The 2021-22 Calgary Flames season was one for the books. They had an amazing team that was driven by the dominant first line of Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Elias Lindholm. The Flames won the Pacific Division and had a legendary finish in the first round of the playoffs. However, after that amazing season, the franchise slowly began to fall apart. Let’s take a look at where members of that team have ended up.
Lost through trades
The majority of the players from the 2021-22 season have been lost through trades. The following players were dealt from the Flames in years after the special season.
- Matthew Tkachuk
- Elias Lindholm
- Andrew Mangiapane
- Rasmus Andersson
- Noah Hanifin
- Chris Tanev
- Tyler Toffoli
- Sean Monahan
- Nikita Zadorov
- Brett Ritchie
- Jacob Markstrom
- Tyler Pitlick
- Connor Mackey
This list of thirteen players shows how much a team can change in five years. The majority of these players were dealt for picks and prospects, as the Flames somewhat entered a re-tool. Two trades really stood out: the Tkachuk trade and the Lindholm trade.
Obviously, the Tkachuk trade was one of the biggest trades in NHL history. The Flames dealt Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a massive haul. MacKenzie Weegar, Jonathan Huberdeau, Cole Schwindt, and a first-round pick (Cullen Potter) were dealt to the Flames. So far, Huberdeau has been a disaster, but Weegar and Potter have been excellent assets. Unfortunately, Potter was injured in a recent game for Arizona State and is likely out for the year.
Another significant trade was sending Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. The Flames got a haul of Hunter Brzustewicz, Andrei Kuzmenko, Joni Jurmo, a first-round pick (Matvei Gridin), and a fourth-rounder in return. This trade helped set up the Flames for the future, as Brzustewicz and Gridin are two of the top young players in the organization.
Lost in free agency
Another handful of these players were lost in free agency. Some of this was poor management on the Flames’ behalf, but it was also time to move on from a few.
- Johnny Gaudreau
- Oliver Kylington
- Milan Lucic
- Erik Gudbranson
- Trevor Lewis
- Calle Jarnkrok
- Daniel Vladar
- Ryan Carpenter
- Glenn Gawdin
Overall, the Flames did not lose many key players from this squad in free agency. Sadly, losing Gaudreau was a heartbreaking situation for many Flames fans, and it only got worse. Gaudreau was the heart of this team, which has never been the same without him.
The majority of the other players on this list were fourth liners or depth defenseman who found better contracts in free agency. The most notable losses were Kylington and Vladar. Losing Kylington brought some frustrations to the Flames, as the defenseman was guaranteed a top-four spot on the team. Instead, the former Flame decided to test free agency and ended up with the Colorado Avalanche. This did not work out at all. Kylington finished the season in Anaheim after getting traded and waived, and is now playing back home in Sweden.
It was tough to see Vladar go. He had some great times with the Flames and, for the most part, was a reliable backup option. With Dustin Wolf emerging as the new star in net for the Flames, it was time to move on from Vladar. The goalie has thrived with his new team, the Philadelphia Flyers, posting a 0.905 save percentage and a 16-7-4 record.
Lost through waivers and other consequences
There is a small number of players from this team who were lost through waivers or faced some serious consequences. A couple of these guys found bigger roles elsewhere, while others found themselves out of the NHL.
- Dillon Dube
- Adam Ruzicka
- Michael Stone
- Brad Richardson
- Juuso Valimaki
- Walker Duehr
One of these players was claimed off waivers and actually went out and performed well. That person is, of course, Valimaki. The defenseman was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes early in the 2022-2023 season and went on to have a thirty-assist campaign. This was a breakout season for Valimaki, which was a fantastic sight to see. Unfortunately, the defenseman fell off a bit after that year and has now dealt with more injuries.
While Dube and Ruzicka left the NHL on less than happy terms, former Flame Michael Stone finished his time with the Flames on a high note. He retired after the 2022-2023 season with the Flames. After his playing days ended, he joined the Flames as a member of the player development squad.
The last few remaining
The only remaining players from this memorable squad are current captain Mikael Backlund and veteran Blake Coleman. Both of these guys have been linemates for a long time and continue to grind it out in the middle six. More recently, Coleman’s name has come up a lot in trade rumours. It would be a surprise if Coleman is still a member of the Flames organization after the trade deadline. He is currently injured, but will be a prime trade candidate once he returns.
Backlund will be a Flame for his whole career. He has spent a whopping eighteen seasons as a Flame, showing his loyalty to the team that drafted him. The thirty-six-year-old signed a contract extension to remain a Flame for another two years after this season.
The 2021-22 Calgary Flames team seems like just last season, but so much has changed over the last few years. Hopefully, we can see another era like that soon.
You must be logged in to post a comment.