The Calgary Flames are heading into the new NHL season with a very different kind of hope.
This is not a group being talked about as a contender. Not close.
After a disappointing 2025-26 season, the Flames look even thinner on paper now than they did a year ago, and that reality sets them up for a rough watch in the short term. But it also puts them in position to chase something far more valuable than a few extra wins: another premium draft pick.
That possibility is very real after what happened last season. Calgary entered 2025-26 with some outside buzz about the first-overall pick, only to finish 29th in the NHL standings and then watch the draft lottery send them to sixth overall instead. The Flames still came away with a strong prospect in defenceman Carson Carels, but it was not the outcome the fan base had been hoping for.
This time, the path looks even more favorable. General manager Craig Conroy has already moved out several established veterans, including Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, and Blake Coleman. The result is a roster that appears weaker than the one that just finished near the bottom of the standings.
The center group is now Morgan Frost, Mikael Backlund, Ryan Strome, and Martin Pospisil. On the blue line, the outlook is especially shaky, with the article describing it as one of the weakest in the league.
That kind of roster construction may not make for easy viewing, but it does create an opening for Calgary to add another major piece at the top of the draft. The Flames already have a promising young core that includes Carels, Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Matvei Gridin, Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter, Jack Hextall, Henry Mews, and others. What they still lack is the kind of true game-breaking talent every contender needs.
Parekh is the player they’re hoping can provide that spark from the back end. Even if he gets there, though, the Flames still need a difference-maker up front, and that’s where the draft becomes so important. Landing that kind of player through trade is described as extremely difficult, if not often impossible, which makes drafting the cleanest route.
There is at least one major name in the mix. Defenceman Landon DuPont is currently projected to go first overall, while forwards Nazar Privalov and Alexis Joseph are also seen as possible building blocks.
For Flames fans who have spent years pushing for a real Stanley Cup contender, this is a frustrating stretch. But it is also part of the plan. The team has drifted farther from contention in recent seasons, yet the article frames this rebuild as the right move for the long haul.
The short-term pain could continue for a while, even into 2027-28, but the payoff could be a much stronger future. The expectation is that Calgary will eventually become a consistent playoff team and do it in its brand-new arena.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Wont Like Where This Arber Xhekaj Buzz Is Going
Kaiden Xhekajs situation in Montreal has settled into one of those summer standoffs that can linger longer than anyone prefers. The Canadiens still value the restricted free agent, but they have not landed on a contract that works for both sides, and with no arbitration filing to create a firm deadline, the talks can keep stretching while other teams watch closely.
That is where the interest from clubs like the Flyers and Flames matters, because Xhekajs role has already been trending the wrong way. His ice time dipped last season, he never locked down a top-six spot, and the longer Montreal stays in this holding pattern, the more it invites outside teams to see whether a change of scenery might be possible. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Still Can't Escape The Contract Question Hanging Over Calgary
The contract conversation around Calgary has not gone away, and a fresh look at NHL deals from The Athletic only keeps it in the spotlight. In its latest ranking of player value versus salary, Jonathan Huberdeau again landed near the bottom of the league, a reminder that the Flames are still carrying one of the sports most scrutinized commitments while trying to build around the rest of the roster.
What makes the discussion linger is the size of the gap between what Huberdeau is projected to be worth and what he is paid, with his market value pegged at $4.8 million against a $10.5 million average annual value. It is the kind of mismatch that follows a team from season to season, and even with other big-market clubs absent from the top of the list, Calgary remains the one still forced to answer the same uncomfortable question. [Read more 🡒]
Three Flames Prospects Earn Canada Showcase Spots
Hockey Canadas roster for the World Junior Summer Showcase gave the Flames a notable presence, with three prospects named to Canadas group for the event in Windsor, Ontario. Cole Reschny, Carson Carels and Chase Harrington will all get a chance to skate in the kind of summer tune-up that helps sort out the early shape of the World Junior picture, with preliminary rosters from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland all in the mix.
For Calgary, the list is a welcome sign that its pipeline is showing up where it matters most. Reschny and Carels already come with the kind of pedigree that keeps them on the radar, while Harrington is the sort of player who can use a strong showing to keep his name in the conversation. The showcase runs from July 25 to August 1, and the real intrigue now is how much each of the three can do with that stage. [Read more 🡒]