Training camps have officially begun around the NHL which means fantasy drafts are on the horizon. After a disastrous season across the board for the Calgary Flames last year, the roster as a whole has dropped down draft boards. That said, with a very likely improved offence and power play, the Flames could have some sneakily good fantasy players on their roster. Let’s take a look at some fantasy players worth noting on the Flames.
MVP – Jonathan Huberdeau (LW)
After being drafted in the first round of most drafts last year, Jonathan Huberdeau finished the season with just 55 points and was perhaps the biggest bust in fantasy hockey history. His ADP reflects his disastrous season as he’s currently being picked up all the way into the 12th round in Yahoo! leagues. That said, there’s no denying his talent, and I think he’ll be the clear pick for fantasy MVP on the Flames come year’s end.
Huberdeau saw his shooting percentage drop from 13.5% during his career year in 2021–22 to 11.9% last season. He also saw his average ice time drop significantly from 19:25 in 2021–22 to just 16:51 last season. His power play production also dropped from 38 to just 15—his lowest output since 2016–17. There’s simply no way all three of those numbers stay so low.
With a new coaching staff in town, Huberdeau should once again be in line for top-line minutes and as a focal point on the power play. No player on the Flames has the ceiling he does and I expect him to once again reach the point-per-game mark in 2023–24 and finish with around 80–85 points.
Sleeper – Yegor Sharangovich (RW/LW)
Yegor Sharangovich is my pick for the Flames’ top sleeper in fantasy this year. Sharangovich came over in the Tyler Toffoli trade and will be tasked with bouncing back from a rough sophomore season. Last year Sharangovich was a popular sleeper but ended up regressing and posting just 13 goals and 30 points in a limited role on the Devils. As such, he’s going undrafted in most leagues this year which means he’s once again in sleeper territory.
Last season Sharangovich saw his shooting percentage drop to just 9.9% after shooting at over 14% the previous two years and also played just 14:25 minutes a game after playing over 16:30 minutes the previous two seasons. Now on a new team and looking for a fresh start, Sharangovich has a great chance to return to his form in 2021–22 that saw him post 24 goals and 46 points.
When he did post 24 goals two years ago, it was playing alongside Jack Hughes in the Devils’ top-six, so he’s shown in the right situation he can produce. It’s still early but the expectation is Sharangovich will start the year on the Flames top line alongside Elias Lindholm and Huberdeau as the Flames look to give him every chance to re-discover his form from 2021–22. If he can stick on that top line he could land right back in the 25-goal range which is great value for a player you can likely get with your last pick.
Bounce-back – Andrew Mangiapane (LW/RW)
After a massive breakout year in 2021–22 that saw him finish with 35 goals and 55 points, Andrew Mangiapane struggled to follow up on his career year in 2022–23. He posted just 17 goals, representing an 18-goal dropoff. Despite his low totals last year, I think he’s absolutely primed for a big bounce-back season.
After shooting at a 17.1% clip in his career, Mangiapane’s percentage plummeted to just 9.3% last year. It’s not like he was shooting less either, as he registered just three fewer shots than his 35-goal season. At his career average, he would’ve posted 31 goals last season. I’d expect his percentages to bounce back this year much closer to his averages before the 2022–23 season.
As well with Toffoli gone, Mangiapane is likely the best goal-scoring winger on the entire Flames roster which should lead to increased opportunities both at even strength and on the power play. Currently being drafted at an ADP of 185, Mangiapane provides tremendous value as a bounce-back candidate who should outproduce his draft spot.
Waiver target – Matt Coronato
With a plethora of veterans moving on this offseason, the Flames are set to rely on the young guns this season. Undoubtedly the most talented of the bunch is 2021 first-rounder Matt Coronato. Coronato has just one professional game under his belt but has plenty of talent.
Coronato profiles as a perfect early-year watchlist candidate. The reason being is we just don’t know where he’ll start the season. Come opening night there’s a chance he could be on the Flames’ top line or in the AHL. Until we get a better idea of how the Flames plan to handle Coronato, he’s likely not worth a draft pick. The good news is he’s currently going undrafted in 98% of Yahoo! leagues so he’ll be an easy pickup on waivers.
As mentioned, the Flames don’t have a ton of scoring talent on the wings and Coronato can flat-out put the puck in the net. For that reason, there’s a good chance the Flames try to give him every opportunity to succeed on the NHL roster to start the year. He’s currently skating alongside Nazem Kadri in training camp, hinting at a potential top-six role. Coronato could be a sneaky early-season pickup if he lands in the right spot come opening night.
Some intriguing options
Despite the negativity around the Flames, they still offer fantasy managers plenty of solid options whether it be top-of-the-lineup players or deeper sleepers. If you can land one of the above players in your league you’re off to a good start to the season.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
