Before the new NHL season gets underway, we wanted to turn to our team to ask some burning questions on what to expect of the Calgary Flames. Let’s get right into it!
1: Where do you think the Flames will finish this season
Karim Kurji
Despite the fact that the Flames are better this season than they were last, it will take time to build chemistry and I feel like they will start off slow. They will easily make the playoffs, but will finish second in the Pacific. This allows the Flames to avoid the Oilers until the second round once again, so no complaints.
Bill Tran
It should be a Battle of Alberta all season long in the standings race. It wouldn’t surprise me if Edmonton and Calgary were neck-and-neck all the way through April. That said, each team has undergone significant change. The Oilers have a new starting goaltender, the Flames, well we all know what happened.
The team that comes in third in the Pacific will be a much bigger wild card. It’s good to have expectatations set early on in the season, so we’ll see how the Flames hold up.
John MacKinnon
On paper, the Flames are poised to make a run at the top spot in the Pacific Division. They have all of the pieces they need to win in the regular season and should be able to translate that into success. That being said, my gut tells me that the team will most likely finish in second in the division. They should be better than almost every team, but I can see a situation where Edmonton finishes first.
James Johnson
It was an emotional up and down offseason for the Flames, but they came out looking like a better structured team. Losing two 100-point players is tough, but the additions up front and an upgraded blueline makes this Flames team look pretty darn good. Assuming there is no extremital collapse, I fully expect Calgary to be a playoff team. But, we can expect some regression from the high point total and injury luck the Flames had in 2021–22.
The Flames should be fighting with the Oilers and the underrated Kings for the three divisional playoff spots, with Vancouver and Vegas on the cusp. With that information, I would predict the Flames to finish second in the Pacific Division, behind the Oilers. However, you could put any of the three teams in whatever order you want and I would believe it—people are sleeping on the Kings. I would imagine the Flames land somewhere around 100–105 points, which would be a bit of a step back from the 2021–22 regular season. However, I would put a lot more merit on this Flames team in the playoffs as opposed to last year’s team.
Evan Schwartz
The Flames have set the bar extremely high after last year, but with the additions made over the offseason, I expect them to deliver. While some divisional rivals have improved too, the Flames have the talent to top the Pacific Division once again.
The incredible 111-point total of last year won’t be reached again without some truly incredible injury luck, but I predict a season right around the 100-point mark at leading the division.
Myles Ecklund
Although there may be some growing pains to start off the season with many new faces, I think the Flames can compete to defend their division title. The Oilers had also had a good offseason, just in a lot less front page fashion. Kane is an obvious addition that will see a full season matched up with at least one of Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. Combine that with a reinforced net minding situation and the Oilers look ready to fight for the top spot.
Outside of Calgary and Edmonton, Los Angeles is the next team that could be knocking on the door. It would not surprise me to see LA in second or even division leader for part of the year. Vegas, and Vancouver are next in line but they’re both arguable wild card teams this season unless they catch a wild hot streak. As for the other California teams and Seattle? None of them win more than 30 games this year.
Aman Kurji
The Flames should at least be just as good as good as they were last year, if not better. With once looking like a team ready to tank for Bedard, Brad Treliving saved the day and brought in Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar. This team isn’t just good, they should be great.
Now, in comparison to the other teams in the Pacific Division, Calgary is near the top of the list when it comes to skill. Vegas may benefit from a full offseason of recovery for Mark Stone and Jack Eichel, but they lost an elite goal scorer in Max Pacioretty for literally nothing, and they have abysmal goaltending.
Vancouver should be a better team as well, however they didn’t add much to their team besides Kuzmenko and Mikheyev. Los Angeles should be much better with the addition of Kevin Fiala, however would they be in the Top 2? I don’t think so, at least not yet. Anaheim, San Jose, and Seattle are all teams that I overall expect the same results as last year.
So, that just leaves Edmonton, who I think will finish first in the division based on the improvements they made to their team. Despite that, look for Calgary to finish a close second to the Oilers in the division standings. I would think that the Kings finish third, and that the Canucks get a wildcard spot.
