The Calgary Flames are making progress. They did not make the playoffs last season, but head coach Ryan Huska has seen his team make significant progress. The Flames and St. Louis Blues both finished the 2024-25 with 96 points, but the Blues were awarded the eighth and final position in the Western Conference playoff structure because they had more wins than the Flames.
The Flames are not a team that is loaded with superstars. High-level observers of the sport would be hard-pressed to find any superstars on their roster. However, they have players who will hustle all over the ice and fight for every loose puck. That may be good enough to help Huska's team get into the playoff tournament this year.
Nazem Kadri is probably their best-known player and also one of the team's top performers. He had an NHL career-high 35 goals in 82 games last season, and he led the Flames with 67 points. Kadri has played 16 years in the NHL, and the last three have been with the Flames.
Kadri is the center of their attack
He is coming off a career high in goals scored, and there's no reason why Kadri couldn't approach or exceed that total once again. He has a full understanding of where the soft spots in the defense will be and he does not waste time or energy when he is in the offensive zone. He can make the the key plays that lead to goal for his teammates or score the goals himself.
The Flames are counting on Kadri bringing out the best in left wing Joel Farabee and right wing Yegor Sharangovich on the team's top line.
The 25-year-old Farabee came to the Flames last year at the trade deadline. He scored 11 goals and 14 assists last year for both the Flyers and the Flames, and it seems like it's a stretch to put him on the top line. He scored 22 goals and 28 assists in the 2023-24 season for the Flyers and that was his most productive season in the NHL.
Sharangovich scored 17 goals and added 15 assists last year, but he reached the 31-goal mark two years ago. The Flames are hoping he can get to that level again.
None of those players are the Flames' x-factor. That label goes to Morgan Frost.
Frost could be the difference maker for the Flames this season
The 26-year-old Frost was the Flyers' first-round draft choice in the 2017 NHL Draft. He made his debut with the Flyers as a 20-year-old in 2019-20, but he didn't start to make an impression until 2022-23 when he potted 19 goals and added 27 assists.
The Flyers thought that would be his jumping off point, but his development stalled in Philadelphia. The team moved him at the trade deadline last season to the Flames, and Calgary is hoping he will blossom in his new home.
Frost scored 14 goals and 23 assists while playing 81 games for the Flyers and Flames.
Huska is hoping he can continue to develop as a defensive player and a faceoff man while taking a significant jump in his offensive production.
Frost figures to man the center spot on the team's No. 2 line with Jonathan Huberdeau on his left wing and Matt Coronato manning the right wing position. Huberdeau suffered an undisclosed injury during training camp, but it does not appear to be a serious injury. However, if Huberdeau is out for any length of time, speedy Connor Zary could skate in his position.
The 27-year-old Zary has played two seasons for the Flames and has scored 27 goals and 61 assists. He is an elusive skater who will go hard to the net.
If Frost can score 20-25 goals and 60 points or more, he will fulfill the hopes and expectations the Flames have for him.
Goaltending could be an issue for Flames
Dustin Wolf served as the team's primary goaltender a year ago. He established himself as a dependable netminder because he put in the work and showed he could make the key stops when the game was on the line.
Wolf played in 53 games for the Flames and he finished the season with a 29-16-8 record. He had a 2.64 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. Wolf recorded 3 shutouts.
He shared the net with Daniel Vladar, and the backup goalie did a respectable job as he had a 12-11-6 record along with a 2.80 GAA and an .898 save percentage. The Flames did not see fit to keep Vladar this season.
They are going with Ivan Prosvetov as the team's No. 2 netminder. Prosvetov had played 13 games in parts of three seasons with the now-defunct Arizona Coyotes and he played 11 games last year for the Colorado Avalanche.
Prosvetov had a 3.16 GAA last year along with an .895 save percentage. It has yet to be determined if he can get the job done playing 25-30 games for a team with playoff aspirations.
