As the Calgary Flames head toward the 2026/27 season, the picture around the roster looks pretty clear. Around the league, the expectation is that this team will sit among the three worst in the NHL, and that reality comes back to one simple issue: there just isn’t much elite talent here yet.
There is still some buzz for what comes next. A batch of important prospects is expected to arrive after the 2026/27 NCAA season, with Matvei Gridin, Matt Coronato, Zayne Parekh, Dustin Wolf and Simon Nemec among the names to watch.
But for this training camp, the intrigue is limited. The roster is mostly set, and if anything changes, it will probably come through trades or injuries.
That said, a handful of players could still make things interesting. One of them is Abram Wiebe.
Wiebe came to Calgary in the Rasmus Andersson trade and put together his best NCAA season with North Dakota a year ago, finishing with 5 goals and 29 points in 40 games as a defenseman. Injuries gave him an unexpected shot with the Flames late in the season, and although he only appeared in four games, that brief look should matter going forward.
At 6-foot-3 and 206 pounds, Wiebe brings a frame that fits the NHL, and he moves well enough to project as a strong bottom-pairing defenseman down the line. The problem is opportunity. Calgary added Zach Whitecloud in the same deal and brought in Simon Nemec over the summer, which makes the blue line crowded.
The most likely outcome is that Wiebe opens the year as one of the Calgary Wranglers’ key players. Still, Yan Kuznetsov’s third-pairing role has not been locked in, and that leaves a window for the 23-year-old to challenge for it.
In Other News...
Flames Trade Flexibility Comes With A Few Costly Limits
The Flames have worked hard to keep their options open, but roster flexibility in the NHL always comes with strings attached, and Calgary has plenty of them. The clubs veteran core and some of its newer additions all bring their own layers of trade protection, from full no-trade and no-movement language to more limited lists that still narrow the field if general manager Craig Conroy ever needs to make a move.
Jonathan Huberdeau sits at the center of that reality with a full no-movement clause for the life of his deal, while Mikael Backlunds protection eventually shifts into a modified no-trade arrangement in 2028. Elsewhere on the roster, Jacob Middleton and Yegor Sharangovich have their own trade lists, and Morgan Frost is set to enter the 2026-27 season with an eight-team no-trade list as a pending unrestricted free agent. Added to the future protections already set to kick in for Kevin Bahl, Dustin Wolf and Simon Nemec, it is a reminder that the Flames path to reshaping the roster may be narrower than it looks on paper. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Trigger Fan Backlash With One Move Calgary Fans Will Notice
The Oilers latest roster move has landed far beyond the ice, and it is the kind of decision that naturally registers in Calgary, too, because anything that stirs up Edmonton also ripples across the Battle of Alberta. The club signed former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton, and the reaction has been immediate, with some fans saying the move crossed a line and left them deeply disappointed.
Among the most vocal responses has come from prominent supporter Mary Loewen, while community leaders have also expressed their frustration with the signing. Oilers executive Tim Shipton has acknowledged the backlash and defended how the organization reached its decision, but the conversation has clearly moved well past a simple hockey transaction and into something the team will have to keep answering for. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Suddenly Face A Bigger Jonathan Huberdeau Concern Than Expected
Jonathan Huberdeaus offseason recovery has taken on more weight than the Flames likely expected when he underwent hip resurfacing surgery in the spring. General manager Craig Conroy said the veteran forward will open training camp on his own before eventually working back into team skates, a sign that Calgary is still managing the aftermath of the procedure that ended Huberdeaus previous season early.
The bigger concern is not just that Huberdeau is still rehabbing, but that his timeline is still being assessed as the club turns the page toward 2026-27. Calgary can live with a gradual ramp-up if it stays on schedule, but the uncertainty around his return adds another layer to a season already shaped by how quickly he can get back to full participation. [Read more 🡒]