The first preseason result wasn’t pretty for Calgary, and the damage showed up in the exact place that’s supposed to be a strength. The Flames dropped a 4-2 decision to the Seattle Kraken at the Saddledome, with Aydar Suniev’s two-goal effort not enough to drag them back into it.
Seattle’s scoring line looked better than it really was at five-on-five, since only one of the four goals came in that situation. The catch is the part that should grab Calgary’s attention: two Kraken goals came on the power play, and another went into an empty net.
That’s the kind of detail that can get brushed off in September. Preseason games split people right down the middle.
Some insist they don’t matter, while others see every hiccup as a warning flare. In Calgary’s case, the power play goals against are hard to ignore, especially because the penalty kill has been one of the club’s more reliable pieces in recent seasons.
The Flames have actually managed to stay above the NHL average in penalty-kill percentage in every season since 2021-22, with one exception. In 2021-22, Calgary finished at 83.2% while the league average sat at 79.4%.
The next year, the Flames were at 82.6% against an NHL average of 78.7%. Even in 2023-24, a rough year overall, Calgary still posted 80.8% compared with the league’s 79%.
The lone dip came in 2024-25, when Detroit’s 70.1% penalty kill pulled the NHL average down to 78.4%. Calgary still fell short of its usual standard, finishing at 76.1%. Last season, though, the number climbed back over 80%, landing at 80.4%.
Now the attention turns to who will actually handle those minutes this season.
The penalty-kill group looks set to be a rotating cast built around a core of familiar names. On the blue line, the projected four are Jacob Middleton, Zach Whitecloud, Yan Kuznetsov, and Kevin Bahl, with injuries and suspensions always capable of changing the picture.
Nemec and Parekh are expected to stay more on the offensive side of things, which likely keeps them away from those short-handed shifts. Carson Carels also doesn’t appear likely to be thrown into penalty-kill duty this early, even if he makes the NHL roster.
Up front, the regulars are expected to be Mikael Backlund, Joel Farabee, Yegor Sharangovich, and Jonathan Huberdeau.
For all the noise around one preseason game, the bigger picture is still the same: Calgary’s penalty kill has been a steady line item for years, and now it’s facing a real test. Some models have the Flames finishing with a 77.98% penalty kill, which would put them in a tougher spot than they’ve been used to. Whether that keeps them away from the bottom of the NHL is an open question, but the early signs aren’t exactly calming.
And if short-handed goals are part of the hope, there may not be much to count on there either. None of the expected forwards are known as major scorers in that area.
For those rooting for a rough season, though, the opening night of preseason at least offered something to smile about.
In Other News...
Andrei Kuzmenko Faces Heartbreaking Absence As Season Nears
Andrei Kuzmenkos preseason routine has been interrupted by far more than hockey. The Penguins forward left camp after practicing with the team and is taking a leave of absence following the death of his father, Alexander Kuzmenko, a hockey coach who died from injuries sustained in a bear attack during a fishing trip in Russia. Pittsburgh expressed its condolences as Kuzmenko stepped away to be with his family.
For a player trying to settle into a new season, the timing makes the situation even harder to absorb. The on-ice questions now take a back seat to the personal loss, and there is no clear answer yet on whether Kuzmenko will be available when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Lean Into Saddledome Nostalgia With One Jersey Twist Still Coming
The Flames used a preseason game to unveil their 2026-27 jersey schedule, and the plan is built around a heavy dose of familiar looks as the club heads into its final stretch at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Calgary will lean on its classic red home sweater, bring back the 2004 retro home jersey for select dates, and close out the buildings final season with a long run of the 1980s retro red.
The part that still has fans talking, though, is the one jersey the team has not shown yet. The Hometown Remix design is still under wraps, but it is slated to fit into the clubs farewell to the Saddledome and arrive with a fresh twist that ties back to Calgarys identity in a way the rest of the schedule only hints at. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Prospects Are Already Giving This Pipeline Some Early Juice
Several Calgary Flames prospects are already getting their seasons moving, and the early returns have given the organization a little bit of the buzz it likes to see at this time of year. The pipeline is spread across the Canadian Hockey League and NCAA, with some names already on the board and others still waiting to take their first shift, which makes this stretch a useful early look at how the next wave might develop.
Simon Katolicky wasted little time making an impression in his OHL debut, while Joe Iginla also found the score sheet in Vancouvers season-opening win over Kelowna. More prospects are set to begin their seasons soon with the Calgary Wranglers and a handful of NCAA programs, so the next few weeks should offer an even clearer picture of how much early juice this group can keep generating. [Read more 🡒]