We have gone over goaltending, defence, and most recently centre rankings around the NHL. In our rankings, the Calgary Flames stacked up as the fourth best in both goaltending and defence, while ranking sixth in our centre rankings. Now, we will look at wingers around the league, and where the Flames stack up in that category.
Spoiler alert, but it will be lower than other positions, due to the lack of high-end wingers.
Right now, Calgary’s winger situations looks like:
LW: Jonathan Huberdeau, Andrew Mangiapane, Radim Zohorna, Milan Lucic
RW: Tyler Toffoli, Blake Coleman, Dillon Dube, Trevor Lewis, Brett Ritchie
Claiming Radim Zohorna on waivers changes things a little bit, and the Flames have a decent amount of winger depth, but they lack true top-six options.
A look around winger depth around the league
There were some notable moves, both in the trade market and through free agency. Hint: The Flames were involved in quite a few. Names that changed places on the trade market include Jonathan Huberdeau, Matthew Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat, Kevin Fiala, Max Pacioretty, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Connor Brown, and Pavel Zacha. Names that moved around on the free agent market include Johnny Gaudreau (sad face), Claude Giroux, Andre Burakovsy, Ondrej Palat, David Perron, Mason Marchment, Nino Niederreiter, Ilya Mikheyev and Evan Rodrigues.
Winger rankings
With ample movement of wingers, particularly in the trade market, the winger depth for teams has vastly changed. With that information, let’s look at and rank winger depth around the league, and factor where the Flames stack up.
#1: Tampa Bay Lightning
LW: Steven Stamkos, Vlad Namestnikov (new), Nick Paul, Pat Maroon
RW: Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, Alex Killorn, Corey Perry
You saw this one coming, didn’t you? Losing Palat hurts a bit, but Namestnikov will fill his role as best he can. Pretty hard to beat Tampa Bay’s winger core, as they possess two star players, a bunch of good middle-six options that will only get better, and even depth beyond that.
#2: St Louis Blues
LW: Pavel Buchnevich, Brandon Saad, Jake Neighbours, Logan Brown
RW: Vlad Tarasenko, Jordan Kyrou, Ivan Barbashev, Klim Kostin
The Blues’ winger core doesn’t get enough love. Buchnevich, Tarasenko, and Kyrou are all studs. Saad and Barbashev provide solid middle-six capabilities. Jake Neigbours is young, but looks very promising.
#3: Colorado Avalanche
LW: Gabriel Landeskog (injured), Artturi Lehkonen, Evan Rodrigues (new), Andrew Cogliano
RW: Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin, Logan O’Connor, Darren Helm
That top-six looks so darn good, and there are solid depth pieces that complete this roster. This winger group might have taken a bit of a step back with the loss of Burakovsky, but grabbing Evan Rodrigues late in free agency was an incredible move. I wanted him on the Flames very badly.
#4: Ottawa Senators
LW: Brady Tkachuk, Alex DeBrincat (new), Alex Formenton (RFA), Tyler Motte (new)
RW: Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux (new), Mathieu Joseph, Austin Watson
Pierre McGuire left the organization, and the Senators started making fantastic moves. Adding Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux in a single offseason is insanity, and this group looks superb. Tyler Motte was such an underrated depth add.
#5: Pittsburgh Penguins
LW: Jake Guentzel, Jason Zucker, Danton Heinen, Brock McGinn
RW: Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Kasperi Kapanen, Josh Archibald (new)
The Penguins kept the group together this offseason, which included extensions for Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Kasperi Kapanen, and Danton Heinen. Jake Guentzel is a star, and there are solid middle-six and depth options behind him.
#6: Carolina Hurricanes
LW: Andrei Svechnikov, Teuvo Teravainen, Paul Stastny (new), Jordan Martinook
RW: Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, Jesper Fast, Ondrej Kase (new)
Such an underrated group of wingers, with Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen taking the mantle just underneath star players. Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas should continue to improve, and there is really solid depth behind them.
