In the second part of this series, I will springboard off our grading Calgary Flames forwards and now be grading the defencemen and the two goalies from the 2024–25 season.
Like the previous article, I will only grade the players who played 30 or more games for the Flames this season.
MacKenzie Weegar: A
It was another fantastic season for MacKenzie Weegar in Calgary. This was the season where he solidified himself as the true, number one defenceman of the team, and quite frankly, it was not even close. His counting stats were a tad worse than they were a season ago. He did not come close to reaching 20 goals again, but I don’t think any of us expected him to do that again. On a team that could not score to save their lives, finishing fourth on the team in points, just below 50, should be considered a great year.
It was Weegar’s play on the defensive side of the puck that stood out the most to me while watching him this season. He was a wall this year; he defended entries extremely well, kept the puck moving up ice, and always made sure to have his man in transition. He did all of this while playing primarily with either Joel Hanley or Daniil Miromanov. No disrespect to either of those guys, but they aren’t your typical partner for your number one guy.
Regardless, Weegar was the backbone of the team once again, I can make the argument that he was the team’s best skater from game one. He was once again a go-to guy on the ice, and his leadership off the ice was as impactful as any guy in the locker room. He may just be the future captain of this team.
Rasmus Andersson: D+
To say that this was a tough season for Rasmus Andersson would be a major understatement. Coming into the season, he would have the task of being one of the veterans on the blue line, along with the aforementioned Weegar. He would be paired alongside newcomer Kevin Bahl, and Andersson got off to a very nice start to his season.
However, the great start would not last long; once November hit, his game would drop off. Andersson would finish the season with a franchise-worst -38, and his counting point totals were not as impressive as some thought they could be.
Andersson was playing through an injury, but unfortunately, he was still a liability when the team needed him most. His contract will expire next season, and the Flames will have a big decision to make with younger players coming on the right side. We will see where the offseason takes the Flames and Andersson.
Kevin Bahl: B+
I don’t think a ton of us had an idea of how impactful Kevin Bahl would be when he came over from New Jersey last summer in the Jacob Markstrom deal. Up until that point in his career, Bahl was a third-pair player on the Devils, and many thought he would do the same in Calgary. Well, it was a completely different story. Bahl was thrown right into the fire on a pair with Andersson, and he did more than hold his own.
Bahl demonstrated his strength as a fantastic shutdown defenceman this season with his reach and physical play. He was what the team needed after both Chris Tanev and Nikita Zadorov were shipped off last season—a stay-at-home shutdown player that can be relied on in any situation—and his presence was sorely missed by the team when he went down with an injury. He had a bit of a rough end to the season, but it could not have helped that his partner was playing hurt.
Bahl looks to be a player who will be here long term, as he is only 24 years old. He will need a new contract this summer, but it looks like Craig Conroy really found something with Bahl.
Brayden Pachal: B
From a waiver claim last season to earning himself a contract extension this season, Brayden Pachal was as good as anyone could have asked him to be for the Flames this season. Playing strictly in a third pairing, shutdown role this season, Pachal did everything that was asked of him this season, and he was very consistent on a night-to-night basis.
He isn’t flashy, and he doesn’t have the most skill in the world, but he defends well, hits hard, and stands up for his teammates. There are a few blemishes in his game; he takes too many penalties and sometimes tries to do more than he should, but for the most part, Pachal is a rock on the back end. Not bad for someone you got for free.
Daniil Miromanov: F
I came into this season with some excitement for Daniil Miromanov after he was acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights last season. He showed some promise when he came over after the trade, and many thought—including myself—that the Flames may have found a diamond in the rough.
However, things did not go that way for Miromanov this season. He only played in half of the team’s games, and even with starting the year paired up next to Weegar, he failed to make an impact on any level of the game. Most nights, he was a liability on the ice; he would try to do too much with the puck, would often get caught, and his defensive game was not strong enough to make up for the error. He sat out the most important games this season, and now his future in Calgary is up in the air. We will see where he goes this summer.
Joel Hanley: A-
The biggest surprise for me this season was the play of the man they call “Nacho,” Joel Hanley. After being claimed off waivers from the Dallas Stars last season and sitting for a lot of games at the beginning of this year, he found himself a nice, comfy seat next to Weegar after Miromanov failed to live up to expectations.
Hanley was terrific this season; his offensive numbers weren’t sexy, but he was rock solid on the defensive end next to Weegar. He allowed Weegar to push for more offence and always had his back on the defensive side of the puck. All of the underlying numbers supported Hanley this season, and he earned his spot next to Weegar in the lineup.
Now, is Hanley the long-term option for Weegar moving forward? Definitely not, but these are the type of stories I love to see play out over the course of a season. He may have earned himself a nice payday this summer from one of the teams around the league.
Jake Bean: F
The Calgary kid who took a discount to come home and play for his childhood team, unfortunately, was not great in his first season in Calgary. Defensively, he struggled; he did not create any offence, he was held pointless since January 30, and he made too many big mistakes at key times.
I really wanted Bean to succeed this season, but towards the end of the year, he was just taking up a spot on the roster that could have been used to ice Zayne Parekh. He has one more year on his deal, but I would not be shocked to see him buried in the AHL next season.
Dustin Wolf: A+
Where would the Calgary Flames have been this year without the play of Dustin Wolf? Oh, I know, dead in the water. Wolf was the team’s best player all season long. He kept them in games they should not have been in, and single-handedly won them games that they had no business winning.
The season started as a split tandem. Just under halfway into the season, the net became Wolf’s, starting almost every night and giving the team a chance to win every time he was in the cage. We have not seen a goaltending performance like this since maybe Miikka Kiprusoff was still playing. That is the type of praise that Wolf earned this season.
The wait was worth it; the hype was real. Wolf is the guy everyone thought he would be, and so much more. He will be eligible to sign an extension this summer, and the Flames would be silly not to try to get him locked up long-term as soon as they can. He is for real, and I think I can speak for the entire fanbase when I say that we are so happy that he is a Calgary Flame.
Dan Vladar: C-
It was a tale of two halves for Dan Vladar this season. He was the guy who started the season, but by the end, he was barely playing. He had a horrific start to his season, at times becoming virtually unplayable, which, to his credit, opened the door for Wolf to claim the starter’s position.
However, down the stretch in his minimal amount of starts, Vladar was rock solid. He was keeping them in games and doing the work that Wolf had all year. It does not excuse the first part of the season, when he could not stop anything, but it was nice to see him pick up his game towards the end.
Vladar is a free agent this summer, so we will wait and see what the Flames decide to do with him.
