The Calgary Flames’ long-term success is going to hinge on one thing: drafting and developing players who actually stick. That’s the conversation around the team right now, and it’s why one simple benchmark matters so much. Around the league, reaching 200 NHL games is often treated as the line that separates a useful pick from a real hit.
By that measure, three Flames draft selections could be closing in on a notable milestone in 2026-27.
Matt Coronato is already on the doorstep. The Long Island, New York, native played his junior hockey with the Chicago Steel in the USHL, then went to Calgary as the 13th pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
After a couple of seasons at Harvard University, he turned pro late in the 2022-23 season. His path has had a few twists: he made the NHL roster out of camp in 2023-24, got sent to the AHL after the team stumbled through a rough October, then kept pushing until he became a full-time NHL player in 2024-25 and stayed there.
Coronato has appeared in 192 NHL games and is expected to reach 200 in October.
Connor Zary is in a similar spot. The Saskatoon product came up with the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL and built a reputation as a hard-nosed, offense-driven centre before the Flames took him 24th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft.
He spent another year in junior - the strange COVID season when the Dub barely had a schedule - then moved into the pro ranks full-time in 2021-22. Zary has also had to work through injuries and the question of whether his future is down the middle or on the wing.
He became a full-time NHLer early in 2023-24, arriving in the same set of transactions that sent Coronato to the minors that season, and his exact role is still being sorted out. He’s at 191 NHL games now and should get to 200 in October.
Then there’s Martin Pospisil, whose route to Calgary has been a little different but just as encouraging. Born in Zvolen, Slovakia, Pospisil spent two seasons with the Sioux City Musketeers in the USHL before the Flames grabbed him in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
He signed his entry-level contract immediately and went into the organization’s farm system. In the minors, he was the kind of player who made things happen - and also the kind who couldn’t catch a break physically.
In 2023-24, he finally stayed healthy long enough to earn an early call-up, and he’s basically been an NHL player ever since. Calgary has used him as a utility forward, moving him around as needed for a physical centre or winger who can chip in offensively.
He’s still dealt with injuries, though, and has played 166 NHL games so far, with a shot to reach 200 sometime mid-season.
For the Flames, that’s the kind of progression they need to see more often. Three homegrown players, all moving toward meaningful NHL mileage, all giving the organization a better answer to the draft-and-develop question.
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Connor Zary Has A Real Opening To Change Calgarys Offense
Connor Zary is back in the mix just in time for a camp that could shape the Flames forward picture, and that alone makes him one of the more interesting young players to watch in Calgary. Cleared to participate after a late-season injury issue, he arrives with a chance to show the organization that his skill set can translate into something bigger than the flashes he offered a year ago.
The opportunity is real because the Flames are still looking for more offense in the right places, and Zary has already shown enough to suggest there may be another level there. Last season was useful but not definitive, and camp now gives him a clean runway to press for a larger role if he can stand out among the competition. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Roster Battle Is Taking Shape After First Camp Cuts
The first wave of cuts at Flames camp has begun to clarify the roster picture, with Calgary sending seven players back to their major junior clubs after recent training camp work. Forwards Riley Boychuk and Brett Olson were among the group, along with a cluster of prospects the organization has been watching closely since their draft years.
The moves also get those young players back to where they need to be for the start of the junior season, and several are lined up to hit the ice in the coming days. For Calgary, it is another early step in a camp that is already separating the long shots from the names still in the mix, while leaving the next round of decisions ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Prospects Gave Fans Plenty To Talk About Against Edmonton
The Flames prospects got a first taste of the Battle of Alberta stage at the Scotiabank Saddledome in a NextGen Showcase matchup with the Oilers, and there was no shortage of takeaways even in a lopsided result. Edmonton struck twice in the opening period and stayed in control from there, while Calgary spent much of the night trying to find any rhythm against a group that dictated play early and often.
Still, the game offered a few moments worth noting for Calgarys development staff and the fans watching closely. Aydar Suniev provided the lone bright spot on the scoreboard, and the crease situation became part of the story as Arsenii Sergeev gave way to Kirill Zarubin during the contest. It was the kind of prospect night that left more questions than answers, but also plenty to revisit once the dust settles. [Read more 🡒]