#7: Washington Capitals
LW: Alex Ovechkin, Connor McMichael, Marcus Johansson, Conor Sheary
RW: Anthony Mantha, Connor Brown (new), T.J. Oshie, Garnet Hathaway
This group has the star talent in Alex Ovechkin, and a nice array of middle-six pieces. Connor McMichael should be a new target as a deep sleeper pick in many fantasy leagues, as he has been given top-six action in preseason.
#8: New York Rangers
LW: Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere, Barlcay Goodrow
RW: Kappo Kakko, Vitali Kravstov, Jimmy Vesey (PTO), Sammy Blais, Ryan Reaves
Artemi Panarin remains among the best wingers in the league, while Kreider is coming off a season where he shattered expectations. Will the high-end rookies finally take a step and grab some key ice time?
#9: Seattle Kraken
LW: Jared McCann, Jaden Schwartz, Ryan Donato, Brandon Tanev
RW: Oliver Bjorkstrand (new), Jordan Eberle, Andre Burakovsky (new), Joonas Donksoi
The Kraken rank extremely low in every other category, but their winger core is extremely solid. Stealing Oliver Bjorkstrand from Columbus and adding Andre Burakovsky in free agency makes this group look very nice. So many 20-goal, 30-assist players here.
#10: New Jersey Devils
LW: Ondrej Palat (new), Tomas Tatar, Miles Wood, Andreas Johnsson
RW: Jesper Bratt, Yegor Sharangovich, Dawson Mercer, Nathan Bastian
The Devils didn’t land Gaudreau or Tkachuk, but adding Ondrej Palat to this young group boosts them quite a bit. So many young players that continue to grow into their roles.
#11: Edmonton Oilers
LW: Evander Kane, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Dylan Holloway, Warren Foegele
RW: Zach Hyman, Jesse Puljujarvi, Kailer Yamamoto, Devin Shore
The best centre core in the league has a very solid group of wingers around it. Playing with McDavid and Draisiatl will surely boost these guys. Will Evander Kane warm out his welcome, as he has done in other stops in his NHL career? Dylan Holloway looks like an absolute stud so far in preseason action.
#12: Nashville Predators
LW: Filip Forsberg, Nino Niederreiter (new), Yakov Trenin, Zach Sanford (new)
RW: Matt Duchene, Tanner Jeannot, Philip Tomasino, Eeli Tolvanen
Nino Niederreiter is a very solid addition to a group that is underrated around the league. Hopefully Forsberg’s 84-point season wasn’t just a flash in the pan, and Duchene can keep up the pace he set in 2021–22.
#13: Toronto Maple Leafs
LW: Michael Bunting, Alex Kerfoot, Pierre Engvall (injured), Zach Aston-Reese (PTO), Nic Robertson
RW: Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Nicolas Aube-Kubel (new), Denis Malgin
The Leafs have the top-end talent down pat, and it’s crazy that Michael Bunting makes under a million bucks again this season. Beyond the top end guys, the depth remains a question, with PTOs and rookies looking to make their mark.
#14: Minnesota Wild
LW: Kirill Kaprisov, Matt Boldy, Tyson Jost, Connor Dewar
RW: Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Foligno, Jordan Greenway, Brandon Duhaime
Kirill Kaprisov is a total stud. Matt Boldy looked great in his rookie season last year. Mats Zuccarello is producing well. There is solid depth as well with some size and strength. One more proven top-six forward and the Wild jump in these rankings.
#15: Boston Bruins
LW: Brad Marchand (injured), Jake DeBrusk, Pavel Zacha (new), Nick Foligno
RW: David Pastrnak, Craig Smith, Trent Frederic, Tomas Nosek
Losing Brad Marchand to start the year is going to hurt, but the Bruins have a solid mix of top-end talent, middle-six options, and some depth.