Raja Boury
What isn’t a storyline within the Pacific heading into 2022–23? The Oilers are going to contend for the division title and then you have the question of what kind of team will the Golden Knights be this season? Do the Kings build off last season with another step forward, or do they take a step back in terms of growth? Are the Canucks a serious underrated threat with Bruce Boudreau’s first full year behind the bench? The Pacific entails so many unanswered questions. The Flames could absolutely start slow out of the gate given their new look core and the adjustments that Darryl will have to make to get the new guys accustomed and bought in, which could hurt their chances at a repeat of taking the division title. My final prediction however would be that the Flames finish second in the Pacific!
Joshua Serafini
Brad Treliving truly saved the Flames this offseason, as this question seemed like it would have a much different answer after Matthew Tkachuk asked to be traded. By getting a king’s ransom for him as well as signing Nazem Kadri he’s ensured the Flames will once again be a major player in the top heavy Pacific Division. However with all the turnover the roster has seen this offseason, I think we may see some growing pains for the first couple months of the season which will hurt the Flames’ chances of winning the division.
Edmonton is the clear-cut favourite in my opinion, but the LA Kings are a team on the rise and with Kevin Fiala in the mix they’ll be a legit threat. Vancouver has the talent to make a push as well as does Vegas if they can figure out their goaltending making this a crowded playoff race. That said, I think the Flames are deeper than those teams and will be able to put it all together on the back of Darryl Sutter’s elite system to comfortably finish second in the division behind Edmonton.
Khalid Keshavjee
While I do see the Flames being a very good team on paper, I think chemistry and a lack of winger depth will be their Achilles heel this season. I can see the team struggling out the gate as they try and integrate a whole new core into a brand new system, and then having to play catchup to get into the playoffs. That compounded with a lack of scoring on the wings will mean the Flames will be playing a feisty defence-first game and having to finish on the chances that they do get.
The Pacific will also be a very strong division. Edmonton is still an incredibly strong team to contend with, Vegas in my mind is a wildcard, and LA, Vancouver, and Anaheim have all taken strides forward in their development. I think the Flames end up finishing third in the Pacific behind Edmonton and LA, with Vegas or Vancouver falling into the wildcard spot.
2: Who will lead the Flames in goals this season
Karim Kurji
Tough one because of the plethora of options. Toffoli, Lindholm, and Mangiapane are the front runners in my eyes, but I think Lindholm easily wins this one. We all expect him to have Huberdeau on his wing at 5v5, and will, without a doubt, have him on the wing on the power play. Huberdeau is an even better passer than Gaudreau so the sky is the limit for Lindholm this season.
Bill Tran
Mind says Lindholm, heart says Mangiapane. Lindholm’s going to be the primary beneficiary of the Huberdeau effect. Mangiapane on the other hand will continue his rise in the Flames depth charts and his scoring touch is the best way to do that.
John MacKinnon
I think there is an extremely easy answer here and that answer is Elias Lindholm. With Johnny Gaudreau on his wing for a full season, Lindholm put up a career high in goals. I expect that trend to continue with Jonathan Huberdeau, assuming this is the combination Darryl Sutter goes with.
James Johnson
Some consideration has to be made for Andrew Mangiapane and Tyler Toffoli, but I ultimately think Elias Lindholm will lead the Flames in goals in 2022–23. After all, Jonathan Huberdeau said Lindholm was going to score 50 playing with him in his introductory press conference. Can’t bet against that.
Evan Schwartz
This one could come down to a coinflip, between Lindholm and Mangiapane. Each are coming off career-highs in the department, with Lindholm eclipsing 40 and Mangiapane showing the potential to do the same.
It will probably come down to who plays the most with Huberdeau. While Lindholm has showed he can score 40 and Mangiapane has not, the ice time opened up by Tkachuk’s departure presents an opportunity for Mangiapane. If he gets more ice time with Huberdeau than he did with Gaudreau, he could very well reach that level. Especially with a spot seeming to open up on the top power play, it seems like Mangiapane is poised to hit another new high with Huberdeau feeding him passes.
