Before the new NHL season gets underway, we turned 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
It’s been said so many times, but everything that could go wrong for the Flames last season seemed to go wrong. So, with a new air of positivity and a head coach who wasn’t born in the 1600s behind the bench, things should turn around for the Flames this year. I don’t believe the Pacific Divison is any good beyond Edmonton, and even if you give respect to the defending Cup champs, I don’t view the Flames as a worse team than any other in the division. I think they’ll finish in a top-three spot in the Pacific this year.
Bill Tran
As a fan first and foremost, it’s a lot easier to go into the season with tempered expectations and be pleasantly surprised. This was not the case last year as expectations were sky-high and the disappointment and heartbreak were on a planetary scale. As someone on Team Go For It until the math stopped making sense, I come back to this year with full belief that the Flames are a playoff team. The Pacific can go any direction where the Flames may cruise to a second or third seed, or may end up battling for the wild card all over again. Final answer, let’s have them securding third in the division.
John MacKinnon
Despite many having a positive outlook on the Flames this year, I just have a hard time seeing where the team is going to generate goals on a consistent basis. Tyler Toffoli kept them in a lot of games last year, and with his departure, it’s hard to see the improvement. They could get by on improved goaltending, but I have them (unsurprisingly) right on the bubble. I say they sneak in the WC2 spot.
James Johnson
So many things went wrong last season, so this team should be better than last year. Unfortunately for them, I think the Pacific Division has two playoff locks in the Edmonton Oilers (unfortunately) and the Vegas Golden Knights, and then you have the Los Angeles Kings, Seattle Kraken, Vancouver Canucks, and Calgary Flames, who I see as super close to one another. The Flames could make it, or these other teams could finish a little bit ahead of them. Either way, I see the Flames falling somewhere between 14th and 20th in the league. We love perpetual mediocrity.
Evan Schwartz
Things feel different this year. I don’t expect the Flames to be dominant, but it’s hard to imagine things going as wrong as last year with so much positive energy around the team at camp. I expect the Flames will make the playoffs in the last divisional spot behind Edmonton and Vegas, battling L.A. right till the end for that spot. With a little luck, bounce-back seasons from Jonathon Huberdeau and Jacob Markstrom will propel this team back into a real playoff threat, regardless of where they finish the season.
Myles Ecklund
Expectations are irrational to even set for this franchise. The last two seasons have been the exact opposite of what everyone thought heading into the season. Albeit a transition last season, this team has the potential to improve. I see the Flames close to where they were last season, competing for a WC2 position. Although, I do think they squeak in by the skin of their teeth.
Aman Kurji
The Flames barely missed the playoffs last year, and this was in a season where everything that could have gone wrong ended up going wrong. The chances of all of that happening again are so low. The Flames are a playoff team. They have the talent on paper for this to be the case. Outside of Vegas and Edmonton, I don’t see any other team competing with the Flames in the Pacific. Now, this could absolutely age horribly like last season, but I think the Flames at least finish third in the Pacific.
Drew Ostmoen
After such a disappointing season, it’s hard to be optimistic. The vibes surrounding the Flames are way more positive than last year, but it’s still difficult to avoid cautious expectations. The only big loss has been Tyler Toffoli but there’s no easy to see replacement. The Flames are betting on tons of bouncebacks and breakouts which seems to be unrealistic. Even with some of the unrealism, I think the Flames will grab the first wild card spot.
James William
Wildcard 1 – they just missed last season and I think they’ll be quite a bit better this year, but I don’t see them overtaking the Golden Knights, Oilers, or Kings for top three in the Pacific. I do think they can beat out the Jets, Preds, Blues, Kraken, Canucks for the top wild card though.
Joshua Serafini
The Flames have been an enigma the last couple years so this is a tough one. Going into 2021–22 everyone expected them to be on the playoff bubble and they won the Pacific. Going into last year the Flames were pegged as a contender and ended up missing the playoffs. I think with just how many things went wrong last year as well as getting a new, modern coaching staff behind the bench and some youth in the lineup the Flames should be able to get back into the playoffs in 2023–24 although I doubt they will be challenging for a Pacific division title.
The Oilers and defending champion Golden Knights are the clear favourites in the division, but there’s a pretty big drop-off after that. The Ducks and Sharks are non-factors and I think the Kraken will experience some regression this year. At the end of the day, I think the final Pacific playoff spot comes down to the Flames and Kings with the Flames narrowly earning the spot due to the Kings’ iffy goaltending.
