The Calgary Flames are getting a much clearer preseason look Tuesday night, and the setup should feel a lot closer to an opening-night dress rehearsal.
After dropping their first exhibition game 4-2 to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, the Flames return to the Scotiabank Saddledome to face the Vancouver Canucks with a lineup that features more of the names fans expect to see once the games count.
The biggest development is in goal. Dustin Wolf is expected to make his first appearance of the preseason and, according to the lineup plan, he should handle the full game. Calgary is treating him as its projected No. 1 goaltender, and this will be his first chance to get game action under his belt.
The Flames will also keep another eye on two young defenders who were paired together against Seattle. Zayne Parekh and Yan Kuznetsov are both back in the mix, though this time they’ll be separated. Parekh is slated to skate with Jake Middleton, while Kuznetsov is expected to line up beside Zach Whitecloud.
Up front, Matvei Gridin gets another preseason run after debuting Sunday. He’ll move onto the top line with Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato, giving Calgary a young, skill-heavy trio to start things off.
There’s also a more established look elsewhere in the forward group. Sam Honzek is expected to skate with Mikael Backlund and Joel Farabee, while Connor Zary centers Ryan Strome and Yegor Sharangovich. The fourth line brings together Maxim Tsyplakov, Martin Pospisil and Adam Klapka.
Here’s the projected lineup against Vancouver:
FORWARDS
Matvei Gridin - Morgan Frost - Matt Coronato
Sam Honzek - Mikael Backlund - Joel Farabee
Connor Zary - Ryan Strome - Yegor Sharangovich
Maxim Tsyplakov - Martin Pospisil - Adam Klapka
DEFENCE
Kevin Bahl - Simon Nemec
Jake Middleton - Zayne Parekh
Yan Kuznetsov - Zach Whitecloud
GOALTENDERS
Dustin Wolf
Kirill Zarubin
With more regulars in the lineup, Tuesday’s game should offer a better read on where the Flames stand as the regular season gets closer.
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 🡒]