The Calgary Flames are heading into 2026-27 with room to spare, and plenty of it. For the fourth straight season, the club is carrying a major cap surplus, and after GM Craig Conroy stayed quiet through free agency, that cushion sits at nearly $15 million.
That lack of spending does more than keep the books clean. It also opens the door for younger players to see real NHL minutes as the Flames continue their rebuild. For now, Calgary remains one of the league’s lighter-spending teams, with the fourth most cap space in the NHL.
Cap hits tell one part of the story, but salaries are a different matter, and that’s where things get a little more interesting. Here’s how much every Flames player will earn in 2026-27:
The club’s payroll picture is shaped by a few hefty contracts, including the Jonathan Huberdeau and Yegor Sharangovich deals. Those aren’t ideal, but they haven’t put the Flames in a bind. On the other side of the ledger, Calgary has some very manageable contracts, including Zach Whitecloud’s team-friendly deal.
There’s also a group of young players whose paychecks could look much smaller depending on where they spend the season. Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Matvei Gridin, and Sam Honzek are all on entry-level deals, which means an assignment to the AHL would cut their earnings considerably. If they wind up with the Wranglers next season, their pay would drop well below the NHL rate.
Another wrinkle: eight of the players listed are in the final year of their contracts. Ryan Strome, Morgan Frost, Maxim Tysplakov, Joel Hanley, and Brayden Pachal are all headed toward unrestricted free agency, while Adam Klapka, Yan Kuznetsov, and Hunter Brzustewicz are set to become restricted free agents.
And even with a number of interesting free agents still available before 2026-27, don’t expect Calgary to jump in and chase them. The more likely path is that the Flames use some of that cap space in trades during the season, looking for ways to keep building for what comes next.
In Other News...
Flames Ended A Painful Drought In One Of The Saddledomes Wildest Nights
The Calgary Flames 2014-15 season already felt like a turning point before the playoffs even began, with a third-place finish in the Pacific Division ending a run of frustration and putting the franchise back in the postseason for the first time since 2009. From there, the story only got better for a team and fan base that had spent years waiting for a moment like this, as Calgary knocked off Vancouver in the opening round for its first playoff series win since 2004.
Game 6 in the Saddledome was the kind of night that lingered long after the final horn, a wild, back-and-forth finish that capped the drought-breaking run in style. The Flames still had more work ahead of them before the season was done, but this was the kind of spring breakthrough that reminded everyone what playoff hockey in Calgary can feel like when the building is shaking and the stakes are real. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Have A Toughness Debate Fans Will Instantly Recognize
The conversation around toughness has become hard to ignore for Flames fans, especially with a player like Matt Rempe drawing attention as the kind of physical presence some around the league still view as useful. The 24-year-old Rangers enforcer has built his NHL reputation the old-fashioned way, through size, edge and multiple fights, which makes him an easy name to circle when a team is looking for more bite.
For Calgary, the appeal is tied less to any confirmed move and more to the broader debate over what this roster has lost and what it still values. The Flames have long had an appetite for players who can handle the rough side of the game, so it is natural to wonder whether a player with Rempes style could fit into that conversation if the opportunity ever materializes. [Read more 🡒]
Zayne Parekh Gives Flames Fans A Huge Reason To Dream And Debate
Zayne Parekh has quickly become one of the most intriguing names in the Flames system, and it is not hard to see why. Taken ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, he now sits as Calgarys top prospect heading into 2026, thanks to the same traits that made him such a coveted pick in the first place: high-end offensive instincts, smooth skating and the ability to drive play from the blue line. His work with the Saginaw Spirit and his time with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship only added to the belief that there is real impact potential here.
For Flames fans, the appeal is obvious, but so is the conversation around what comes next. Parekhs skill level gives Calgary a tantalizing look at a possible difference-making defenceman, yet his game still has an important area to tighten up before the hype can fully turn into NHL production. That balance of ceiling and unfinished business is what makes him so fascinating, and why he remains both a reason to dream and a player worth debating. [Read more 🡒]