Ben Jones is making the case that he should be the Flames’ next man up.
The Wranglers forward has opened the season looking every bit like the player Calgary remembered from the team’s first two years in the league. Through seven games, he’s piled up seven goals and two assists, with three power-play goals and a shorthanded marker already on the board. He scored in the season opener against the Bakersfield Condors on Oct. 9, then kept the streak rolling by finding the net in every game after that.
It’s been the kind of start that turns heads fast. Jones has turned in three multi-point nights and has had two games with a pair of goals.
In Calgary’s three games last week alone, he put up four goals and an assist. He was also the first Wranglers player to score shorthanded this season.
What stands out with Jones is not just the production, but how he’s getting it done. His speed and shot placement have been a big part of the early surge, and he comes into this season with an advantage over many of the newer faces in the room. He already knows the Flames’ system, and he has familiarity with several teammates still around the AHL and NHL levels.
That kind of familiarity matters because Jones has already done this before in Calgary. In the Wranglers’ inaugural 2022-23 season, he played almost every game, missing only one.
He finished third on the team with 54 points in 71 games, scoring 17 goals and adding 37 assists. Only Connor Zary, with 58 points, and Matthew Phillips, with 76, finished ahead of him.
His playoff run that spring was quieter, with two points in nine games, but the regular season marked a career year.
He stayed productive the following season as well. In 72 games, Jones scored 21 goals and 22 assists for 43 points, ranking second on the team behind Adam Klapka, who had 46.
After that, the Minnesota Wild organization came calling on the first day of free agency in 2024, signing Jones to a two-year, two-way contract. He had already gotten his first NHL games in with the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2021-22 season, but the next two seasons gave him much more time in the league.
In 2024-25, he split time between Minnesota and Iowa, playing 26 games with the Wild and 49 with the Iowa Wild. He did not record a point in the NHL that season, but produced 36 points in the AHL.
Last season, Jones appeared in 28 games for Minnesota, served as captain of the Iowa Wild, and scored his first NHL goal against the New York Islanders on Jan. 10, 2026.
He finished the NHL season with a goal and two assists. In the AHL, he added 12 goals and 20 assists in 37 games.
Iowa missed the playoffs both seasons, leaving Jones without postseason action since his earlier run with the Wranglers.
That recent NHL experience is why his name has moved to the front of the line in the conversation about Calgary’s depth options. Dryden Hunt has usually been the first call when the Flames needed a veteran presence, but Jones may have changed that order. Both remain useful choices, but Jones looks like the more obvious option if the big club needs help in a hurry.
At 27, he’s still in the middle of his prime, and he’s on a two-way deal after clearing waivers to start the season in Calgary. If he keeps producing anywhere close to this pace, it gets harder and harder to imagine him being overlooked for NHL minutes again.
In Other News...
Flames May Move Zach Whitecloud Only If The Price Gets Serious
Zach Whitecloud has become one of the more interesting names sitting in Calgarys orbit as the season moves along, and it is not hard to see why. Around the league, a right-shot defenseman with a team-friendly contract and Stanley Cup experience is going to draw attention, and the Flames are said to be listening without necessarily pushing him out the door.
Craig Conroy appears willing to keep Whitecloud if the market does not meet the asking price, but the signals around the league suggest Calgary would need a real incentive to move him. The talks have not advanced to a deal yet, and for now the situation feels like one of those deadline-season debates that can linger for weeks before the front office decides whether the return is worth changing the blue line mix. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Youngsters Are Forcing A Lineup Decision Ryan Huska Can't Ignore
Ryan Huska has spent the past stretch juggling his lineup as injuries have forced the Flames to lean harder on their depth, and that has opened the door for a different kind of pressure inside the roster. Younger forwards such as Jonathan Castagna and Aydar Suniev have gotten more looks, while Huska has also tinkered with his defensive pairings as he searches for combinations that can hold up under the circumstances.
The most interesting part now is how a few of those young players have responded when given the chance. Calgary has already seen enough from one of them to earn a public nod from Huska after a recent game, and with the lineup still in flux, the coach is approaching a point where performance may matter more than pedigree. For a team trying to stay steady through injuries, the next decision up front could say a lot about how far Huska is willing to trust the kids. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Power Play Is Showing Life In A Spot Fans Feared Most
For a group that spent last season chasing answers with the man advantage, Calgary has found at least a little traction in a place where the frustration was easy to see. Eight games into the year, the Flames have started to look more dangerous on the power play, a development that matters because head coach Ryan Huska had made special-teams improvement a clear priority heading into the 2026-27 season. The early boost has come from a wider cast than usual, with Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Matvei Gridin, Matt Coronato and Zayne Parekh all helping to give the unit a different look.
Parekhs role has been especially notable because it hints at how the Flames are trying to build something more dynamic with the puck moving around the perimeter and seams opening up. Huska has liked the progress, and the young defenseman has talked about the groups growth as it starts to find a rhythm. For a team that was searching for life in this spot a year ago, the encouraging part is not just that the results have improved, but that the confidence appears to be building with it. [Read more 🡒]