Review: If you were to name the most disappointing teams of 2022-23, the Flames would have to be near the top of the list. After losing their top two forwards in the summer of 20223, Calgary attempted to stay competitive by replacing Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk in part with the acquisition of Jonathan Huberdeau (from the Tkachuk trade) and the signing of Nazem Kadri. While Kadri dropping from his career-best 87 points in 2021-22 to 56 points last season was unfortunate, it wasn’t particularly surprising given that he’s been a 40–60-point center for much of his career. What did shock was Huberdeau’s drop from 115 points in his final season with Florida to just 55 points last year. With their two new forwards not even coming close to filling the void left by Gaudreau and Tkachuk, Calgary stumbled to a 38-27-17 record and missed the playoffs.
What’s Changed? Despite a disappointing campaign, the Flames difficult cap position prevented them from making any significant signings. However, head coach Darryl Sutter has been replaced Ryan Huska, which might give Calgary’s forwards the freedom to be more creative. The Flames also dealt Tyler Toffoli, who had 73 points last season, but usually gets just 40-50, and received a significantly younger forward from New Jersey in Yegor Sharangovich.
What would success look like? The Flames do have an opportunity to get back into the playoffs even with largely the same core. Huberdeau clearly struggled under Sutter, but Huska will offer him a fresh start and given Huberdeau’s long track record of success, a bounce back campaign is a reasonable hope. The Flames also might get more out of Jacob Markstrom, who struggled last season with a 2.92 GAA and an .892 save percentage in 59 contests. Calgary had the fourth lowest five-on-five expected goals against last season (159.77), suggesting that the defense was good, but Markstrom didn’t live up to his end of the bargain. Calgary’s defense might dip a bit without Sutter at the helm, but when Markstrom’s at his best, he can look great with even an average defense in front of him.
What could go wrong? If Huberdeau doesn’t get going this year though, then this could be a nightmare for Calgary. After all, the Flames made an eight-year, $84 million commitment to him that doesn’t expire until 2031. Combine that with Kadri’s seven-year, $49 million contract through 2028-29, which will look worse during the backend given that he’ll turn 33 in October, and new GM Craig Conroy has some potentially bad contracts anchoring him down. This team is in danger of falling into the awkward position of being too bad to be a serious contender, but too heavily committed to veterans to do a proper rebuild.
Top Breakout Candidate: Sharangovich had an okay, but not great 53 goals and 106 points in 205 games over his first three seasons with New Jersey, but the change of scenery could be great for him. The 25-year-old is projected to get an opportunity to play on the top line with Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm. That’s the role that helped Toffoli shatter his previous career high in points, and it could similarly provide Sharangovich with a significant boost.
Forwards
Jonathan Huberdeau - LW
Fresh off a 115-point season, Huberdeau’s first year in Calgary started off on the wrong foot and stayed that way. He didn’t score his first even strength goal until halfway through November and ended the season with his lowest point total since 2015. Switching teams can be tougher on some players than others and the ex-Panthers star never seemed to find any consistency with the Flames. He was moved back and forth on different lines, moved from left to right wing on almost a game-by-game basis and didn’t have much chemistry with any of his linemates. It made Huberdeau more one-dimensional, often looking to pass and not getting any open shot opportunities like he did in Florida. Combining that with the slower pace Calgary plays at led to a serious regression for Huberdeau across the board. Flashes of what makes him great are still there, he is a terrific passer and can create chances out of nothing, but Calgary not having the speed or the finishing talent puts a ceiling on what he can do. He might just be a good player instead of an elite one now, but Calgary is hoping a fresh start with a new coaching staff can change that.
Elias Lindholm - C
Nobody felt the loss of Gaudreau and Tkachuk more than Calgary’s top line center. He only got a short run with Huberdeau to start the year before getting slotted on a line with Dillon Dube and Tyler Toffoli, which he made the most of but not at the level we’ve seen from him before. Blessed with a terrific shot and great offensive instincts, he didn’t change his game much. He could still get to scoring areas and find soft spots behind the defense, the quality of the passes he was receiving were just off and sometimes that’s all it takes when you’re used to playing with elite linemates. Ending up with a respectable 23 goals, only 10 of them were scored at even strength and most of his production came from setting up Tyler Toffoli, who had a career season. One year removed from finishing third in Selke voting, Lindholm’s game away from the puck stayed mostly the same, it’s also where most of his strengths lie. He is usually in the right spot and excels at keeping the play going rather than skating out of the zone or leading the rush. Developing some chemistry with Huberdeau could go a long way for him as he enters the last year of his contract.
