The Calgary Flames are approaching the end of the regular season, and the team is in a tough spot. They currently remain four points out of the second wild card spot in the West, engaging in a three-way competition with the St. Louis Blues and Vancouver Canucks.
While the Flames have largely exceeded expectations this season, their future remains murky. If the team barely misses the playoffs, they’d likely finish in the “mushy middle,” which is a scenario that Flames fans are all too familiar with. However, if they make the postseason, the odds aren’t in their favour, as a first-round exit would be very likely.
Regardless of the outcome this season, the team will have a busy offseason ahead. From core players needing extensions to the future of certain veterans, let’s run down the work the Flames need to do this offseason.
Important contract extensions
Before the Flames decide to add, they’ll need to negotiate new contracts for a handful of pretty notable names. The following players are all set to become restricted free agents this offseason:
- Connor Zary
- Matt Coronato
- Morgan Frost
- Kevin Bahl
- Dustin Wolf
As you can see, the Flames must get all these players signed, as they make up the future of this team. Connor Zary and Matt Coronato are both projected to be huge pieces of the Flames’ core moving forward, and Coronato especially has had a season to admire, being a 20-goal scorer in his first full year with the team.
Morgan Frost and Kevin Bahl are no less important. Frost is a skillful forward who bolsters the Flames’ centre depth and was a smart acquisition along with Joel Farabee. Bahl has been a major bright spot on the blue line as he’s had a career year in his first season with Calgary.
Then, of course, the best for last, Dustin Wolf has been turning heads not only in Calgary but the entire league has admired his play. The 23-year-old is showing why he’s dominated in every level of hockey he’s played in, as he’s been the biggest reason why the Flames are in the playoff hunt. As a result of Wolf’s strong play, he’s made himself a strong candidate for this year’s Calder Trophy.
In my opinion, it would be a huge loss if the Flames don’t manage to sign most of these guys long-term. Wolf, Coronato, and Zary especially should all be offered seven to eight-year deals, and the Flames have the cap space to do it.
The future of notable Flames’ veterans
Reports have begun to surface that the Flames may be in for changes if the team misses the playoffs. There’s the belief that if the team fails to make the dance, more veterans could be shipped out via trades.
Players such as Blake Coleman, Nazem Kadri, and Rasmus Andersson are all players to watch this summer, and if the Flames do indeed miss out, trades involving these players are a great possibility. The Flames opted to stand pat at this year’s trade deadline and didn’t decide to sell more players off. I thought it was a missed opportunity, given how hot the market was, but it was the team’s message to their players that they have faith in them making it. It was a head-scratching decision altogether, as the Flames aren’t exactly a threat to score and dominate consistently.
If the Flames decide to trade more veterans, I think you at least start with Coleman. His role with the team has become kind of redundant with how many middle-six forwards they have, and a contending team would love a proven winner like Coleman in their middle-six.
Kadri is also fascinating. While he’s been a strong mentor this season, the reality is that he still wants to win, and I’m not sure that’s going to happen with the Flames anytime soon. With the rising cap, his contract could become tradeable. It would be the Flames doing Kadri a solid by letting him spend his last few years in the league competing for another cup.
Then, of course, there’s Rasmus Andersson, who is eligible for an extension on July 1. It wouldn’t be wise, in my opinion, to sign him, as the Flames missed an opportunity by not entertaining offers for him near the deadline. He’s a player whom contending teams would die to have on their team, and the Flames have the potential to get a haul for him in a trade. We’ll see where things go with him.
The 2025 NHL draft
While the Flames are likely to lose their own first to the Montreal Canadiens, they’ll have two selections in the first round via the New Jersey Devils and Florida Panthers picks. Including the first round, Calgary is set to have seven selections in this year’s upcoming draft.
It’s important that the Flames build off the strong draft they had last year, with the team making smart and skillful selections at every pick. It seems like the fanbase now has full trust in Craig Conroy and company regarding drafting after they hit it out of the park last season. The draft is also primetime for trade activity, so the Flames could also be active in the trade market, but only time will tell.
Free agency decisions
Calgary is set to have plenty of cap space even after giving extensions to their RFAs. There’s been a debate about whether or not this team is going to be active in free agency, but given their cap flexibility, there’s a good chance they are.
As for who they look to sign, I think the Flames do something similar to what they did last season. Bringing in shorter-term deals in Anthony Mantha, Jake Bean, and Ryan Lomberg was a smart move, given this team’s initial expectations. Looking at their performance this season, do their plans change? Maybe, but I’m not sure if that would be wise.
The Flames shouldn’t be in the market for any “big fish” as it doesn’t align with the team’s true position. Also, their status as a Canadian market may result in the team overpaying players due to Canadian taxes and the overall cost of living. Bringing in more players who can contribute on short-term deals is the likely move, but we, as fans, can’t predict what goes on behind the scenes.
There are also some UFA’s the Flames could bring back. For example, Justin Kirkland and Anthony Mantha could extend with the club, but in my opinion, it makes more sense to bring back a player like Kirkland, given his strong play as a fourth-line centre.
Final thoughts
These last few weeks are going to be crucial in formulating the Flames’ offseason plans. If they end the season strong but still miss the playoffs, do they look to continue selling? If they make the playoffs but get destroyed in the first round, does that alter their plans at all? What happens if they yet again end up in the “mushy middle”?
As fans, we’re always eager for our teams to make the best decisions. For Flames fans, seeing commitment towards a clear direction and goal is something the team has struggled with for as long as they have existed. This offseason will tell a lot about where Calgary sees itself moving forward and if the team has truly paved a direction or not.