Alex Russo
The Flames will have a bounce-back season and finish in the second wild card spot. It’s going to be a grind of a year, but if the Flames can get big performances from their top guys, they have an opportunity to sneak into the s playoffs.
Khalid Keshavjee
I’m of two minds going into this season. On the one hand, the Flames had an awful season last year where nearly everyone had a bad year. The odds of that happening are very low. On the other hand, the Flames have so many question marks up and down their lineup, with their goaltending being the biggest one of all.
I cannot imagine this team is able to hang with Vegas and Edmonton but they should be in the middle of the pack with Los Angeles and Vancouver. I would imagine they slide into one of the two wildcard spots this season.
2: Who will lead the Flames in goals this season
Karim Kurji
It’ll be Elias Lindholm. At the end of the day, Matt Coronato just doesn’t have the experience to play a full 82-game calendar at the highest level, and he’ll start in the middle-six as a rookie. Lindholm is one of the premier shooters in the league and on this team, and he’ll easily pot 35–40 goals alongside a rejuvenated Jonathan Huberdeau.
Bill Tran
Lindholm makes the most sense. First line, first power play, and contract year—a perfect recipe to see the Flames boast a 40-goal scorer. I’m particularly bullish on Lindholm simply because of the contract year effect coming into play.
John MacKinnon
I genuinely think Matt Coronato is going to lead this team in goals. With how he has played so far in the preseason, I just can see big things coming from the young star. Probably a foolish pick, but Johnny Gaudreau came out of the shadows during his rookie season and I’m expecting something similar for Coronato. Or maybe hoping.
James Johnson
Losing Tyler Toffoli and his 34 goals is going to hurt. I think this has to be Elias Lindholm, given his shot, who he is playing with, and getting PP1 time. I think Mangiapane and Sharangovich can float around the 20- to 30-goal range, but Lindholm should float around 25–35 goals. If Jonathan Huberdeau can rebound, I think that only helps Lindholm’s case here. Also not a bad time to post a ton of goals, given he is in a contract year.
Evan Schwartz
I’m going with Andrew Mangiapane, I think he’s got something to prove after playing all of last season with an injury. We know he can score, and I think he’ll get more opportunity than ever to do just that. Based on current practice groups, he might start the year on the second power play unit, but I expect he’ll force his way into the top unit soon. With good health (hopefully!) and the motivation to re-establish himself, I expect him to clear 30 goals once more, and lead the way on a team with very few pure goal scorers.
Myles Ecklund
Matt Coronato. It’s a hot take but the only other players on the roster in competition are Lindholm and Kadri. Lindholm will be eager to boost his play as a pending UFA but I just don’t think we see 2021–22 Lindholm ever again. Yes, Coronato’s body of work comes from the preseason and Young Stars Classic, but you can’t deny Coronato’s motor and hunger for the puck. He puts himself in great positions and does everything else right. Everything else will keep him in the top-six and on the power play and his top-end shot will do the rest. Wouldn’t be shocked to see 25 in the back of the net for him.
Aman Kurji
Elias Lindholm is going to lead the team in goals this year. He is on the top line with Huberdeau, top power play, and it is a contract year for him. Do I think he is going to run away with this? Not at all. Look out for Matt Coronato to challenge him in this. I give it at most 10 games before Coronato is the RW on the first line with Huberdeau and Lindholm. He is already getting reps on the first power play unit. As John said, I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Coronato have the same type of impact that rookie Gaudreau had.
Drew Ostmoen
My heart says Matt Coronato, but my brain says Elias Lindholm. Lindholm has the positioning and shot of a goal scorer, only problem is he needs a playmaker to complement him. In 2022–23, everyone was expecting a Huberdeau and Lindholm duo but they barely got time together and didn’t necessarily click either. That was the main downfall of Lindholm’s goal totals. That #10 and #28 duo will likely get more time together this season which could greatly help Lindholm if they build chemistry. Not to mention he is coming into a contract year. I don’t think he’ll return exactly to 2021–22 form, but Lindholm should be able to pot 30+ goals.
James William
Elias Lindholm—a former 40-goal scorer in the NHL and he didn’t just completely forget how to score. It being a contract year helps this case. A revamped power play under Savard and a bounceback season from Huberdeau (helped in part by the improved power play) will be huge in helping him lead the Flames in scoring. He’ll also need to shoot more again this year.
Joshua Serafini
I’m torn between Andrew Mangiapane and Elias Lindholm. I expect Mangiapane to have a big bounce-back year with 25–30 goals, but I’ll have to give it to Lindholm purely because of where he plays in the lineup.
