The Calgary Flames have had strong production from their young guys to start the season. One older young guy who has really impressed so far is forward Matt Coronato. He recently scored a beauty overtime winner against the Philadelphia Flyers and has been a consistent offensive presence all year. His game has taken significant steps forward this season. His strength on and off the puck has increased; he’s faster, and he has even dropped the gloves to stand up for his teammates. One can argue that he should easily already be an alternate captain. However, I think that there is a chance that he could become the next captain of the Flames. Let’s break down why here.
The older core is aging
The current state of the Flames leadership group is getting older. Mikael Backlund, the current captain, is 37 years old and in his 19th season with the Flames. As awesome as it is to see someone so loyal to the franchise be the captain, time is certainly not on Backlund’s side. He is likely in the final years of his NHL career and will not be the captain within three seasons. It is time to start pondering the question of who will be the next man up.
Calgary’s alternate captains aren’t young either. Jonathan Huberdeau, an alternate captain, has missed every game so far this year. This was due to offseason surgery, but the forward should be back sometime soon. In my opinion, Huberdeau should not be the captain once Backlund is gone. He has not achieved much in Calgary and is nowhere near the most effective player on the team. Already at 33 years of age, Huberdeau could be pushing 35 once Backlund retires.
Defenceman Zach Whitecloud is the other full-time alternate captain. The veteran defenceman will turn 30 in late November. I really like Whitecloud as an alternate captain because he is a steady defenceman who brings poise to the lineup. He is a great leader for the young guys to look up to, considering he had to work so hard to make it to the NHL. Whitecloud went undrafted and really had to battle his way to where he is today. As long as he is a Flame, I consider him an awesome alternate captain. However, he is not the type of guy who should wear the C.
Coronato is a young veteran
It might be difficult to believe, but Coronato is already in his fourth full professional hockey season. At just 23 years of age (turns 24 on Nov 14th), he is one of the more experienced young Flames. After leading the team in points last year with 45 (this is pretty bleak, but still), he is on pace again to be one of the team’s leading scorers. Through 19 games this season, Coronato has four goals and 15 points. He trails Joel Farabee for the team lead by two points.
For the most part, Coronato has been with the Flames organization throughout the entire rebuild. The Flames drafted him in the first round of the 2021 NHL Draft with the 13th overall selection. This was the season before the Flames blew everything up. So, Coronato is actually one of the few players to have witnessed the Gaudreau and Tkachuk days yet still be with the organization. The only other young current Flames to be drafted during that time were William Stromgren (second round of 2021), Connor Zary (first round of 2020), Yan Kuznetsov (second round of 2020) and Dustin Wolf (seventh round of 2019).
Even though there are some other players who have been through the rebuild, Coronato remains the only one to do so with consistent playing time. The only other consistent young gun through the entire rebuild is Wolf. Guys like Stromgren and Kuznetsov have been up and down with the minors, while Zary is constantly battling injuries. With all that he has been through already, I think it is totally fair to consider Coronato as a future Flames captain.
A positive influence
One of the main reasons why Coronato would make a great future captain is that he seems to be a very likable player. He is always working hard, has a positive attitude, and has never really complained publicly about anything. Coronato has been a part of a disastrous organization (up until this season), and has always just put his head down and gotten to work.
Even though Coronato is American, I still think he should be considered a future captain. The Flames obviously have had some trouble with drafted Americans in the past. Adam Fox refused to sign with the Flames after being drafted, Matthew Tkachuk requested a trade, and Johnny Gaudreau left in free agency. All three of these situations were massive blows to the organization. One can only hope that Coronato stays with the Flames long-term.
On the bright side, Coronato is in the second year of a seven-year contract, which can keep him as a Flame through the 2031–32 season. It was fantastic to see him sign such a long deal with the Flames. Many were unsure if he would be willing to, but he did so at a very fair price. Making an annual salary of $6.5M has got to be one of the better long-term deals in the NHL, especially considering his importance to the team.
Overall, Coronato is probably my pick for the future captain of the Flames. He should already be an alternate captain on this team, and his future looks very bright.