Nazem Kadri - C
Kadri cashed in on a career 87-point season with the Avs and his first year in Calgary was more “business as usual” for him. He did just about everything the Flames asked out of him and had a nice season that was more in-line with his career numbers. You’ll probably get 20-something goals and 55+ points out of him. It’s a little disappointing when compared to the $7 million AAV contract. The Flames will be paying him for the next six years, but he does a lot for you even when he’s not getting on the scoresheet. Most of his lines are positive in terms of tilting the ice and he backchecks harder than almost anyone on the team. He is also someone who could have a bigger year if the Flames can play with a little more tempo. Kadri was their best player at turning zone entries into scoring chances and while his own shot isn’t good, his speed can create space for linemates and help them generate more give-and-go chances off the rush. Kadri did a good job of creating his own chances, but he usually needs a rebound or someone else setting him up to score. It’s tough to see Calgary doing that with their current roster, but they still have a high floor with what they’ll get out of Kadri.
Mikael Backlund - C
Calgary’s longest tenured player has been a model of consistency for 14 years running. He is always dependable for giving the Flames a solid baseline of skill and defensive play in their middle-six. You usually know what you’re getting out of him, as he handles a lot of tough matchups and defensive minutes for the Flames while providing some spark offensively. It makes Calgary’s depth lines a tough out on most nights, especially on the penalty kill where he plays more minutes than any other Flame. He is the type of player most fans will look back on in a few years and say he should have been higher on most Selke ballots but never really had that one year where he stacked up favorably against Bergeron or the other elites in the league. Still, he will probably go down as one of the more underrated forwards of the modern era, as his shutdown play is only really appreciated by those who follow Calgary and not much else. Scoring a career high in points at 33 years of age, he still has a lot to give but is entering the age where most forwards enter a decline. That said, Calgary probably isn’t worried about that for next year.
Andrew Mangiapane - RW
Finally having that breakout season in 2021-22, Mangiapane saw his shooting percentage crash down to earth last year. He had the perfect storm of being a player who finished at a high rate while creating a boatload of chances with ice-time as the only thing keeping him back. This year, the chances were still there but the finishing wasn’t. It was a little flummoxing, as he brings a lot of qualities that should thrive in a Sutter-hockey system. He has no problem getting to the net and most of his goals in 2021 were of the “loose change” variety where he found himself picking up the scraps or a rebound. Those opportunities were still there, but he couldn’t finish on them at the same rate, as opposing defenders caught onto how to defend the Flames quicker than they did last year. Mangiapane had to change his game as the year went on, learning how to play off the rush more and got himself open in the slot instead of simply going to the net. It worked to a point, as he still scored at a respectable clip, but he still left some offense on the table. He should continue to be a fixture in the Flames middle-six.
Blake Coleman - RW
There aren’t many players who took the path Coleman did to the NHL and had a long career. Playing all four years in college and signing with the same team that drafted him, Coleman established himself as one of the league’s better checking line forwards after a few years in New Jersey. He has since gone on to have a great career, winning two Cups in Tampa Bay before turning into a long-term deal with the Flames. They’ve gotten just about what they expected from him, an energetic, high-motor forward who chips in with enough goals to stay in the top-nine. He is perfectly slotted alongside Mikael Backlund on the Flames third line and as one of the workhorses on Calgary’s penalty kill. The only issue you’ll find with Coleman is that he is one of many forwards on the Flames who play an honest game but have limited offensive upside. Coleman’s speed gives them a little more of an explosive element off the rush and when poaching for shorthanded goals, but checking liners can only do so much without the horses in front of them pulling their weight.
