As you know, the Calgary Flames have gone through plenty of roster changes in the past two years. One of these moves included trading Andrew Mangiapane to the Washington Capitals for a 2025 second-round pick. The trade took place this offseason and has left a hole in the Flames roster.
Mangiapane played alongside Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman for a few years, crafting one of, if not the best, third line in the league. The line was amazing two-way and put up tremendous underlying numbers. Now, with Mangiapane gone, the line will have to change. A great question is: who will claim this spot to start the season?
Jakob Pelletier
This is the option that makes the most sense based on play style. Pelletier’s game has always included having that dog in him and that energy that fits into a two-way style. However, after a preseason injury last year, that energy and fight in Pelletier seemed to slip away. When he came back, he seemed more cautious and less willing to put his body to the test. It makes sense to recover for the first few games, but it was just how his play style was for the rest of the year.
Preseason comes this year, and he’s just not doing enough to impress anyone, possibly getting benched in last night’s game. Putting him alongside Backlund and Coleman could very much rejuvenate that tenacity to his game that he’s been missing. They could easily take him under their wings and help him back to the NHL. I feel that out of every option that we’ll list, Pelletier would benefit the most from playing with these two.
Matt Coronato
If we look at preseason play and the points these players are at in their careers, Coronato deserves this spot. The top-six wingers are likely filled with Anthony Mantha, Yegor Sharangovich, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Jonathan Huberdeau, but Coronato still deserves his chance to shine. He could get this chance if given that top-nine ice time alongside Coleman and Backlund.
The duo may not be the most offensive guys on the team, but they could teach Coronato a thing or two about the NHL and the steps he needs to take. This is a spot that may not be where Coronato flourishes, but the overall play and leadership from Backlund and Coleman could definitely give him a boost in his NHL career.
Samuel Honzek
The biggest surprise of this preseason has to be Samuel Honzek. Honzek was drafted as a raw prospect in 2023. A player whose ceiling may not be as high as other guys in his draft class, but proper development could easily raise it. With an injury last year, many lost some hope in Honzek. His production had heavily dropped from his draft year, and he wasn’t even a point per game in the WHL. In your D+1 year, that’s not a particularly promising sign.
Then came the recent Young Stars Classic tournament, and Honzek didn’t really seem to take control, placing some more doubts. But this preseason has completely flipped the narrative. He leads the preseason in scoring with seven points in five games and had a beautiful goal last night. He suddenly looks close to, if not NHL-ready, after a full year of doubt.
It would honestly be surprising not to see him get a stint to start the year. Playing with two of the Flames’ better leaders in Backlund and Coleman could do him very well. They could give him a chance to produce and improve his game while showing him the first steps to the NHL. With good enough chemistry, a best-case scenario may see the Flames make difficult cuts and keep him up all year.
Connor Zary
While I don’t believe this to be a better option than the rest due to player development, we could very well see Connor Zary in this position. The Flames want to try Zary at centre this year, and I really think they should. If they choose to put others there before him, we may see him back on the wing. I do believe that his best opportunity at centre will be with Huberdeau and Mantha, but the Flames seem to want to try Martin Pospisil there.
Then you have Backlund and Nazem Kadri as your bonafide centres. It leaves a battle between Pospisil and Zary for that spot with Huberdeau and Mantha. If Zary doesn’t win it, they’re not throwing him on the fourth line. This would leave Zary with Backlund and Coleman. I don’t think this would be bad for him. Just like the other players, he would receive similar benefits, but I think that starting the season at centre is the move for Zary.
Lots of options
The Calgary Flames will definitely have some choices to make at the end of the preseason. When the roster is all set in stone to start the year, it’s very likely one of these four players will be taking Andrew Mangiapane’s spot next to Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. Any of them could benefit from this spot.
Jakob Pelletier to rejuvenate his career and rediscover his play style. A lead in cracking the code in the NHL could be what Matt Coronato receives if played in this spot. This could be a comforting role for Samuel Honzek to start his NHL career. While not ideal for Connor Zary, he would still have his own benefits if he ended up in this position.
Really, there’s no major loss for the Flames, no matter who they put there. Backlund has been the gateway for a handful of Flames’ young guns, and Coleman certainly helps.