#16: Montreal Canadiens
LW: Cole Caufield, Evgenii Dadonov (new), Jonathan Drouin, Rem Pitlick, Juraj Slafkovsky
RW: Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Mike Hoffman, Joel Armia
The winger position is definitely the strongest area for the Canadiens by far. Cole Caufield looks to continue to grow into a star, while the acquisition of Evgenii Dadonov is very underrated. The Canadiens have an overabundance of wingers, and we should see some of these names being shipped out at the deadline.
#17: Los Angeles Kings
LW: Adrian Kempe, Trevor Moore, Alex Iafallo, Brendan Lemieux
RW: Kevin Fiala (new), Viktor Arvidsson, Arthur Kaliyev, Carl Grundstrom, Gabe Vilardi
The reason the Wild require another top-six forward is due to Kevin Fiala being dealt to the Kings. L.A. has a solid forward core already with the addition of Fiala, and their young players like Kaliyev and Vilardi continue to push for increased roles.
#18: Vancouver Canucks
LW: Andrei Kuzmenko (new), Ilya Mikheyev (new, injured), Tanner Pearson, Nils Hoglander
RW: Conor Garland, Brock Boeser (injured), Vasily Podkolzin, Curtis Lazar (new)
Andrei Kuzmenko has fit right in during preseason, and should be a very solid addition. Conor Garland remains one of my favourite players in the league. There isn’t the star talent of other clubs, but man is there a lot of depth, with a lot of young players looking to grab more and more ice time.
#19: New York Islanders
LW: Anders Lee, Josh Bailey, Zach Parise, Matt Martin
RW: Anthony Beauvillier, Oliver Wahlstrom, Kyle Palmieri, Cal Clutterbuck
This is just the most New York Islanders group ever. Nothing too exciting and the star talent isn’t there, but an overall solid group of wingers. You can never have too many middle-six wingers, right?
#20: Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus Blue Jackets
LW: Johnny Gaudreau (new), Gustav Nyquist, Kent Johnson, Eric Robinson
RW: Patrik Laine, Jakub Voracek, Kirill Marchenko, Mathieu Olivier (new)
It hurts having the Blue Jackets one spot above the Flames, doesn’t it. Johnny Gaudreau and Patrik Laine should form a very nice first line, but it does drop off after that. Kent Johnson, Kirill Marchenko, and other Blue Jackets prospects are still unproven.
#21: Calgary Flames
LW: Jonathan Huberdeau (new), Andrew Mangiapane, Radim Zohorna (new), Milan Lucic
RW: Tyler Toffoli, Blake Coleman, Dillon Dube, Trevor Lewis, Brett Ritchie
Jonathan Huberdeau helps to fill the void left by Johnny Gaudreau. However, losing Matthew Tkachuk drastically hurts the winger depth. Andrew Mangiapane should only improve with added roles this year, and there is hope Tyler Toffoli can ride shotgun on the top line effectively.
#22: Vegas Golden Knights
LW: Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Will Carrier, Brett Howden
RW: Mark Stone, Phil Kessel (new), Keegan Kolesar, Mike Amadio
Trading away Max Pacioretty and Evgenii Dadonov for nothing hurts this ranking a ton. There is hope Mark Stone returns to form, and Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith are solid. Beyond that, a lack of cap space has led to weak depth.
#23: Florida Panthers
LW: Matthew Tkachuk (new), Carter Verhaeghe, Nick Cousins (new), Ryan Lomberg
RW: Sam Reinhart, Colin White (new), Rudolfs Balcers (new), Patric Hornqvist
Matthew Tkachuk jumps into the top-six wings, along with Carter Verhaeghe, and Sam Reinhart. Besides that, there are a ton of question marks with the new forwards brought in. The Panthers could shoot up the list if the new gambles pay off.
#24: Dallas Stars
LW: Jason Robertson, Mason Marchment (new), Denis Gurianov, Joel Kiviranta
RW: Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin, Luke Glendening, Marian Studenic
Newly extended Jason Robertson is a complete stud, and formed one of the best lines in the NHL last year along with Roope Hintz and Joe Pavelski. After that, there is hope that Mason Marchment can comw close to the point pace he played at last year, and Tyler Seguin can rebound.