Still, I think the safest pick is Lindholm, so he’s my choice. While Mangiapane will hopefully set a new career high, Lindholm is the proven commodity, and Huberdeau is as close of a player to his previous set-up man as he could hope for. I’m expecting at least 40.
Myles Ecklund
This is a tough one for me as I see the scouring totals this season being much more evenly distributed than last year’s. I think Elias Lindholm takes home this one. Playing with Jonathan Huberdeau is going to be tremendous for this player. He won’t be the third option on the first line anymore and his quick shot will look beautiful on the other end of a Huberdeau pass. I think it’s possible for Lindholm to hit 45 goals this year.
Aman Kurji
Andrew Mangiapane. Mr. Yeastmode himself will lead the Flames in goals. It’s hard not to pick Elias Lindholm, and to some, he might be the obvious choice, but if Mangiapane is the right wing on the top line with Lindholm and Huberdeau, watch out. Huberdeau will be setting up Mangiapane for goals all night long. I truly believe that if Mangiapane keeps his play up to the elite level that it is at, and if he is getting top line and top power play minutes, 45 goals is not even out of the question.
Raja Boury
Elias Lindholm. Andrew Mangiapane could certainly be a contender with the factors revolving around him taking another step forward, that is if he does not simply replicate his already established efforts from 21-22. I still believe Lindholm could eclipse 40 once again this season.
Joshua Serafini
The simple answer to this question is whoever plays the most with Huberdeau. Like Gaudreau before him, Huberdeau is an elite passer and playmaker who will boost his linemates goal totals by a wide margin. The obvious answer is Lindholm who tied for the team lead last year with 42 goals and will likely be Huberdeau’s centre on the top, however I don’t think we can count out Mangiapane.
Mangiapane finished just seven goals off the team lead in 2021–22 while averaging under 16 minutes a game. If he’s given a shot in the top six with Huberdeau and Lindholm or even Kadri, there’s a very good shot he could hit 40 goals and lead the team. He’s that good.
Khalid Keshavjee
I’m going to go off the board here with Tyler Toffoli. I think with Huberdeau on the wing and Lindholm at centre, the triggerman on that top line will have to be Toffoli, who will be the one to lead the Flames in goals this year.
The one consideration may be to Mangiapane, who may absolutely light it up on a like with Kadri and a winger like Pelletier. If the Flames can get scoring from two lines, the sky’s the limit for how they can perform.
3: Who will be the team’s MVP this season
Karim Kurji
Nazem Kadri. His presence as a second line centre is hopefully going to bring so much balance and diversity to the Flames’ offensive attack, and I think the things he’ll bring will be so, so valuable. He might not lead the team in goals or points, but he will be the team’s heartbeat and most valuable player.
Bill Tran
With so much turnover on the roster, it’s easy to look at the new stars and pin the MVP onto them right off the bat. However, I think it’s going to stem from the back and end up being Markstrom. The players in front of him are going to be given leeway to gel and form chemistry—he on the other hand is going to have to be dialed in from Game 1.
Expecting him to play the Sutter standard of 60+ games, a lot of the Flames’ success depends on him. Toward the end of the season the media may turn to the Flames’ forwards for filling out their Hart ballots, but Markstrom will be quietly reliable and a big key in the bigger picture.
John MacKinnon
An MVP can fit many definitions, but in my mind I think that Huberdeau ends up being that player on many levels. I think he will live up to the hype of his new contract, lead the team in points, and also be named captain within the next year. Buying as much Huberdeau stock as I can.
James Johnson
Jacob Markstrom for me. Coming off a rough playoff performance against the Oilers, you have to think Markstrom is hungry to prove people wrong and have another strong regular season. Based on Sutter’s history with playing starting goaltenders, he projects to play another 60+ game season, and will be the backbone of this Flames team. Another Vezina caliber season for Markstrom will certainly put him in MVP category, as the rest of the roster gels with new linemates/partners.
