The 2026-27 season opens tonight at the Scotiabank Saddledome with the Calgary Flames facing their bitter rival, the Seattle Kraken, and the Daily Faceoff Calgary crew wasted no time laying out how they see the year unfolding.
The staff roundtable featured Ryan Pike, Ryan Pinder, Cynthia Ryley Delaney, Adrian Kiss, Mike Gould, Paige Humphrey, Flash Stevens, and Robert Munnich, and the group didn’t exactly paint a rosy picture for Calgary’s season. The Flames’ projected records were all over the map, but most of the predictions landed in the same rough neighborhood: below .500 and outside the playoff picture.
Adrian Kiss had Calgary at 36-42-6 for 78 points, while Mike Gould pegged them at 31-50-3 for 65 points. Paige Humphrey went with 34-43-7 for 75 points, and Robert Munnich forecast 32-45-7 for 71 points. Ryan Pike predicted 35-49-5 for 75 points, Ryan Pinder landed at 31-41-12 for 74 points, Cynthia Ryley Delaney chose 27-46-11 for 65 points, and Flash Stevens put them at 36-41-7 for 79 points.
That same pessimism showed up in the standings picks. The Flames were slotted anywhere from 28th to 32nd overall, with Flash Stevens the highest on Calgary at 28th. Adrian Kiss and Ryan Pike each had them 29th, Paige Humphrey had them 30th, Robert Munnich and Ryan Pinder both placed them 31st, and Mike Gould plus Cynthia Ryley Delaney each projected a 32nd-place finish.
When it came to scoring leaders, the panel split between a few familiar names and a couple of younger bets. Matvei Gridin was the most popular pick to lead the Flames in points, getting votes from Robert Munnich, Ryan Pike, and Flash Stevens.
Matt Coronato was chosen by Paige Humphrey and Cynthia Ryley Delaney, while Adrian Kiss and Ryan Pinder went with Zayne Parekh. Mike Gould was the lone voice backing Morgan Frost.
For goals, the room leaned even more heavily toward Coronato and Gridin. Matt Coronato was the pick from Mike Gould, Ryan Pike, Ryan Pinder, Cynthia Ryley Delaney, and Flash Stevens. Adrian Kiss, Paige Humphrey, and Robert Munnich all selected Matvei Gridin.
The “exceed expectations” category brought a wider spread of answers. Adrian Kiss and Ryan Pinder both circled Sam Honzek, while Mike Gould picked Yegor Sharangovich, Paige Humphrey went with Mikael Backlund, Robert Munnich and Cynthia Ryley Delaney chose Simon Nemec, Ryan Pike selected Zach Whitecloud, and Flash Stevens named Joel Farabee.
The disappointments list was just as varied. Connor Zary was Adrian Kiss’s pick, Jake Middleton appeared on the ballots of Mike Gould and Ryan Pinder, Paige Humphrey chose Zayne Parekh, Robert Munnich picked Ryan Strome, Ryan Pike and Flash Stevens both named Yegor Sharangovich, and Cynthia Ryley Delaney selected Devin Cooley.
The biggest split centered on Morgan Frost. Asked whether the Flames should sign or trade him, the majority came down on trade. Adrian Kiss, Mike Gould, Robert Munnich, Ryan Pike, Ryan Pinder, and Flash Stevens all said trade him, while Paige Humphrey and Cynthia Ryley Delaney voted to sign him.
The roundtable also stretched beyond Calgary, with each contributor making broader NHL predictions. For division winners, the picks were:
Adrian Kiss: San Jose, Colorado, Carolina, Montreal
Mike Gould: Vegas, Minnesota, Washington, Montreal
Paige Humphrey: Vegas, Colorado, Columbus, Florida
Robert Munnich: Edmonton, Dallas, Carolina, Florida
Ryan Pike: Vegas, Colorado, Carolina, Montreal
Ryan Pinder: Vegas, Dallas, Carolina, Tampa Bay
Cynthia Ryley Delaney: Edmonton, Minnesota, Carolina, Montreal
Flash Stevens: Vegas, Colorado, Carolina, Montreal
For Stanley Cup finalists, the selections were just as varied, though Colorado showed up again and again:
Adrian Kiss: Colorado vs Florida
Mike Gould: Minnesota vs Montreal
Paige Humphrey: Colorado vs Columbus
Robert Munnich: Dallas vs Washington
Ryan Pike: Colorado vs Montreal
Ryan Pinder: Colorado vs Tampa Bay
Cynthia Ryley Delaney: Colorado vs Carolina
Flash Stevens: Colorado vs Buffalo
And when it came to the champion, Adrian Kiss was the one to make it official: Colorado Avalanche.
In Other News...
Flames Opening Night Disaster Raises One Brutal Early Question
The Calgary Flames did not get the kind of start anyone around the Saddledome wanted to see, opening the 2026-27 regular season with a 6-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on home ice. Seattle set the tone early and never really let go, while the Flames spent most of the night chasing the game after a rough first period put them in an immediate hole.
What made the performance harder to digest was how many of the problems were of Calgarys own making. Penalties and defensive mistakes kept feeding the Krakens momentum, and the lone Flames goal came only late in the third period after the outcome was long since tilted. For a team trying to establish a better early-season footing, the question now is how quickly this group can clean up the details before one bad opener starts feeling like a pattern. [Read more 🡒]
Flames May Have A Familiar Blue Line Option Back In Play
A familiar name has surfaced around Calgarys system, and it comes with the kind of low-risk depth look teams lean on when the blue line needs a little more certainty. The Wranglers brought in veteran defenseman Derek Forbort on a professional tryout, giving the organization a chance to see where his game is after an injury-plagued year in Vancouver and, from his side, a path toward proving he still belongs in an NHL conversation.
For Calgary, there is at least some built-in familiarity if this turns into more than a camp stop, since Forbort once wore a Flames sweater in 2019-20 and already knows the market and the expectations that come with it. His arrival also fits the broader shuffle around the league, where teams are continually balancing injuries and reinforcements, and it leaves open the question of whether the veteran can turn this latest opportunity into a real contract chance. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Just Sent A Top Prospect Into A Situation Flames Fans Know Well
Braeden Cootes is heading into the kind of proving ground Flames fans know well, with the Vancouver Canucks assigning their 2025 first-round pick to Abbotsford to begin his pro season. The move sends the young forward into the AHL right away, just as the affiliate gets ready for its opener and finalizes an opening roster that will give a better look at how the club plans to handle one of its most closely watched prospects.
For Vancouver, the decision is clearly about patience and development, not a fast track to the NHL. Canucks GM Ryan Johnson has made it clear there is no set timeline for a promotion, which puts the emphasis on steady growth in Abbotsford rather than immediate pressure in Vancouver. How Cootes settles in there, and how quickly he can turn a strong start into momentum, will be one of the early stories to watch once the season opens. [Read more 🡒]