#25: Winnipeg Jets
LW: Kyle Connor, Nik Ehlers, Jansen Harkins, Dominic Toninato
RW: Blake Wheeler, Cole Perfetti, Mason Appleton, Sam Gagner
The top-end talent is there in Kyle Connor and Nik Ehlers, but Blake Wheeler is only getting older, Cole Perfetti is a rookie, and well, the talent drops off quite drastically from there. If you asked yourself: “Who is Jansen Harkins? Who is Dominic Toninato?” I wouldn’t blame you.
#26: Detroit Red Wings
LW: Tyler Bertuzzi, Jakub Vrana, Filip Zadina, Adam Erne
RW: Lucas Raymond, David Perron (new), Dominik Kubalik (new), Oskar Sundqvist
The new additions have helped to add depth to this winger core, but it still lacks the overall star talent, until Lucas Raymond possibly grows into that. Fingers are crossed for a good season for Jakub Vrana, one of my favourite fantasy sleepers.
#27: Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
LW: Jeff Skinner, Victor Olofsson, Peyton Krebs, Rasmus Asplund
RW: Alex Tuch, Jack Quinn, Kyle Okposo, Vinnie Hinostroza
This winger makeup should get better in a few seasons as Krebs, Quinn, and other Sabres prospects grow into their potentials. This isn’t a terrible group by any means. Rasmus Asplund displayed some of the best defensive metrics in the NHL last year, can he do it again?
#28: Philadelphia Flyers
LW: Joel Farabee, James Van Riemsdyk, Noah Cates, Nic Deslauriers (new)
RW: Travis Konecny, Cam Atkinson, Owen Tippett, Patrick Brown
Joel Farabee should continue to get better, while Travis Konecny and Cam Atkinson are solid second line right wingers. There is a lack of top-end talent and depth, but Nic Deslauriers will throw some hits.
#29: Arizona Coyotes
LW: Clayton Keller, Nick Ritchie, Lawson Crouse, Liam O’Brien
RW: Nick Schmaltz, Zack Kassian, Christian Fischer, Alex Chiasson (PTO)
This is probably the strongest position for Arizona, and they still find themselves at 29th. Clayton Keller remains a very solid contributor. Can Nick Schmaltz keep up the career high pace he plays at in 2021–22?
#30: Anaheim Ducks
LW: Adam Henrique, Maxime Comtois, Mason McTavish, Derek Grant
RW: Troy Terry, Frank Vatrano (new), Jakob Silfverberg, Max Jones
Mason McTavish should have an immediate impact in his rookie year. Troy Terry had a very solid 2021-22, but should regress hard this season.
#31: San Jose Sharks
LW: Timo Meier, Oskar Lindblom (new), William Eklund, Noah Gregor, Evgeny Svechnikov
RW: Luke Kunin (new), Kevin Labanc, Alex Barabanov (injured), Matt Nieto
Timo Meier is a stud, and put up a strong season in his contract year. Besides that, it’s a mediocre supporting cast. The Sharks could move up if Kevin Labanc returns to form, and William Eklund takes off.
#32: Chicago Blackhawks
LW: Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Johnson, Boris Katchouk, Sam Lafferty
RW: Patrick Kane, Taylor Raddysh, Colin Blackwell, Philipp Kurashev
Patrick Kane is the only thing remotely good here, and rumours continue to swirl about a move out of Chicago around the trade deadline. The tank is so on in Chicago.
Waiting in the wings
With so many teams seeing changes via trade, promotion, and just generally pulling out the blender during preseason action, this is an are where a lot of movement can happen. Should a team find that one line just clicks better, those wingers could feast on their competition throughout the season.
However, these rankings are more indicative of where one team’s set of wingers compare to another’s as of right now. There will be teams to rise to the occasion and some that falter from expectations. We’ll just have to wait and see how the season plays out.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