Evan Schwartz
Jonathan Huberdeau. With the departures of Gaudreau and Tkachuk, the team will need its new top end talent to show up big, and I think he will. Coming off a 115-point season and stepping into another competitive team, with a number of capable goal scorers for him to feed passes to, I have high expectations for Huberdeau. A repeat of 2021-22’s 115 points might be too much to ask, but I expect him to make a big statement in his first year in Calgary.
Myles Ecklund
I think the Flames need their MVP to be Jonathan Huberdeau. Coming off a career-high in points down in Florida, having Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli on a line will give tons of scoring opportunity. That being said I also think Huberdeau has the most pressure on him. If he plays anywhere near the level he did in Florida last year he’s a shoe in for me.
Aman Kurji
It might be a bit hard to remember just how good Jacob Markstrom was last year. Did he have a horrible playoff against the Oilers, 100%. But he was literally a Vezina finalist and was solid for the Flames all season long. Too much weighting is being put on his performance against the Oilers from the playoffs.
Even in the betting markets, Jake Oettinger, Ilya Sorokin, and Thatcher Demko all have better odds to win the Vezina compared to Markstrom. No disrespect to those goalies, but Markstrom should perform better than all three of them. Especially seeing as Jake Oettinger’s hype is mostly from an unsustainable but unbelievable seven games in the playoffs. Look for Markstrom to be on a mission to prove himself, especially with the best defence group in the league in front of him.
Raja Boury
I believe Jonathan Huberdeau will be the Flames MVP this season. Yes, there is the chance that he could start off slow in getting accustomed to a new system and a new city but he just feels like the right choice to me. An honourable mention would be Jacob Markstrom, however, if you’re into sports betting I feel like making a safe bet on Markstrom winning the Vezina in 2023 would be logical. I think we’re all eager to see how Markstrom bounces back after the way his performance dropped off last spring and I think he will be as hungry as he’s ever been in his career to get things started back up again.
Joshua Serafini
Can I say Darryl Sutter here? I’ll go with Jacob Markstrom if we’re talking just players. As we saw in the second round last season, when Markstrom struggles the Flames are a completely different team. They aren’t built like the Oilers or Maple Leafs in terms of star power and can’t outscore bad goaltending like those teams can. The Flames are built to be an elite defensive team and if there’s one thing we know about Sutter it’s that he loves to have a bell-cow in net playing behind his system.
Markstrom was exceptional across 60-plus games last season outside of a few games in the playoffs and there’s no reason he shouldn’t once again be one of the top goalies in the league in 2022–23. With Weegar now in the mix and the Flames possessing arguably the best defence corps in the NHL, Markstrom is in a great spot to once again put up Vezina calibre numbers this season. The Flames will go as far as Markstrom can lead them.
Khalid Keshavjee
With how Darryl Sutter likes to run his teams, the Flames will need to get elite production from their starting netminder who will be holding down the crease for the majority of games. If this season is a success, it will be on Markstrom and it will be him who will be the Flames’ MVP this season.
4: Which prospect will play the most games for the Flames this year
Karim Kurji
I really don’t see any top-six openings in the lineup right now. Because of this, it’s hard for me to pick a top prospect like Pelletier or Ruzicka, solely because they would need to play higher in the lineup to be effective. Last year, Sutter proved that he would not play rookies on the fourth line just for the sake of getting them into NHL games. For that reason, I think the prospect who plays the most games will be on the blueline, filing in for an injury. Does Nicolas Meloche count? If not, I’ll go with Connor Mackey.
Bill Tran
Pelletier. I think there’s maybe a 5–10% chance he remains an AHLer this season. His trajectory has him gunning for a bottom-six role right now. It’d be a bit of a travesty if Sutter sticks to his mantra and slows the development of Pelletier by slotting in veterans. Give him all the space and room to grow and he’ll reward the Flames handily.
