CALGARY — Thanks to a quiet off-season, the Calgary Flames will open the season with a roster almost identical to the one that saw them finish the season 11-2-3.
And that’s a good thing for an organization with some momentum and a penchant to continue getting younger.
Tying an NHL record for the most points (96) without making the playoffs, the Flames organization has stayed the course on its youth movement and will continue to leave the door open for youngsters to break through and continue their development.
The biggest roster question remains whether Rasmus Andersson will be traded before or during the season, which will have an impact on the ice time and pairings of its most exciting addition, Zayne Parekh.
Too young to play in the AHL, Parekh, the team’s ninth pick overall in 2024, is a lock to start the season in the bigs, especially after showing well in his NHL debut last season with a goal in Game 82.
General Manager Craig Conroy is hoping another prospect will force things by winning a job out of camp, like Sam Honzek did last year. However, the reality is the lineup will have enough internal battles up front to make another breakthrough tough.
DEPTH CHART
Jonathan Huberdeau – Nazem Kadri – Matt Coronato
Connor Zary – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman
Joel Farabee – Morgan Frost – Yegor Sharangovich
Ryan Lomberg – Justin Kirkland – Martin Pospisil
Extra: Adam Klapka.
In contention: Sam Honzek, Sam Morton, Dryden Hunt
Will Zary be deployed up the middle? If so, who would move to the wing? Can Klapka eventually be a top-six forward, where the six-foot-eight winger showed so well the last three weeks of the year? One thing is for sure: he won’t be sent down, as he now requires waivers.
Will Pospisil see time at centre or the top six, and can Farabee bounce back from a season he deemed embarrassing?
MacKenzie Weegar – Rasmus Andersson
Kevin Bahl – Zayne Parekh
Joel Hanley – Brayden Pachal
Extras: Jake Bean (L), Daniil Miromanov (R)
In contention: Ilya Solovyov (L), Hunter Brzustewicz (R)
Andersson’s status will have a large effect on the pairings, but if he is still in town this fall, he could pair up with Weegar, who is comfortable moving to the left side. The Flames played Bahl with Parekh in Game 82, which seems like it could be a long-term relationship, as Bahl is comfortable covering for offensive-minded partners. Hanley was one of their only signings, as he provides insurance and pairs well with Weegar.
Dustin Wolf
Devin Cooley
In contention: Ivan Prosvetov
Wolf wants to play even more this year and will likely get his wish as he can no longer be insulated by the departed Dan Vladar. Cooley and Prosvetov have 30 combined NHL starts and are both on one-way deals, making their pre-season battle crucial.
Total Forward Cap Hits: $54.5 million
Total Defence Cap Hits: $22.08 million
Total Goalie Cap Hits: $1.62 million
Cap Space Remaining: $15.41 million
What’s left to do this summer:
1. Trade Rasmus Andersson. The team would love to trade Andersson before the fall and avoid the risk of injury, but Conroy pledges to keep him as long as necessary to maximize the return on a highly-sought-after righty entering his prime.
2. Sign Connor Zary. Expect a two-year bridge deal so the talented youngster can up his value following an injury-riddled season.
3. Round out the signing of other RFAs. The Flames made qualifying offers to Rory Kerins (C), Morton (C), Yan Kuznetsov (D) and Jeremie Poirier (D).
-
-
32 Thoughts: The Podcast
Hockey fans already know the name, but this is not the blog. From Sportsnet, 32 Thoughts: The Podcast with NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas is a weekly deep dive into the biggest news and interviews from the hockey world.
Grading the off-season so far: B-minus
Conroy targeted a few free agents, but none were enticed to join a Flames team still in transition.
Standing pat was wise.
He continues to demonstrate patience, resisting the urge to spend any of the $15 million in cap dollars to settle on veterans who would block youngsters from advancing.
There is still plenty of room for kids in the lineup to grow and prospects to eventually make their mark.
Would’ve liked to have seen him cash in on Andersson already, but the most important thing is to maximize the asset.
The draft was a success as both first-rounders were centres, addressing their need to start developing middlemen. In fact, they drafted four of them.
Some marks were lost for not finding a proven NHLer as a backup goalie to continue insulating Wolf, but the market was thin, and Wolf is pushing to play even more this year, likely exceeding 60 starts.