Despite his down year, Jonathan Huberdeau is still one of the best playmakers in the NHL and if he and Lindholm get consistent minutes together I think Lindholm should be primed for a big year in the goal department. I’ll say he lands right around 35.
Alex Russo
Elias Lindholm will lead the Flames in goals. In a contract year, Lindholm will have a chip on his shoulder ready to show he’s worth a big ticket.
Khalid Keshavjee
The big thing lacking on this team is a true goalscorer. Andrew Mangiapane and Matt Coronato are the two players who have shown themselves to be goalscorers, and Coronato has only done so in lower leagues. I think Yegor Sharangovich plays a big role and takes the crown, with Mangiapane and Coronato finishing second and third respectively.
Who will be the Flames’ MVP this season?
Karim Kurji
Markstrom and Huberdeau have to bounce back and have big years, but I think the MVP will be Weegar. He’s coming off a very strong second half of the 2022–23 season and is statistically one of the elite defencemen in the NHL. He should take another big step this year with a more familiar team, and break out as one of the premier two-way talents on the back end. Every team needs a rock on their blueline, and as much as I love Rasmus Andersson, Weegar is the man.
Bill Tran
The MVP will be Huberdeau. I get the argument for Markstrom, but a swing on offence from Huberdeau will be more valuable than a turn around on goaltending from Markstrom. While Markstrom returning to the form that made him a Vezina finalist would be nice, the roster needs to see offence a lot more than they need good goaltending. Markstrom doesn’t have to return to Vezina form for the Flames to thrive. Even if things go downhill for Markstrom, there’s Dan Vladar, there’s Dustin Wolf. Huberdeau needs to return to elite playmaker. There’s no replacement for him, especially not at $10.5M a year.
John MacKinnon
If the team has any hope of making a postseason return, it hinges on Jacob Markstrom. He has to be the MVP in order for the team to have any chance. He’s always had a rollercoaster career, so this year is lining up to be a positive one if history repeats itself.
James Johnson
MacKenzie Weegar. We love Weegsy, and he was the best player on the Flames post-All-Star break last year. He is one of the best defensive defencemen in the league, and I think he’ll only look better this year. At the World Championships, Weegar showed he can be the guy and man a powerplay effectively. I think he gets more powerplay time this season. The Flames switching from man-on-man to zone defence should also be a huge benefit and make him look even better.
Evan Schwartz
It might be a bit of an off-the-board pick, but I’m going with Mikael Backlund. All the big-name players on the Flames have come out and said how badly the team needed a captain the past few years. Having a leader to turn to during rough patches and to keep players even-keel during win streaks will be integral if the Flames are to bounce back. It won’t show up on the stats sheet, but if the Flames turn things around this year, I expect to hear from players that the new captain’s leadership was the biggest part of it.
Myles Ecklund
It needs to be either Jonathan Huberdeau or Jacob Markstrom. They’re historically game-changing players and last season the only thing they changed were the “career low” sections of their stat sheets. Both need to bounce back, but the only way the Flames make the playoffs is if at least one of the two return close to their form in 2021–22. Personally, I think Jacob Markstrom will be the Flames 2023–24 MVP.
Aman Kurji
It’s going to be Jacob Markstrom because, in my opinion, it has to be Jacob Markstrom. With league-average goaltending last year, despite everything that went wrong, the Flames would have still comfortably made the playoffs. Don’t get me wrong, Hubderdeau needs to have a bounce back in the biggest way, but no team is going to make the playoffs with their starting goalie putting up a 0.892 save percentage.
Drew Ostmoen
Jonathan Huberdeau has to be the Flames MVP for 2023–24. In my opinion, the biggest downfall of the Flames last season was their inability to score, getting an elite playmaker would fix that. Huberdeau has to be feeling motivated, the 60-point drop isn’t pretty and he’ll want to prove that he’s still the player he was in 2021–22. With promised offensive freedom under Ryan Huska, Huberdeau should at least score close to a point per game and lead the team in points.
James William
Nazem Kadri! Honourable mention to Huby, but I love Kadri to have a big year this year too. If the current lines are what we see throughout most of the season, Huberdeau and Lindholm should be the main focus for other teams to shut down at 5v5. That leaves some juicy matchups for Kadri to feast on, plus he’ll be on the top power play that I fully expect to be much improved over last season’s, which still clicked at just under 20%.
Joshua Serafini
It has to be Huberdeau right? Despite his disastrous 55-point season last year he’s still by far the most talented player on the team and should be primed for a big year with a new coaching staff in place. There really isn’t another player on this team that you could realistically see getting well over 80 points. I don’t think he ever gets back to the 100-point range, but I expect to see him right back at a point-per-game pace this year and leading the Flames with 85–90 points.
