It is the holiday season, and the Calgary Flames are sitting towards the bottom of the standings as we enter the second half of the 2025–26 season. Not much has gone right for the Flames, even if they have been turning a corner after their abysmal start to the season.
There is no doubt that the players would like to get more results as the season moves forward, so today we will be putting together a holiday wish list for what each player will hopefully find under their Christmas tree this year.
Jonathan Huberdeau
A pile of points.
Jonathan Huberdeau is on pace for his worst offensive season since 2014, when he was in his sophomore season. It has been a grind for him, obviously, since arriving in Calgary, but this has been his worst season to date. For the sake of his contract and ownership’s playoffs aspirations, a bunch of points heading his way would be the most ideal scenario.
Morgan Frost
Continued growth in the top-six.
I’m not here to say that Morgan Frost is still extremely young with a ton of growth left; however, in his first full season with the Flames, he has been tasked with playing a top-six role with some of the Flames’ more skilled players. He has performed well thus far, but if he can take his game to another level, that can really help the Flames centre depth for the coming years.
Matt Coronato
A jump in development.
Matt Coronato’s season so far has been alright. Many of us expected him to take another step after his impressive campaign last season, but as it stands, he is on pace to do about the same as he did a year ago. He is a good player right now, but it would be massive for the Flames if he could become a great player, which he has all the potential in the world to do.
Joel Farabee
Powerkill dominance.
One thing I didn’t expect this season was for Joel Farabee to have three shorthanded goals by December. He has become a mainstay on the penalty kill this season after having trouble carving out a role for himself last season, after being traded from the Philadelphia Flyers. He has put himself in a good position now to be a staple in the top-six. The key will be maintaining what he has done.
Nazem Kadri
Playoffs, get this man into the playoffs.
It has been another typical Nazem Kadri season. Slow start, but has now picked it up and is on pace for another 70-point season. Whether it is the playoffs in Calgary or with another team, no player deserves it more than Kadri. He has more than lived up to his billing since landing in Calgary, and we need to see a playoff version of Kadri again.
Yegor Sharangovich
A buyout (this summer).
There is no sugar coating it, Yegor Sharangovich has been a disaster since his contract was signed in 2024. A terrible year last season and an even worse one this year. With the Flames already having a logjam on the wings, someone will have to move to make room for the younger guys coming in. Buying out Sharangovich isn’t ideal, but no one is trading for him at this point.
Connor Zary
Consistency.
It has been a slow burn for Connor Zary this season. An incredibly slow start and a couple of games in the press box put him behind the eight ball, but he has been gaining traction as of late. If he could regain some of the consistency we saw in his rookie season, he could be in for a very strong second half of the year.
Mikael Backlund
More goals.
Mikael Backlund might be the hottest Flame as of right now. He has been rolling as of late and has shown no signs of slowing down as he gets up there in age. He is leading by example, and it will be up to him if he can continue to roll he has been on.
Blake Coleman
A trade to a contender.
Blake Coleman is still a really strong player at this point in his career. He is incredibly strong at both ends of the ice and can play in any situation, anywhere in the lineup. A contending team would be very happy to have his services, and as a guy who has won two cups, I know he would be hungry for another.
Ryan Lomberg
More and more energy.
Ryan Lomberg is quite clearly not a player who is putting up a ton of points; in fact, he barely puts up any. The reason he is on the roster is to provide energy for the team, he has been better with that the last few games, but for him to be worth keeping in the lineup, he needs to continue to do that.
John Beecher
A vacation to the Calgary Wranglers.
When the Flames picked up John Beecher off waivers, they knew what they were getting: a defensive first, fourth-line centre. Unfortunately, he really hasn’t been that. He has been getting caved in defensively and has provided no offence to his name. At this point, him going to the Wranglers and giving a player like Sam Morton or Rory Kerins another chance would be a much better option at this point.
Adam Klapka
A bag of popcorn.
Adam Klapka was a nice story at the end of last season, and he was rewarded with a contract extension to go with it. This season, however, he has not stood out. He leads the team in penalty minutes by a country mile and has been a non-factor on the ice for the majority of the season. I understand he isn’t going to put up a bunch of points, but he has been more of a negative than a positive for the team this season. Some games with a bag of popcorn in the press box wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Kevin Bahl
Continue to play at a high level.
Kevin Bahl has been fantastic so far this season. As a defence-first player, he has probably been the best player the Flames have had in their own end. He sits at a +12 rating this season and has been a rock alongside Rasmus Andersson. So far, the new contract has looked very valuable for the Flames.
Rasmus Andersson
Clarity on his future.
The talk of the town since the end of the 2024–25 season has been all about Rasmus Andersson and his future. We all thought he was going to be traded this past summer, but he was not. Now, with him as a free agent to be on July 1s it is time for him and the Flames to make a decision. Either sign, or get a trade done. Thankfully, Andersson is on pace for the best year of his career, so this could make a few decisions a little bit easier for both sides.
Yan Kuznetsov
Continue to prove everyone wrong.
No one thought that Yan Kuznetsov would not only be an NHL regular this season, but in a top-four position as well? He has certainly had the coming-out party this season. He has been great this year, and for him, it will just be to continue to get better. He has always had NHL tools, and they are shining through right now.
MacKenzie Weegar
A spot on Canada’s Olympic roster.
Now, I am completely aware that this is probably MacKenzie Weegar’s weakest season as a Flame since arriving in Calgary. It has been a struggle for him, a carousel of partners to start the season, and a ton of inconsistencies have his numbers at an all-time worst. Recently, his game has been making positive strides and the right side of Canada’s defence is not the strongest, so a chance for Weegar to make the team is still a possibility. The team will be announced on New Year’s Eve, so he doesn’t have a lot of time, but maybe his track record will give him a strong case to be heading to Milan in February.
Joel Hanley
Continue to be a great mentor.
Joel Hanley has been rock solid as a third-pairing guy for the Flames this season. He has also been tasked with being a mentor for some of the Flames’ younger players. It started with Zayne Parekh before he went down with an injury, and now he has Hunter Brzustewicz. Only great things have been said about Hanley since he got to Calgary, so all he needs to do is to continue to be that guy for them.
Hunter Bruzstewicz
A permanent NHL job.
Hunter Brzustewicz has not looked out of place at all since he was called up earlier this month. His game has come a long way since his rookie season with the Wranglers last year. He looks mature beyond his years, and he has been able to handle the pressure of the NHL with ease. With Jake Bean sustaining a long-term injury and Andersson’s uncertainty with the team, spots are there for the taking, and the time is now for Brzustewicz to lock down a spot of his own and never go back to the AHL.
Dustin Wolf
Getting back on track.
It has been a weird season for Dustin Wolf. I don’t think he has been bad by any means, but he hasn’t been the same player we saw last season. He has had to deal with the Flames’ horrendous start, where he was given no help and was left out to dry every night. He has been much better as of late, and he is the last player on the roster that I would be worried about. His game will be much more consistent in the second half, and it will be a massive boost for the Flames.
Devin Cooley
A much-deserved contract extension.
Coming into the season, I am very certain that no one had Devin Cooley as the team’s backup goalie, and I am sure no one thought he would be playing this well. He has solidified the goaltending position for the team and has given Wolf some much-needed reset time when he was going through his slump. Cooley’s good vibes and great work in the crease have pretty much earned him an extension at this point, as he is a free agent to be. Is this play sustainable? I’m not entirely sure, but he has been so much fun to watch and has given us plenty of great quotes thus far this season. I really do hope they keep him around.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
