Well, folks, it all comes down to this. With two games left on the schedule, the Calgary Flames’ playoff fate still hasn’t been decided. For the Flames to make the playoffs, they need at least three of four points in their last two games and hope for either the Minnesota Wild or St. Louis Blues to lose their final game.
As far as draft picks are concerned, it’s all but decided beyond the playoffs. Keep an eye out next week when we’ll look ahead and discuss how the playoffs will affect the draft positioning.
Recent stretch of games
The Flames played four games this past week, playing their first game on Monday against the San Jose Sharks. Will Smith opened the scoring at the end of the first for the Sharks, holding the 1–0 lead going into the third. The Flames rallied once again to score three in the final frame to grab a victory 3–2.
Heading down the coast, Calgary found themselves in a tough spot against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. Carrying a two-goal lead into the third, the Flames fell victim to back-to-back goals from the Ducks a mere eight seconds apart. In overtime, it was Cutter Gauthier as the hero for the Ducks, scoring his second on the night.
With playoff hopes dwindling, the Flames headed back to the dome for the game of the year against the Minnesota Wild. It was one of the best performances of the year for the Flames, taking the crucial regulation win 4–2.
To wrap up the week, Calgary hosted San Jose for their final game of the season Sunday night. Despite giving up the first goal to former Flame Tyler Toffoli, Calgary responded strongly, putting up five goals on the night.
The young guns came up big in the recent stretch, with Adam Klapka potting his second goal of the week on a two-point night Sunday. Meanwhile, Matt Coronato scored his third of the week and 27th of the season to help the Flames secure two more crucial points. Don’t forget about Dustin Wolf either; the Calder candidate posted his 28th win of the season on Sunday while marking his sixth straight start to secure a point. Wolf could tie Mike Vernon’s franchise record 30 wins for a rookie goaltender next Thursday in an effort that could also secure a playoff birth.
The Flames went 3–0–1 this week, securing seven of a possible eight points. Despite their strong play, the team has to win out and hope for some help from either the Wild or the Blues. If playoffs are on the horizon for the Flames, it will all come down to the final game of the season on Thursday night, with Calgary taking on the Los Angeles Kings in LA.
The first-rounders the Flames own
With the Flames destined for the fringe of a wild card position, their own first-rounder will be headed to the Montreal Canadiens. Calgary currently holds three 2025 first-round picks:
- Their own pick, which would be 16th overall if the season ended today.
- The Florida Panthers’ pick, which would be 22nd overall if the season ended today.
- The New Jersey Devils’ pick, which would be 18th overall if the season ended today (but will defer to 2026 if the Devils finish bottom 10).
As part of the conditions in the Sean Monahan trade with the Montreal Canadiens, the better of Florida or Calgary’s picks will be transferred to the Canadiens if the Flames finish outside the bottom 10. Currently, the Canadiens would receive the 16th overall pick.
Current NHL standings
With the regular season coming to a close, the Flames need two victories in their final two games. It all starts Tuesday night for the last home game of the regular season against the Vegas Golden Knights.
If the Flames can get a victory, they could be playing for their season Thursday night in Los Angeles against Andre Kuzmenko and the Kings.
The state of Calgary’s other picks
The New Jersey Devils’ woes continued this week, losing all three of their games in regulation. To make matters worse, all three games were against non-playoff teams, getting outscored 12–4.
The Devils did slide in the overall standings, now trailing the Flames by three points overall. Their divisional playoff spot means their projected draft position does not change.
After only capturing a single point in four games two weeks ago, the Florida Panthers had a bounce back, winning all three of their matchups. The Panthers sit firmly in the third divisional playoff spot in the Atlantic division.
If the season ended this way, the Flames would give Montreal their own pick and retain Florida’s, selecting six spots lower. Instead of having their own pick at 16th overall, they would have Florida’s 22nd overall pick as well as New Jersey’s 18th overall pick.
Uncomfortably familiar
As far as draft picks are concerned, the Flames will have two in the first round this upcoming draft. With lottery odds a long-lost conversation, the Flames have found a way to keep themselves in the playoff hunt despite a meager 10% playoff odds headed into their game against the Wild Friday.
It’s been a season to write home about, and with nothing to lose at this point, the only hope is that this team can find a way into the playoffs. As far as the picks go, just trust that Craig Conroy and the scouting team will make the right call.
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