As we get closer to the start of the 2025-26 NHL regular season, the Calgary Flames yet again are in a position of uncertainty. We’ve already discussed why the Flames could be better this upcoming season, but now it’s time to flip the script. In this article, we’ll discuss why the team could in fact be worse than last season and the reasons behind it.
1. The Flames and their dependency on Dustin Wolf
It’s no secret that Dustin Wolf was the biggest reason why the Flames finished so close to a playoff spot. Wolf’s impressive 29-16-8 record along with a 0.910 save percentage had him being a runner up for the Calder Trophy. Last season also saw Wolf get his name into the franchises’ record books a couple of times too. He’s no doubt going to be the Flames’ starter for a long time, but one problem arises from Wolf’s dominant play…
The Flames found themselves depending on Wolf a bunch last season. The 24-year-old stood on his head many nights to make up for a team that straight up couldn’t score goals. To put it bluntly, if it weren’t for Wolf, last season could’ve been much more ugly for the Flames.
Now while Wolf has a future, there’s no guarantee that his sophomore season is just as dominant . Burnout is a real thing, and his workload is bound to increase this season. I’m not wishing for Wolf to struggle, but it’s consideration you have to make as players aren’t robots. Additionally, what if he gets injured? The Flames last season could have never afforded to have Wolf out with injury, but it doesn’t mean the team has that same type of injury luck again.
The point is that it’s unsustainable for a team to depend on their goaltender this much. Yes, there were other problems contributing to this issue, but Wolf is truly the backbone of this team right now. If he has a sophomore slump, or is out with injury for an extended period of time, it’s not crazy to think that the Flames’ season could be in jeopardy.
2. Scoring woes were a major concern for the Flames
As hinted at above, one of the biggest struggles the Flames had last season was scoring. The Flames finished the 2024-25 season being the fourth lowest scoring team in the entire league. Their measly 2.68 goals-per-game was higher than teams such as the Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks, all of which were bottom feeder teams. The Flames scored 140 goals in 5v5 play last season, a 27 goal drop from the 2023-24 season. In summary, the team struggled to score and it almost cost them many times.
While it’s important to note that many Flames players had down years offensively, some also took a step. Veterans such as Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri recorded some of their most productive seasons as Flames, but those two also aren’t getting any younger. Kadri in particular scored 35 goals and 67 points, but he’ll be 35 in October and eventually, regression will come for a player getting up there in age.
The Flames are pretty much running back the same team for this season. Scoring is still a major question as the team doesn’t have any elite talent to help with their offence troubles. They also didn’t make any improvements to their team to show that they’re making a push despite it being the goal expressed by Flames management. So the confusion on direction is very much still there. The Flames are a team that depends on goals by committee, and if that fails, things won’t get any easier for this squad.
3. Lineup uncertainty and team distractions
Now this issue could have the potential to be resolved before the season begins, but given the way things are trending, it doesn’t seem like it.
While the Flames’ forward group is pretty much set, questions still remain regarding the blueline. The biggest storyline is how long Rasmus Andersson is going to remain a Flame, and what rookies have the potential to earn roster spots. The Flames’ blueline is not the most star-studded and often found themselves struggling at times last season. A struggling blueline could very well contribute to the Flames having a worse record in 2025-26.
Adding onto that, the Andersson drama has been a situation which has exhausted the fanbase. Until he’s traded, questions will pop up about his future and it could act as a major distraction for the team. For a locker room as tight as the Flames’, knowing that there’s a player in the room who already has one foot out the door could prove to be something that brings down moral. Also trading Andersson does make the blueline worse, despite Andersson struggling over the last few seasons.
Overall, if the Flames have a slow start to this season, the team could look quite different by the trade deadline. The Flames are depending largely on bounce-back seasons and overall teamwork in order to make the playoffs, but reality may hit them in the face, like it has in previous years.
