The Calgary Flames didn’t head into training camp expecting much lineup chaos. For the most part, that’s held true. A Jonathan Huberdeau injury is the only thing that has really shaken up the top-nine, and with the club’s full-strength preseason games now in the books, it looks like Ryan Huska and company have a pretty clear idea of where most pieces fit.
The one player who has pushed that picture off script is Aydar Suniev.
Suniev has been one of the loudest stories of the Flames’ preseason, and he’s done it with goals. Across three games, the winger has scored four times, including all three of Calgary’s goals through the organization’s first two games. He has also looked noticeably stronger on the ice, more comfortable in traffic and more imposing physically, which only adds to the sense that his confidence is carrying over from his first full professional season in 2025/26.
That said, there’s an important catch here: all three of his Flames preseason performances came against rookies or AHL-level competition. That doesn’t erase what he’s done, but it does make the leap to an 84-game NHL season a much tougher ask.
The question now is where Suniev should begin the 2026/27 season.
There’s a real argument for giving the 21-year-old a shot sooner rather than later. He has shown enough to suggest a top-nine NHL role is in his future, and his production this fall has made that even harder to ignore.
But Calgary’s current forward mix complicates things. Yegor Sharangovich, Samuel Honzek, Connor Zary, Ryan Strome and the soon-returning Jonathan Huberdeau are all in the picture, and right now there simply isn’t an obvious opening for Suniev to slide into.
His AHL track record also matters. A year ago with the Calgary Wranglers, he was a minus-26 and finished with 16 goals in 57 games. He improved as the season went on, and that’s still a respectable step forward, but it doesn’t scream ready-made NHL regular just yet.
So the Flames may need to solve the roster before they can solve Suniev’s place in it. If Calgary moves one, two or even three veterans from the top-nine, the path opens up not only for Suniev but also for the organization’s NCAA quartet later in the 2026/27 campaign.
For now, the cleanest answer is the same one the Flames used a year ago with Matvei Gridin: start him in the AHL, let him keep scoring, and bring him up when the door opens. If Suniev keeps finishing the way he has in preseason, he’ll get his chance sometime in 2026/27 - and he may not give it back.
In Other News...
Flames Near Final Roster Call As Camp Battle Reaches The Finish Line
The Flames training camp picture got a little clearer with forward Alex Nylander headed to the AHLs Calgary Wranglers after clearing waivers, trimming the roster to 25 players as the team heads into the final stretch of decisions. At this stage of camp, the remaining moves are less about broad evaluation and more about sorting out the last few spots, with the organization closing in on what should be its opening-night group.
Calgary is expected to settle the roster by placing Jonathan Huberdeau on injured reserve and sending waiver-exempt Aydar Suniev to the Wranglers, moves that would effectively lock in Brennan Othmanns place with the big club. Othmanns recent contract signing and preseason play have put him in strong position, and unless something changes late, he appears to have done enough to stick when the Flames make the call. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Linked To A Risky Fit They May Not Want To Pay For
The Flames are still looking for help down the middle, and Kirby Dach has surfaced as a name worth watching. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Calgary has shown interest in the Montral Canadiens forward, who can play both centre and wing and was taken third overall in 2019. For a team trying to bolster its top six, the appeal is obvious: Dach brings size, pedigree and positional versatility, all of which fit a lineup that has been searching for more stability up front.
The question, as it so often is with Dach, comes back to whether the fit is worth the uncertainty. His career has been marked by injuries, and that history makes any potential move a calculated gamble rather than a straightforward upgrade. Calgary may like the idea of adding a centre who can move around the lineup, but the real debate is whether the Flames want to pay for a player whose upside is still tied so closely to his health and availability. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Opening Night Picture Is Starting To Get Tougher For Young Players
The Flames have begun trimming their camp roster in earnest, and two of the first young names to go are goaltender Kirill Zarubin and defenseman Abram Wiebe. Both were waiver-exempt first-year pros in camp, with Zarubin a 2024 third-round pick and Wiebe coming over in a trade from Vegas, and their moves to the AHL are part of the normal squeeze that comes when a team gets close to the NHL roster limit.
Calgary is not close to done yet, though, and the next round of cuts and paper moves should say even more about how the opening-night group is taking shape. There are still additional transactions expected before the lineup is finalized, with one veteran injury situation and a choice between a pair of young forwards still hanging over the roster picture. [Read more 🡒]