The Calgary Flames have only three goals through three games to open the 2026-27 regular season, and that kind of start naturally sends a team searching for answers. With the offense still sputtering after last season’s problems, Calgary is weighing ways to add scoring - both by giving opportunities to players from the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers and by checking the market outside the organization.
One name that has come up is Patrik Laine.
On Tuesday’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun said the Flames have kicked around the idea internally, though nothing appears close. As LeBrun put it:
There have been multiple teams calling at multiple times. But no one has been willing to say, ‘okay we’re going to bite now’.
It is strange. This guy is only 28-years old, and yeah, he was hurt most of last year, but that’s exactly the reason why he’s almost a financial loophole.
He can sign a performance bonus laden deal, so the only guaranteed money is his base salary. Think about it this way.
For about $150,000 a month, you can get a seven-time 20-goal scorer.
The Calgary Flames have kicked it around internally, but the Flames want to look at their young guys first for awhile. So, whether or not they call back, we’ll see. Detroit has talked about it but so far Laine is skating in Florida, waiting for that phone to ring for good.
Laine, a 28-year-old Finnish right-shot winger, went second overall in the 2016 NHL Draft. He played only five games last season for Montreal because of a core muscle injury, but the year before that he put up 20 goals and 33 points in 52 games with the Canadiens. He also finished that season minus-14, though 15 of those goals and 19 of those points came on Montreal’s power play.
His even-strength impact has been limited for years - he hasn’t been a “plus” player since 2019-20 - but the finishing touch is still there, and that makes him a tempting option for teams looking to juice a power play. Calgary would make sense in that conversation, especially if Laine could come in at an $850,000 cap hit with additional performance bonuses attached.
Still, the bigger question for the Flames may be whether those power-play chances are better spent on players already in the system. Aydar Suniev, Rory Kerins and Alex Nylander are all with the Wranglers and have produced offense in the AHL over the years. Yegor Sharangovich is another name in the mix, with his role on the second unit and hopes of getting back to the 30-goal level he has reached before.
For now, LeBrun’s report suggests Laine is not on the verge of landing in Calgary. But if the Flames keep having trouble scoring, this is clearly one path they may keep circling back to.
In Other News...
Flames Suddenly Have A Young Forward Decision Fans Didn't Expect
The Flames made a notable young-forward shuffle this week, parting with former first-round pick Connor Zary after placing him on waivers. The move sent a ripple through a Calgary roster that has been leaning on internal competition for depth, and it also opened the door for two more prospects to get a look with the NHL club as the schedule tightens.
Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna have both been brought up from the Wranglers, giving Calgary a chance to see what each can add in a forward group that needs energy and production. Suniev has flashed offensive upside in preseason and AHL play, while Castagna has earned his way into the conversation with strong work in the minors, making this one of those early-season decisions that could quietly shape the teams depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Already Face An Early Roster Decision With Scoring At Stake
The Flames are already facing an early test of roster balance, with scoring depth suddenly at the center of the discussion. With the club looking for help up front, the next move is expected to come from the Calgary Wranglers, where a few forwards have put themselves on the radar with recent play and fit the kind of need Calgary is trying to address.
Aydar Suniev, Tyson Gross, Jonathan Castagna, Alex Nylander and Rory Kerins are all being viewed as possible options for an NHL promotion, and the teams decision could say plenty about how it wants to handle its forward group in the short term. Nothing has been made official yet, but the anticipation alone underscores how quickly the Flames may need to sort through their options if they want to keep enough offense in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Turn To Two Young Forwards As One Lineup Question Looms
The Flames are sorting through an early roster shuffle, and it has opened the door for two young forwards who have been waiting for their next NHL look. Connor Zary and Brayden Pachal both went on waivers and cleared, which created the openings Calgary used to bring back Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna as it looks ahead to its next game.
Suniev, a 2024 third-round pick, had only a brief stay in the AHL before getting the call again, while Castagna arrives with some momentum after starting the minor-league season with two goals in two games. The next step is figuring out where each fits once the Flames settle their lineup roles, and that decision is still hanging over the group. [Read more 🡒]