As the NHL hits the Olympic break, the Calgary Flames find themselves in a familiar-but no less frustrating-spot: stuck near the bottom of the standings and leaning hard into a youth-first, future-focused rebuild. With 26 games left on the schedule and the trade of Rasmus Andersson already in the rearview, the message from the front office is becoming clearer by the day. This team is shifting gears, and it’s not toward a playoff push.
Selling Season in Calgary
The Flames are currently sitting fifth-last in the NHL standings, and all signs point to more moves coming. Trade talks around key veterans like Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri are reportedly heating up, and if those deals get done, Calgary could tumble even further down the standings. It’s no longer about salvaging the season-it’s about setting the table for the future.
The trade of Andersson was a significant domino to fall. He’s been a key piece on the blue line, and moving him signals that no one is truly untouchable.
If Coleman and Kadri follow him out the door, that’s a clear indication the Flames are going all-in on a retool, if not a full rebuild. And with the team already in the bottom five, it’s not a stretch to imagine them finishing even lower.
How Low Can They Go?
Let’s look at the landscape. The Vancouver Canucks are the league’s basement dwellers right now, sitting a full 10 points behind Calgary.
Unless the Flames go full fire sale and Vancouver suddenly finds a spark, it’s hard to see Calgary catching them in the race to the bottom. But finishing in the bottom three?
That’s a real possibility.
The St. Louis Blues currently occupy the 31st spot, just three points behind the Flames.
On paper, the Blues have more high-end talent-Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and Pavel Buchnevich would all be top-line guys in Calgary-but it hasn’t translated into wins. That said, if the Flames continue to move out veterans and lean on their younger players, the Blues could very well leapfrog them.
Then there’s the New York Rangers, who are having a season no one saw coming. They’re third-last right now, just two points behind Calgary, though the Flames have a game in hand.
The Rangers are in the midst of a retool themselves, having already shipped out Artemi Panarin. Vincent Trocheck could be next.
If the Rangers hold onto the rest of their core, they might string together enough wins to finish ahead of Calgary.
Bottom Five Seems Likely
The Flames currently sit fifth from the bottom, just ahead of Winnipeg. But let’s be real-the Jets are too talented to stay this low for long.
They won the Presidents’ Trophy just last season and haven’t undergone any major roster changes. It’s been a rough year, sure, but there’s just too much skill there for them to stay buried.
Expect them to climb, leaving Calgary further isolated in the bottom five.
Bottom 10? Not Likely
The teams sitting in spots 6 through 10-Chicago, New Jersey, Nashville, San Jose, and Florida-are in a different category. Even though some of them have had disappointing seasons, they all have elite-level talent that Calgary simply can’t match right now.
Chicago has Connor Bedard. New Jersey boasts Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier.
San Jose is building around Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. Florida, the reigning Stanley Cup champs, still has Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, and a strong supporting cast.
These teams have the firepower to climb out of the bottom 10. Calgary, at this point, does not.
The Final Stretch: 26 Games to Shape the Future
With 26 games left, the Flames have two priorities: evaluate their young talent and maximize the return on veteran assets. This is no longer about chasing wins-it’s about development and draft position.
Every shift for a young player is a chance to prove they belong. Every trade is an opportunity to build for what’s next.
The lottery balls will ultimately decide where Calgary picks in the draft, but the team still controls the narrative over these final two months. The Flames can’t change what’s already happened, but they can shape what comes next. And if they play their cards right, this season-painful as it’s been-could be the start of something better.