Alex Russo
Jonathan Huberdeau will have a resurgence of a season under the guidance of new head coach Ryan Huska and the help of offensive wizard Marc Savard. The Flames will go nowhere if they don’t get Huberdeau at his best, and with his new contract kicking in, Huberdeau will be ready to show that last season was just a one-off. #HubyRevengeSZN
Khalid Keshavjee
This team will sink or swim on the back of Jacob Markstrom. If the team is going to be a playoff team this year, it will be due to Markstrom’s resurgence. If they don’t, it’ll be because of his poor play. The Flames will need it to be him, and I believe he will deliver.
4: How will the Flames fare in the playoffs?
Karim Kurji
I think the Flames will lose against the Oilers again in the playoffs. Whether that’s the first round or second round, Edmonton is simply too good for the Flames and will walk all over them like they did two seasons ago.
Bill Tran
Regular season MVP he won’t be, playoff MVP he will. Markstrom is going to go lights out a la Sergei Bobrovsky last year, and the Flames will make the Final. Crowds in Edmonton will chant “We want Calgary, we want Calgary!” and they will get blindsided by a team with goaltending too hot to handle and a gargantuan playoff effort from Andrew Mangiapane. Yes, this is all a dream. But it will totally happen.
John MacKinnon
First round fodder. If they get in WC2, I am assuming they will face the Edmonton Oilers or a team of equal strength. I just don’t see that going that well.
James Johnson
I really don’t think this Flames team can make much noise in the playoffs. If they get a wild card position, they are likely up against the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, or Edmonton Oilers. I don’t foresee that going very well for Calgary. If they can manage to get third place in the Pacific, they are likely going up against the Golden Knights, and I don’t like that matchup either. The West has won the last two Cups, and I think it looks strong again this year. I don’t think the Flames fall into that category. Dallas is my Cup choice.
Evan Schwartz
I’d like to say they make a nice run, but given my prediction they end up third in the division behind Edmonton and Vegas, they have to beat the reigning champs to make it to Round 2. I don’t think they have what it takes. As much optimism as I have for a better year than last season, I can’t see the Flames having success in the playoffs against star-studded rosters like the Knights, Oilers, and others in the conference have.
Myles Ecklund
Unfortunately, I don’t see the Flames having a ton of playoff success. They’re in a transitional year with a new coach, new philosophy, new atmosphere and a lot of contract discussion. I hope if the team is on the bubble, they sell and look to rebuild at the deadline. Unfortunately, I think the Flames will make the WC2, lose in the first round, and have a lot of roster spots to fill next season.
Aman Kurji
Second round exit. I think the vibes around the team right now are very high, and that will get them to the second round. However just like Drew says below, they might surprise and beat one of Dallas, Colorado, Edmonton, or Vegas, but they definitely are not beating two of them. The Red Mile is going to be absolutely electric for at most one month. The good thing is that Flames fans are used to the rowdy, but short-lived Red Mile on an annual basis.
Drew Ostmoen
I think the Flames will be a first round exit. I’m predicting they’ll get the first wild card spot and that will likely place them against one of the Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, or Vegas Golden Knights. Sadly, I do not think the Flames would be able to upset one of these four teams.
James William
Out in the first round. I don’t like their odds against any of the teams that could win the Pacific/Central. As the first wildcard, they’ll likely be matched up against the Avs, Stars, Golden Knights, or Oilers. They’ve lost series to two of these teams in recent memory (Avs and Oilers), and barely beat a Stars team that has improved more as a group than the Flames have in that time. And the team I haven’t mentioned yet happens to be the defending Cup champs. (edited) Monday, October 2nd
Joshua Serafini
Well, last year I said they’d reach the Stanley Cup Final so this prediction can’t possibly be worse I hope. Going off my prediction of the Flames finishing third in the Pacific, I think they can win one round this year although I don’t know if they have the depth and experience to go on a deep run. I’ll say the Flames make the second round but lose a tight Battle of Alberta in the second round due to a lack of high-end talent.
Alex Russo
The Flames will get to the playoffs and pull off a Round 1 upset but will unfortunately be put out in the second round. All things considered, it would be a success of a season if they make it this far.
Khalid Keshavjee
I think this is a good team on paper, but has many issues they need to deal with this season. If everything goes perfectly, they could win a couple of rounds, but realistically, they will slide into the playoffs in a wildcard spot and get beaten by either Vegas or Edmonton in the first round.
Hockey is back
We’re just hours 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
