The Calgary Flames defence pairings have featured a whopping nine different defenders already in 2024–25, mixing and matching a multitude of different pairings. With the blueline group finally all healthy with the return of Kevin Bahl, Ryan Huska will have to determine how he wishes to line up on the backend.
So of the many combinations and pairings the team has tried this season, which pairing has been the best? And which has been the worst? Using MoneyPuck.com‘s line tool, we can find out which pairings the Flames will want to use more, and which ones they’ll want to use less.
Expected goal outcomes for Calgary’s pairings
First, let’s look at which pairings have put up the best expected goals for percentage, which is usually a great way to determine a line’s effectiveness. I’ll only be considering pairings that have played at least 100 minutes together at 5v5 so far this season.
| Pairing | TOI | xGF% | xGF/60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanley – Weegar | 224 minutes | 62.2% | 2.75 |
| Bean – Weegar | 112 minutes | 59.8% | 2.62 |
| Bean – Pachal | 421 minutes | 50.7% | 2.51 |
| Bahl – Andersson | 748 minutes | 47.7% | 2.41 |
| Hanley – Andersson | 123 minutes | 44.7% | 1.85 |
| Weegar – Miromanov | 538 minutes | 44.7% | 1.94 |
| Barrie – Pachal | 120 minutes | 42.7% | 2.04 |
Some early observations for the Calgary Flames defence pairings. MacKenzie Weegar is a king and by far the best defenceman on the Flames. Whether you stick him with Joel Hanley or Jake Bean, his pairing comes out on top as the two best pairings the Flames have employed so far this season by quite a wide margin. In fact, Weegar’s pairing with Hanley ranks sixth in the entire NHL for xGF%, and his pairing with Bean ranks 14th. Considering Bean and Hanley are both far from top pairing players, Weegar’s results with both of them are incredibly impressive.
It’s also very interesting just how much Weegar and Miromanov struggled together. Given how well Weegar plays with just about anyone else, it’s a pretty big indictment on Miromanov that he drags Weegar down that much.
Lastly, the Flames’ most common pairing in Kevin Bahl and Rasmus Andersson has also been one of their worst. You of course have to consider the amount of minutes they’ve played together and how tough those minutes are, but an xGF% of just 47.7% tells me the team may want to try something different and separate those two. Unfortunately, Andersson has fared even worse with Hanley, as the pairing holds the worst xGF/60 rate on the year, behind even Barrie and Pachal.
Shot attempts from Flames blueliners
So how about strictly offensively, which Flames pairing has been the best this season at generating shot attempts for?
| Pairing | TOI | CF% | SAF/60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bean – Weegar | 112 minutes | 61.2% | 75.98 |
| Hanley – Weegar | 224 minutes | 57.4% | 60.98 |
| Weegar – Miromanov | 538 minutes | 52.9% | 60.57 |
| Bean – Pachal | 421 minutes | 51.7% | 63.42 |
| Bahl – Andersson | 748 minutes | 49.3% | 60.88 |
| Barrie – Pachal | 538 minutes | 47.2% | 57.82 |
| Hanley – Andersson | 120 minutes | 42.8% | 49.14 |
What else is there to say about Weegar? All three of his pairings this season rank inside the top three when it comes to CF%. Even with Miromanov he was able to drag the duo above water. His pairing with Bean in particular was generating a gigantic amount of shots, sitting at 75.98 SAF/60, 15 higher than any other pairing and good for second across the entire NHL. Their 61.2 CF% together ranks fourth in the NHL. If the Flames ever get Weegar a legitimate top pairing partner, a Norris Trophy should be next.
There are only three pairings with over 100 minutes on the Flames that haven’t stayed above water when it comes to shots attempts, and two of them feature Andersson. In particular, we should never see a Hanley-Andersson pairing again. The duo was absolutely caved in together, generating a measly 49 shot attempts per 60 over their 120 minutes together.
Expected goals and shots against
Okay, so how about defensively? Which Calgary Flames defence pairings have locked it down the best this year and are the best at suppressing shots and chances against?
| Pairing | TOI | xGA/60 | SAA/60 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanley – Weegar | 224 minutes | 1.67 | 45.33 |
| Bean – Weegar | 112 minutes | 1.77 | 48.16 |
| Hanley – Andersson | 123 minutes | 2.29 | 65.68 |
| Weegar – Miromanov | 538 minutes | 2.4 | 53.87 |
| Bean – Pachal | 421 minutes | 2.44 | 59.28 |
| Bahl – Andersson | 748 minutes | 2.41 | 64.08 |
| Barrie – Pachal | 120 minutes | 2.74 | 64.79 |
Once again, Weegar leads the way. His pairings with both Hanley and Bean have been the two best defensive pairings on the team. Both are the only Flames pairing this season with an xGA/60 under two, and a shot attempts allowed per 60 under 50. His pairing with Hanley ranks 10th in the NHL for xGA/60, and his pairing with Bean ranks 14th. Without Weegar, who knows where this team would be right now.
Surprisingly, the Hanley-Andersson pairing comes in at third with a decent enough 2.29 xGA/60. With that said, league-wide that total ranks 70th among eligible pairings which isn’t exactly a great spot to be. On a much worse note, the Flames’ go-to pairing of Bahl and Andersson has been the team’s third worst defensively this season. Their 2.41 xGA/60 together ranks 147th in the NHL among eligible pairings. Not exactly what you want to see from your supposed top pairing.
Lastly, let’s all agree we never want to see Tyson Barrie in a Flames jersey again. His 120 minutes with Pachal were a nightmare, with the Flames allowing 2.74 xGA/60 with the duo on the ice.
The MacKenzie Weegar show
The Flames’ defence corps right now consists of Weegar and a bunch of guys. No one on the team floats their partner more than Weegar, and there isn’t a single strong pairing on this roster this season that doesn’t contain Weegar. If the Flames are smart, they’ll make it one of their primary objectives to get Weegar a real defensive partner soon.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
