The Calgary Flames are headed into 2026-27 with a roster that looks very different, and the uncertainty is the whole point now. After moving Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, and Blake Coleman, Calgary has clearly entered a new phase, one built around younger players trying to carve out real roles.
That puts a spotlight on names like Simon Nemec, Zayne Parekh, and Sam Honzek, along with Matt Coronato and Connor Zary, who are a little more established but still squarely in the group fans will be tracking all season. With so much of the roster in flux, the year could be defined by a few big swings. Here are four of the most interesting ones.
Matt Coronato is the clearest bet to take a step forward. He led the Flames in scoring last season, but the numbers still left room for more.
In 80 games, the 24-year-old posted 18 goals and 45 points, a slight dip from his 2024-25 production. Even so, there’s a real expectation that he pushes higher in 2026-27.
Goals may not come easy for this group, but Coronato has the shot and skill to become the team’s offensive focal point, and a 30-goal season would be a major milestone for him.
Dustin Wolf is another player who could force his way into the league’s bigger conversations. Calgary’s roster may be thin in a lot of places, but goaltending isn’t one of them, especially with Devin Cooley there as a capable backup.
Wolf, though, is the one who matters most. He’s coming off what the source described as a mediocre-at-best 2025-26 season, and that should leave him with plenty to prove.
He’s succeeded at every level he’s played, and even behind an uneven team, a strong year could put him in Vezina Trophy discussion by season’s end.
The most uncomfortable storyline might be Connor Zary’s future. There was already some offseason speculation that Calgary was open to moving him, and that says a lot about how far his standing has fallen.
Zary was once seen as a core piece for the organization, but two disappointing seasons have changed the picture. He’ll start the year on the roster, yet he’ll need a major bounce-back to get back into long-term plans.
If that doesn’t happen, a trade for a fresh start could be the outcome.
Then there’s the bench. Ryan Huska is heading into his fourth season as Flames head coach, which is no small thing in a league that burns through coaches quickly.
But this could still be his last year in Calgary. The issue is simple: the Flames aren’t expected to win much, and that kind of season usually pushes a team toward development and draft position.
Huska has leaned the other way before, giving veterans more ice time while younger players were left without a real chance to show what they could do. If that approach continues, it could put Conroy in a spot where a coaching change becomes unavoidable.
For Calgary, the 2026-27 season is less about immediate results than about sorting through what comes next. Huska, Coronato, Wolf, and Zary all sit at the center of that conversation, and how those situations play out could tell the story of the year.
In Other News...
Zayne Parekh Is Giving Flames Fans A Very Intriguing Question
Zayne Parekh gave Flames fans something to think about in an exhibition game against Vancouver, and it was the kind of performance that stands out even in preseason. The young defenceman looked noticeably sharper than he did a season ago, using his skating to move with purpose, finding lanes with better ice vision and showing a real ability to control the offensive zone. Against a Flames lineup expected to be close to its regular-season group, Parekh did enough to draw attention in a game where every shift carried a little more meaning.
Ryan Huska came away pleased with the way Parekh stayed engaged and competed throughout the night, which only adds to the intrigue around what comes next. For a player still trying to carve out his place, those are the kind of details that matter, especially when the work translates against NHL-calibre competition. The bigger question now is how Calgary handles a young defender who is making the decision harder by the game. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Young Standouts Made A Routine Preseason Win Worth Watching
A preseason win over Vancouver usually does not amount to much more than a useful tune-up, but Calgarys 3-1 victory had a little extra to it because the Flames dressed essentially their opening-day lineup and still found a way to separate in the middle frame. Dustin Wolf started in net for Calgary, Kevin Lankinen had the crease for the Canucks, and for a night the result mattered less than the early read on how the roster pieces were fitting together.
The most encouraging part for the Flames was the second period, when they put three pucks behind Vancouver and made the game look far less like an exhibition. The Canucks did get one back late in the third, but by then the bigger takeaway was clear enough for Calgary: the lineup looked sharp, and the young players who stood out made a routine preseason game feel worth the watch. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Camp Cuts Just Started And The Roster Squeeze Is Real
Training camp cuts are starting to come into focus for the Flames, and the first moves have already sent two prospects back to the AHLs Calgary Wranglers. It is the kind of early culling that usually says more about the numbers game than any final judgment on talent, especially this time of year when every practice rep and exhibition shift matters.
Abram Wiebe and Luke Philp are still very much part of the organizations pipeline, but the roster squeeze is already real with 43 players left in camp. Calgary still has more evaluation ahead, including upcoming exhibition games, so the next round of decisions should keep sorting out who can keep hanging around and who is headed back to the minors. [Read more 🡒]