The Calgary Flames are almost certainly down to the last pieces of their opening-night puzzle.
On Sunday, forward Alex Nylander cleared waivers and was sent to the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers, and according to QR Calgary’s Pat Steinberg, the Flames didn’t put anyone else on waivers. That matters because, with the roster deadline set for Monday at 3 p.m. MT, there doesn’t appear to be another obvious move coming to trim the group to 23.
After Nylander’s assignment, Calgary’s training camp roster sits at 25 players, and the shape of the opening roster is looking pretty clear.
The remaining group includes goaltenders Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley; defencemen Kevin Bahl, Simon Nemec, Jake Middleton, Zayne Parekh, Yan Kuznetsov, Zach Whitecloud, Joel Hanley and Brayden Pachal; and 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, Brennan Othmann, Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Huberdeau.
There are a few important wrinkles in that mix. Everyone on the current roster needs waivers except Parekh, Gridin, Honzek and Suniev.
And because Parekh, Gridin and Honzek are already in regular lineup spots, the expectation is that they aren’t going anywhere to the AHL any time soon. Huberdeau, meanwhile, was never activated from injured reserve when camp opened, so he’ll be listed on IR when the season starts.
That leaves the likely path pretty straightforward: the Flames appear set to officially move Huberdeau back to IR and assign Suniev to the Wranglers. Suniev is waiver exempt, which makes him the cleanest option to get Calgary to the required roster number.
If that’s how it plays out, Othmann looks poised to begin the season with the big club. The restricted free agent, who was the final Flame to sign a new contract this summer, made a strong case for himself with two preseason games that showed speed, physicality and enough bite to suggest he could help in a fourth-line role.
Calgary will still have to revisit things once Huberdeau gets close to returning, but Othmann has clearly put himself in the conversation. And even if Suniev starts in the AHL, he’s made enough of an impression in camp that it would be a surprise if this is the last we hear from him this season.
The Flames open the regular season Thursday night at home against the Seattle Kraken.
In Other News...
Aydar Suniev Is Forcing A Flames Decision They Didn't Expect
Aydar Suniev has done just about everything a young player can do to get noticed in camp. The winger has flashed real offensive promise for Calgary, and his run of goals in preseason has put him squarely on the radar as the kind of prospect who can make a conversation get uncomfortable for management in a hurry.
The problem for the Flames is that the depth chart in the top nine is already crowded with veterans and returning players, which makes the immediate path to the NHL look narrow. Unless Calgary clears room later by moving one or more established forwards, Suniev appears headed for the AHL to start the 2026/27 season, even if his preseason play keeps forcing the front office to think about him sooner than expected. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Linked To A Risky Fit They May Not Want To Pay For
The Flames are still looking for help down the middle, and Kirby Dach has surfaced as a name worth watching. According to NHL insider Frank Seravalli, Calgary has shown interest in the Montral Canadiens forward, who can play both centre and wing and was taken third overall in 2019. For a team trying to bolster its top six, the appeal is obvious: Dach brings size, pedigree and positional versatility, all of which fit a lineup that has been searching for more stability up front.
The question, as it so often is with Dach, comes back to whether the fit is worth the uncertainty. His career has been marked by injuries, and that history makes any potential move a calculated gamble rather than a straightforward upgrade. Calgary may like the idea of adding a centre who can move around the lineup, but the real debate is whether the Flames want to pay for a player whose upside is still tied so closely to his health and availability. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Opening Night Picture Is Starting To Get Tougher For Young Players
The Flames have begun trimming their camp roster in earnest, and two of the first young names to go are goaltender Kirill Zarubin and defenseman Abram Wiebe. Both were waiver-exempt first-year pros in camp, with Zarubin a 2024 third-round pick and Wiebe coming over in a trade from Vegas, and their moves to the AHL are part of the normal squeeze that comes when a team gets close to the NHL roster limit.
Calgary is not close to done yet, though, and the next round of cuts and paper moves should say even more about how the opening-night group is taking shape. There are still additional transactions expected before the lineup is finalized, with one veteran injury situation and a choice between a pair of young forwards still hanging over the roster picture. [Read more 🡒]