The Calgary Flames may be headed for a rough 2026/27 season, but there is at least one area where the schedule could give them a real edge.
That matters for a team that already looks short on high-end skill and elite talent. The expectation is that Calgary will have a hard time staying afloat, and some around the club are already looking ahead to the 2027 NHL Draft, where the top of the board is loaded with centers - exactly the kind of piece the Flames need to push a rebuild forward.
Still, the schedule offers a small but meaningful break. Calgary ranks well on the tired-versus-rested games scale entering 2026/27, and that could help them steal points in spots where they might otherwise be overmatched.
The numbers are pretty stark. The Flames will have only four games this season in which they are on the second night of a back-to-back while their opponent is rested. On the other side of the ledger, their opponents will be on the second night of a back-to-back 15 times against Calgary, and 11 of those games will come with the Flames having a day of rest.
That kind of swing can matter over the course of a long season. It does not change the bigger picture for Calgary, and it is not enough to keep them from potentially sinking near the bottom of the standings. But if the Flames are looking for a path to squeeze out a few more wins, this is one of the clearest ones available.
The Atlantic Division, as the graphic making the rounds showed, has every reason to be annoyed by the setup:
Montreal: +9
Detroit: +4
TB: Even
BUF: -4
FLA:-5
BOS: -6
OTT: -6
TOR: -6
That leaves a 15-game gap between Montreal at the top and Boston, Ottawa and Toronto at the bottom.
For Calgary, the bigger story remains the same: this could still be a brutal season. But if there is any hope of finding an edge, the rest schedule gives them one.
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The real question is what the Flames want to do with him from here. There is genuine interest from around the league, but Calgary still has to decide whether to move Frost now or hold him closer to the trade deadline, with his no-trade protection adding another layer to the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
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Connor Bedard News Just Took A Brutal Turn For Blackhawks Fans
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Around the NHL, other young names are getting paid in ways that help set the market, too. Jamie Drysdale landed a four-year deal with the Flyers at $6.5 million annually, while Connor McMichael secured a six-year extension with the Blues after his move from Washington, another reminder that teams are trying to buy stability before those players get any closer to their next big leverage point. [Read more 🡒]