After being a competitive team in the Western Conference for years, the Calgary Flames have never been able to recover the loss of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk. Since General Manager Craig Conroy took over last season, the Flames have been defined as a team in a rebuild, leading to being full sellers on the trade market. With the 2024-25 NHL season quickly approaching, the Flames look to continue unloading assets and continue the roster turnover while they instill the cornerstones pieces in their hopeful return to playoff contention. This season will be tumultuous for Flames fans, but there will be some light at the end of the tunnel as they accept the full rebuild.
Season Expectations
There is no easy way to put it, the Flames will not only fail to make the playoffs this season, but they will end up with a high first round draft pick. Their defense is their biggest weakness and there are more questions than answers looming around each player on their roster. In GM Conroy’s short tenure, he has already shipped out Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, and most recently Jakob Markstrom. While some trade returns were better than others, the statement could not be more clear; the Flames are embracing a rebuild.
With that being said, the expectations surrounding the team are nothing short of low. We will continue to see the Flames move as many assets they can part with, aligning with the direction they are in. This will lead to a lot of unorganized play on the ice as new players come in trying to adjust to Flames head coach Ryan Huska’s system. On the bright side, the Flames have a stockpile of young talent that can start taking the reins of the team once more moves are made. Furthermore, Conroy will continue to add as many young prospects and assets as possible this trade deadline.
Projected Lines
As mentioned before, there are a lot more questions than answers regarding the players that currently make up the Flames roster. There is a healthy balance of veterans mixed with younger players, yet most of these veterans will likely be moved throughout the season. Also, if the Flames are smart about increasing the value of their moveable assets, then they will want to give as many opportunities for them to showcase their talents for competitive teams. There should also be hesitation when it comes to blue-chip goaltending prospect Dustin Wolf. Since the Flames will not be competitive this year, it will be a wise decision to limit his starts in the NHL and allow him to continue his domination in the AHL in between starts to avoid forming any bad habits.
To clarify, these line projections are meant to only predict the start of the season. With so many potential moves on the horizon, its almost certain that there will be an injection of youth and fresh faces by the end of the season. Expect the season to start as such:
Jonathan Huberdeau – Nazem Kadri – Andrei Kuzmenko
Connor Zary – Yegor Sharangovich – Blake Coleman
Martin Pospisil – Mikael Backlund – Anthony Mantha
Jakob Pelletier – Kevin Rooney – Ryan Lomberg
MacKenzie Weegar – Daniil Miromanov
Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Jake Bean – Brayden Pachal
Dan Vladar
Devin Cooley
Dustin Wolf *will play limited starts*
Scratches: Walker Duehr, Joel Hanley
Line 1
The Flames really need to focus on reigniting Huberdeau back to his form he had in Florida, one way to do that is to place him with likewise offensive minded players like Kadri and Kuzmenko. The key part to this line is ensuring Kuzmenko starts hot and produces consistently so that competitive teams come calling at the deadline. Kadri has the capabilities to matchup against opposing teams top line, providing favourable matchups for the younger players.
Line 2
There is a perfect balance between skill and two-way play on this line, enabling the Flames to rely on defensive contributions along with maintaining secondary scoring. Sharangovich broke into his own last season, and looks to continue with his scoring prowess. Zary looked really good as a rookie and will try to avoid a sophomore slump, getting more comfortable with the speed of the NHL. Coleman’s relentless forecheck will help in providing an identity for the entire team.
Line 3
Pospisil seemed to have come out of nowhere last year, establishing himself as a heavy hitter and puck pursuit hound. Matching his style with the discipline and consistency of Flames captain Backlund should help him emerge into a player the Flames will want to keep for the long haul. Mantha’s addition to the team will assist in adding goals, while also leveraging more value for GM Conroy to trade once the deadline approaches.
Line 4
Do not expect many goals coming from this line, but you can be sure they will leave everything they have on the ice after each game. Pelletier should find an increased role up in the lineup once spots open up, but both Rooney and Lomberg will help establish an identity for the team through their hard work.
Pair 1
Weegar is a bright spot for this team. He has emerged as a leader and reliable defender since being acquired from the Florida Panthers. Pairing him with Miromanov should not only create a stable pair, but allow Miromanov to continue to solidify himself as a true top-four NHL defender.
Pair 2
GM Conroy seems to value Bahl very highly after acquiring him from the New Jersey Devils for Jakob Markstrom. While Bahl still has a lot to learn, mainly finding comfortability in a top-four role, his size and determination is something Flames fans will love. Andersson is a complimentary partner for the stay-at-home player Bahl is, allowing him to continue to join the rush and create breakout opportunities which he excels at.
Pair 3
There is something to be said when a player comes to play for his hometown team. Jake Bean is the epitome of this. Having a difficult time with the Columbus Blue Jackets the last three seasons, Bean will look to find an offensive role, which the Flames could use more of on the back end. Pachal will balance the pair with his defensive-first play and will continue to show the Flames he deserves a full-time role.
Goalies
Flames fans will not want to hear this, yet the best case of action is to run with Vladar and Cooley for the majority of the season. Vladar is on an expiring contract and could possibly be moved during the season, allowing elite prospect Dustin Wolf to take the reins from there. However, the Flames should proceed with caution when it comes to Wolf, as the NHL has seen the fumbling of elite potential goaltenders when they are put into disadvantageous positions.
Scratches
Both Duehr and Hanley will serves as the majority of injury relief throughout the season. We could possible see Hanley moved to a competitive team as a depth piece once the playoff landscape starts to take shape. Either way, both players will help with the locker room culture more so than the play on the ice.
Keys To Success
GM Conroy must maintain his commitment to a rebuild and continue to offload assets that will not be a part of the Flames future. Hot starts from players like Kuzmenko, Huberdeau and Mantha are a must. There is also a balanced that must be supported throughout the entirety of the season, ensuring the younger players continue on a positive development arc, and the veterans build up enough tradable value to initiate a bidding war. This season will not provide any playoff aspirations, though it will show fans and management who wants to be apart of the team on the other side of this transition.
Potential Downfall
There are three major factors that can result in a disastrous season. One, Dustin Wolf is rushed into an environment that stunts his growth and diminishes his confidence that he has been building the past few seasons. Two, Jonathan Huberdeau maintains his low level of play and only adds more anchors to his contract, making him even more unmovable than he is right now. Three, GM Conroy fumbles any possible trades for his high-valued assets, holding onto them too long and misjudging the trade market. Even one of these possibilities happening could be considered a catastrophic failure, but if they all happen, it will impede the rebuild time line and leave fans more frustrated than hopeful.
Future Outlook
There is a lot to like about where the Flames are heading as a franchise and as time progresses there will be a clearer picture of the timeline back to competitiveness. The Flames already have young talent like Dustin Wolf and Matt Coronato who should make an impact in the NHL this season. Also, with Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin, Hunter Brzustewicz, Samuel Honzek and Andrew Basha in the pipeline, and a presumed high draft pick in the 2025 Draft, the Flames are setting the stage for the franchises revival.
Final Thoughts
The fall from grace has been harsh and rapid for the Flames and their fans, yet there is reason to be hopeful with the direction of the franchise. This season will present a multitude of opportunities for the Flames to find identity, develop players internally, and acquire more assets for the future. As long as GM Conroy and management continue to preserve the sanctity of the rebuild, the flame of the franchise will be reignited along with excitement from a loyal fanbase.