John MacKinnon
Depending on who you may classify as a prospect, many players could fit this mold. I feel as if everyone wants it to be Pelletier, but more realistically I can see it being Adam Ruzicka. He’s got the track record with Sutter and fits an immediate need in the forward group. If they can play Ruzicka on the wing, it may be a perfect match. Hot take: Cole Schwindt ends up playing a lot more NHL games than all of us think.
James Johnson
I’m going to take a dark horse and choose Walker Duehr. I would personally love to see Matthew Phillips or Connor Mackey get a shot, but I’m going to pick Duehr because he fits the bottom-six playstyle which the head coach loves. Duehr seemed to impress in training camp last season, and could find himself in the lineup should an injury happen to a Trevor Lewis, for example.
Evan Schwartz
The Flames don’t have many top prospects pushing for a spot in the big leagues. The two who could play though, are Dustin Wolf and Jakob Pelletier. Wolf has the talent, but there isn’t really a roster spot for him in the big leagues, barring an injury.
Pelletier, however, has a real chance to force his way onto the roster with a strong camp. His rookie season in the AHL was so impressive, he really looked ready for a bigger challenge. If he makes it out of camp, I expect he’ll hang on to the spot long term. The team could use some speed in the bottom-six, and a youth injection might be the perfect solution.
Myles Ecklund
Jakob Pelletier is a shoo-in for this. The young winger will fit in on the third line most likely and as long as he can keep his head down and work hard in a Darryl Sutter system, I think we could see big things from Pelletier this year. Depending on how the fourth line plays as the season progresses, keep an eye out for Connor Mackey or Matthew Phillips to get a shot as well.
Aman Kurji
How do you not pick Jakob Pelletier here? Ever since the offseason, it has almost felt like he has been pencilled into the Flames roster for this upcoming season. He can be a perfect fit in the bottom-six as he plays at both ends of the ice, and he can provide some much-needed speed and energy to the bottom six. Depth scoring is crucial for a team looking to contend, and Pelletier can provide just that.
Raja Boury
This is likely the biggest training camp of Jakob Pelletier’s life and I am of the belief that he could earn a spot with the big boys out of camp. He could be the final piece to rounding out the top-nine and filling out that team need along the left side.
Joshua Serafini
Jakob Pelletier is the most obvious answer here. Ruzicka is too old to be considered a prospect at this point or else I would’ve said him. Pelletier is by far the most talented NHL ready prospect the Flames have, and he plays a position in which the Flames desperately need help at. It just makes too much sense.
The question is whether Sutter will give Pelletier a shot in the lineup as he’s typically shied away from playing rookies, and especially ones listed under six feet tall. That said if Pelletier can come out and impress in camp, I think we’ll see him as a regular in Calgary sooner rather than later. Taking a look at the Flames’ projected fourth line should tell you all you need to know about why Pelletier deserves a spot on the team.
Khalid Keshavjee
It absolutely has to be Jakob Pelletier. My hope is that the forward will make the team right out of camp and will be irreplaceable for the rest of the season. While he may end up being pulled out of the lineup for a game or two, I hope he ends up earning a spot in the NHL and never looking back from there.
5: How will the Flames fare in the playoffs?
Karim Kurji
Cup, baby, cup. In all seriousness, I feel like this Flames team is the best contender they’ve had in decades. They should put up a much better fight against the Oilers, but it’s still too early to pick them in a series against the Avalanche. The Western final is where I think they bow out.
Bill Tran
You have to walk before you can run. The Flames have 82 games to learn how to walk with their roster. Then it’s a sprint to 16 wins in the postseason. The Flames are equipped to reach at least eight of those in my opinion, and this season would be a huge success. The Conference Final will be a big test that they don’t necessarily have to pass, but who knows?
John MacKinnon
If the Flames don’t make the playoffs, it will be a massive, massive disappointment. If they do make the playoffs, it’s far too early to make some sort of prediction. So I’m going to go ahead and say the 2022–23 Calgary Flames win the Stanley Cup. Just be as safe as possible.