Dillon Dube - RW
In some ways last year was a step forward for Calgary’s 2016 first round pick. He scored a career high in points and tied his career high in goals. How he got to that point was the frustrating part, ending the year on a dismal note with only one goal since the beginning of March. The Flames gave him every opportunity to produce, playing him alongside Elias Lindholm and he got plenty of puck touches every game. It was just a matter of being efficient when he got the puck, which only happened sometimes. He gives the Flames some quickness but dumps the puck in more than he carries in, has a decent shot but takes a lot of empty calorie wristers from the outside. The saving grace was that he provided some quick strike offense in the Flames top nine and turned it into a career season. Calgary was just left wondering if this is as good as it gets with him. Dube’s been a solid middle-of-the-roster player since he arrived, but he had a chance to do more, and the returns were only okay instead of great.
Yegor Sharangovich - LW
Sharangovich was a solid piece in the Devils rebuild until last year. He had a couple of good seasons alongside Jack Hughes and looked like a solid complementary piece in the middle-six. The Devils added some more forward depth and Sharangovich lost his usual running mate, trying to find a home in the Devils bottom-six and even found himself a healthy scratch in the playoffs. It’s easy to see why he can be something great. The shot speaks for itself, and he is also the type of winger who will go back to start the breakout and it made him a nice fit alongside a strong puck-carrier like Hughes. He’s also very good at pulling up to create his own shot, which becomes difficult when your role becomes more about defense and checking. It’s tough to say if that will change in Calgary, but the Devils thought he reached his ceiling and opted to upgrade. He has more of a blank canvas to work with in Calgary and plays a similar style to most of their wingers.
Adam Ruzicka - C
In a tough year you look for positives and Ruzicka was that for Calgary after he was inserted into the lineup in November. He was a dark horse Calder candidate in his first 20 games, scoring six goals and 17 points while earning some minutes on the power play unit in the process. The problem? He didn’t score for the rest of the year and had only three points in his final 24 games. Healthy scratched for most of the month of March and not playing a single game after March 20th as Calgary gave some other forward prospects a look. He’s a big forward who is very effective at using his body to defend the front of the net and help exit the zone, so there could be a place for him in Calgary’s lineup going forward. His hot start might have set expectations too high and while the former 4th round pick has nothing left to prove in the AHL, he’s going to have some competition with Calgary looking to give more Wranglers a shot this year. His big frame and willingness to play a bottom-six role could be what keeps him in.
Defense
Rasmus Andersson - D
One of the strangest injuries of the NHL season was when this Calgary defenseman was hit by a car while riding a scooter during an off day in Detroit. He missed only three games and scored a career-high 11 goals. Amidst all the chaos with the Flames, he might have been one of their bright spots. Not the first defenseman you would expect to post just under 100-points over the past two seasons, but being a right-shot and a great passer has its benefits. It’s made him the top option to run Calgary’s power play for the past couple years. Scored all but one of his goals last year at even strength. Doesn’t waste a lot of shots, often jumping in from the point or taking the one-timer when he has the time and space. Play away from the puck is spotty at times because he’s not the best at pivoting or dealing with forwards with speed. Will often rely on his partner or stay to the middle when defending entries, opening up more ice. The offense he brings has offset some of these issues the last couple of years, but it’s something Calgary has to work around with the minutes he logs.
Mackenzie Weegar- D
The rare right-shot defenseman who plays the left side, Weegar gives you a little of everything on the backend. Not the biggest defenseman but makes up for it with his strength and how effective he is at denying entries. Usually attacks from an angle to take the puck away instead of standing up forwards or going for a big hip check. Made a great tandem with Christopher Tanev as two of the league’s better skating defenders and is one of the best in the league at helping his team beat a forecheck. Wasn’t as dynamic with leading the offense in Calgary compared to Florida, but there’s a limit on how much of an impact he can have on offense if he doesn’t have the right forwards to complement him. Also, turnover prone at times, but the good outweighs the bad with him, especially with the ridiculous workload he handles in the defensive zone, both with chasing forwards down and retrieving pucks. Point total will likely be dictated by how well the forwards in front of him finish and how much he is allowed to roam in the offensive zone. He was mostly active on pinches and the odd zone entry as opposed to being a pure rover in Florida. Still a key piece to any team’s top-four.
