September has arrived, which means that hockey season is just around the corner. For the Calgary Flames, expectations won’t be high this season. It’ll likely be another ugly year as the team continues its rebuild. The Flames also aren’t expected to be a high-scoring team, which further feeds the low expectations the team will be facing.
Every season, ESPN projects point totals for certain players on every NHL team. Let’s see what ESPN thinks of certain Flames players and how prominent their production will be during the 2026–27 season.
Matt Coronato – 19G 29A 48P
ESPN projects Matt Coronato to have a similar point total to last season. While this is quite possible, I believe Coronato has much more in the tank. As he gets more NHL seasons, his game is only bound to improve even more. I think Coronato will at least break the 50-point range. But would it be a surprise if he puts up a similar performance to last season? No.
Maxim Tsyplakov – 15G 33A 48P
For some reason, ESPN seems to be quite high on Maxim Tsyplakov, projecting that he’ll put up 48 points, which would be a career high for the 27-year-old.
Right away, I don’t see this happening. While Tsyplakov is bound to improve, he’ll likely be a regular in the Flames’ bottom six, specifically on the fourth line. Tsyplakov was considered a throw-in in the Simon Nemec trade, but clearly the Flames see something in him. Regardless, if he performs well, he would be an intriguing trade asset by the deadline.
Yegor Sharangovich – 22G 19A 41P
Yegor Sharangovich has struggled to replicate the level of production he put up in his first season with the Flames. 40–45 points definitely seems realistic given the team’s lack of offence and Sharangovich’s struggles. While I see his goal total rising a bit, he won’t be putting up any big numbers. It’s unfortunate given his contract pays $5.75M per season.
Morgan Frost – 19G 22A 41P
Morgan Frost’s projected numbers also seem realistic given the type of player he is. His production will certainly affect contract negotiations, as he’s a pending UFA. He is also rumoured to be on the trade block, depending on his contract ask. 15–20 goals and 40ish points seem like a safe bet for Frost.
Jonathan Huberdeau – 18G 28A 46P
Jonathan Huberdeau is quite the depressing storyline for the Flames. Given his recent hip surgery, his NHL future is uncertain. However, he is projected to be healthy for next season, but we are way past the days when Huberdeau was a 70–80 point scorer. 40–50 points is a safe bet given where he’s at in his career. Things could go south if he struggles to bounce back from his surgery.
Joel Farabee – 20G 19A 39P
ESPN has Joel Farabee recording only one more point than last season. Similar to Frost, this seems like a realistic projection given the type of player Farabee is. It also wouldn’t surprise me if he increased his totals, because players can be random like that. Farabee could also be a player to watch as the deadline approaches. The Flames could dangle him as trade bait.
Mikael Backlund – 16G 25A 41P
Expectations for Backlund shouldn’t be high, given he has only a couple more years left in the league. Scoring around 40 points is reasonable, especially since Backlund will likely be given a bigger role due to the team’s lack of centres.
Dustin Wolf – 23W 27L .896 %
ESPN actually has Dustin Wolf performing a bit worse than last season. It’s an interesting prediction. At the same time, goaltending in the NHL is so hard to predict year by year.
There’s no doubt that Wolf will bail out this team on some nights, but there will also be nights when he gets absolutely shelled. It’ll be interesting where things go for Wolf. His numbers will likely look worse than they truly are due to the team’s rebuilding status.
Where are the others?
ESPN has yet to make projections for all Flames players. Perhaps when more projections are released, we can make a part two for this article.