James Johnson
While I don’t think the Flames will fare as well in the regular season, I think they will have a better playoff. With the additions of Weegar on the backend and Kadri down the middle, the Flames can matchup against opponents in ways they couldn’t before. I would take them over both Edmonton and LA in the playoffs this season, because I have a really good feeling about this group and I think the playoffs last year with leave them determined to be better this year.
I will predict they make it to the third round of the playoffs, and have a rematch against Kadri’s former team, the Colorado Avalanche. An all-Canadian matchup between the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs in the Stanley Cup Finals would surely be a sight to see for everyone across Canada, so let’s go with that.
Evan Schwartz
I think the Flames are a team ideally built for playoff success. With strong forwards anchored by a deep centre group, deep defense with a star in Weegar, and elite goaltending, the team really has all the key components. Sutter behind the bench in what could be his last year might just add some extra motivation for the players too.
The Pacific division isn’t as weak as it was in 2021–22, though, which will add to the challenge. With tougher competition, the Flames will have a tougher path. But for this new-and-improved version of the Flames, I don’t think it will be a problem. I think the team will push beyond where they lost out last season, and make it as far as the conference finals.
Myles Ecklund
In my opinion, anything short of the Western Conference Final is a disappointment. The team had success last year, addressed defensive holes, flipped two top scorers for two other top scorers and still have a Jack Adams winner behind the bench and a Vezina Candidate in between the pipes. Not only were Huberdeau and Kadri big for replacing point totals lost, but they should help to spread out the scoring this season, a big issue the Flames had last season. It’s very realistic to see this team make the Cup Final, if not bring it home.
Aman Kurji
With the Jacob Markstrom revenge tour starting, Huberdeau replacing Gaudreau, Tkachuk’s foot speed not being an issue for the roster anymore, a much-improved defence group which was already pretty impressive, and the addition of a very good player in Nazem Kadri bringing Stanley Cup experience with him, the Flames will perform better in the playoffs. I believe the Flames will at least make the Western Conference Final. This is their window right now. These next two to three years are vital, and the players know that.
Raja Boury
I think the Flames, despite possibly taking a step back during the regular season due to systemic adjustments will be a huge threat come next spring. They are honestly better equipped for the playoffs this year than any other past year in my opinion and the window is now. Let’s say they at least make the Western Conference Final, then we can go from there.
Joshua Serafini
I honestly think the Flames are better equipped for playoff success this season than they were last year. Tkachuk is an incredible player, but it became clear last season that his antics and putrid skating and foot speed were keeping him from being an impact player in the playoffs. The additions of Kadri and Weegar gives the Flames some of the best depth at both centre and defence in the NHL. Typically those are the most important positions for success in the playoffs and the Flames now match up well with anyone in the league in both positions.
With their new additions, plus having Sutter behind the bench and Markstrom in net the Flames could be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time. I’ll say they finally break through and at minimum reach the Western Conference Final this season for the first time in 2004. For fun I’ll predict a Calgary versus Carolina cup final.
Khalid Keshavjee
The Flames knew what they were lacking in the playoffs last year against the Edmonton Oilers last season- depth on the blueline and elite scoring up front. The team addressed both by adding Weegar on the blueline and bringing in Kadri and Huberdeau to replace Tkachuk and Gaudreau. If they can add in one more winger this off-season or prior to the trade deadline, this team could be unstoppable in the playoffs.
Despite my anticipated slow space, my prediction is the third round of the playoffs where they fall in six games to the Colorado Avalanche. It’s very hard to see the Avs losing to anyone at this point, but I think the Flames are coming out of this offseason stronger than the Oilers and should be able to defeat anyone else in the Pacific or Central Divisions in the playoffs.
Hockey is back
We’re just weeks away from the Flames hitting the ice in competitive action. The offseason is over and there’s a palpable excitement to see what this team really is. The puck drops soon and we’ve got Flames coverage and more, all season long.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
