-average NHL netminder this season, winning 19 of his 32 starts while posting a 2.63 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. He continues to start most of Calgary's games, and he's turned backup Dan Vladar into a trade chip in the process. With another goalie in Devin Cooley working his way up the AHL ranks — and leading the Calgary Wranglers to the top spot in the West — it's likely Vladar will get moved before March 7.
The goaltending is better than it has been in years, and Calgary is doing a much better job keeping the puck out of its net. And although the forward core still leaves something to be desired — the Flames are 28th in goals per game — that's improved as of late.
Calgary looks to have the juice to make a postseason run
The catalysts up front have been Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau, the latter who has bounced back to lead the team in scoring with 21 goals and 40 points through 54 games. Kadri has managed 39 points of his own, while Matt Coronato is enjoying a breakout campaign and has chipped in 30 points in 49 games of his own.
Even with Frost and Farabee in the equation, the Flames could probably use another proven scorer or two. And they could go after a player like the New York Islanders' Brock Nelson or Kyle Palmieri in that quest. Even someone like Chicago Blackhawks' Ryan Donato or Pittsburgh Penguins' Rickard Rakell could help elevate the forward core to new heights.
But Calgary's fatal flaw ahead of the deadline is a significant lack of talent on the left side of the blue line.
Flames' fatal flaw is left side of defensive unit
Weegar and Andersson have both been solid for the Flames this season, and Weegar has been especially prolific offensively recently. But both of those players are right-shot defensemen, as is Zayne Parekh, who was selected ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft and could break into the league next year.
The left side, on the other hand, is a disaster. Players like Jake Bean, Kevin Bahl, Joel Hanley and Tyson Barrie are not up to par on a contending team, and Conroy could look to bring another left-shot D-man to Alberta before the deadline. Here's what Pro Hockey Rumors' Brian La Rose wrote about the team's defensive core:
“Usually, it’s the right side of the back end that teams often need to upgrade at. But with Weegar in the fold long-term and the Flames believing they can re-sign Andersson, that side should be in good shape for a while. (One of their top prospects, Zayne Parekh, also shoots from the right.),” La Rose wrote earlier this week.
“But the left side isn’t anywhere near as secure. Jake Bean, Kevin Bahl (currently injured), and Joel Hanley are among those who have seen top-four time on the left side of the back end and that’s not a core group of a contender. If Conroy wants to make a short-term buyer move, adding a rental who can fill that void would go a long way. Failing that, it will be near the top of their to-do list over the summer.”
Although the Flames should still be looking to the future, especially as they aren't quite Stanley Cup contenders yet, the additions of Frost and Farabee will certainly move the needle. And if Conroy can add another effective scorer and left-shot defenseman, it would certainly take this roster to the next level.
As it stands, it's going to be difficult for this Calgary team to make the playoffs. With five losses in their last seven games — and the Vancouver Canucks and Colorado Avalanche surging — every single game will be absolutely critical down the stretch in the quest to rectify back-to-back missed postseasons. And if this slump continues after the 13-day 4 Nations Face-Off break, things will get even dicier.
It'll be interesting to see if Conroy continues making moves between now and March 7, or trusts the roster to right the ship with 28 games left. That begins in an all-Pacific Division clash against the Seattle Kraken at the Saddledome on Saturday night. Puck is set to drop just past 10:oo p.m. as the Flames look to return to a playoff spot in the West.