Noah Hanifin- D
Solid, yet unspectacular is one way to describe the former Boston College star. He has the ideal size and skillset for a defenseman to dominate today’s NHL and the results have usually been good, even if you have to really pay attention to appreciate what he does. He doesn’t have a flashy highlight reel, but he eats a lot of minutes, and the Flames are usually on the better end of it. Once every blue moon he’ll have a game where the offense pops, effortlessly gaining the zone 3-4 times to set up a goal or lead an end-to-end rush on his own. This and acting as the trailer off the rush are when you really see the game-breaking ability out of him, he’s got a sneaky good wrister and can score from distance. Most of the time, he takes care of his own end and plays more of a simple game. Can read the game well and knows when to back off at the line instead of standing up a forward. Uses his reach to deny rush chances but gives forwards too much of a gap sometimes. Makes him a very boom-or-bust defenseman when defending entries, but the rest of his game is solid. Hi toolset is still a hockey scout’s dream and he will get a big raise after next year.
Christopher Tanev- D
Before Jaccob Slavin and Jonas Brodin, Chris Tanev was the first mobile shutdown defenseman of the 2010’s. Providing hockey nerds with endless clips of him skating forwards into the boards until they give up the puck or turning a blocked shot into a rush the other way. This will be his 14th season in the NHL and his game hasn’t changed much at all. He’s had so few years where he wasn’t on the positive side of the goals or expected goals ledger that it’s really hard to find a fault in his game except maybe the lack of offense. He doesn’t bring much of a dynamic skillset once the puck gets over the red line and almost never shoots the puck, but nobody is ever going to get upset with him for that, as he’s there to prevent chances first and foremost. The only real question for him is if 14 years, most of them being filled with injuries, start to take their toll on the RIT grad. He doesn’t play an overly physical game, but still logs a lot of tough minutes and those eventually add up when you enter your mid-30’s.
Goaltending
Jacob Markstrom - G
Just when it seemed like Jacob Markstrom had figured out his game in Calgary, the Flames lost a handful of their big stars in high-profile off-season shakeups that left the team reeling. Despite the team’s faith in a back-from-the-retirement-life head coaching stint from Darryl Sutter, the Flames stuttered in a baffling Western Conference and fell out of playoff contention altogether – and they took Markstrom’s numbers with them.
The Swedish-born netminder had one of his worst seasons in the NHL to date, and his game looked like it struggled as much visually as it did on paper. Always better at getting good reads from his feet and making stops that bought him time to recover from his knees, Markstrom looked sluggish when dealing with pressure around the net and struggled to pick up second and third chances when opponents capitalized on softer rebounds. That can’t all be attributed to Markstrom himself, of course; the veteran Flames backstop thrives when given the opportunity to work with a defensive structure that scoops errant pucks and prevents incoming traffic from putting pressure on in the blue paint, and Calgary’s defence failed to deliver in that area last year. But some of the holes in his game – including his regression to some sloppier angles that saw Markstrom stay a little flatter on the goal line and avoid fluid lateral movement – suggest that he might simply be showing some of the signs of wear and tear that his heavier workload the last two years may have put on his body.
While his performance last year makes it hard to feel overly confident about what he can do this year, Markstrom does have plenty of backup available in the wings – it will simply be a matter of who sits as his number two. Czech netminder Daniel Vladar, whose lanky build and energetic movements keep fans on their toes and opponents guessing just what he’ll do next, is back for another season to hopefully bounce back from his own lackluster 2022-23 campaign. And perhaps more exciting is the likely appearance of prospect Dustin Wolf, whose otherworldly performance at the AHL level last season make it harder and harder to justify keeping him waiting in the wings if both Markstrom and Vladar find themselves struggling again next year. Wolf seems to be the best statistical option for the Flames, but he’s the most flexible with regards to where they can play him and the cheapest they have under contract; it’s likely all three goaltenders will share some time in net next year, it’s just hard to pinpoint just who will be taking on the largest workload when all is said and done.
Projected starts: 45-50
