When the Calgary Flames open the 2026-27 season, the centre group appears to be taking shape around a familiar name, two pending unrestricted free agents, and one open question.
Mikael Backlund, now 37 and wearing the captain’s C, is expected to remain the steady two-way anchor. Morgan Frost and Ryan Strome are also in the mix, and both are described as more offensively inclined options. Strome could handle a checking or two-way assignment, but he has not really done that much in the NHL.
That leaves the fourth-line centre job as the one spot still up for grabs.
If the Flames follow the patterns they’ve already shown, that role should belong to a player built for a checking line and a heavier, energy-based assignment. Based on what the club has done with its own players and prospects over the last couple of seasons, there are five names worth watching in the truncated pre-season.
Three of them are already familiar. Martin Pospisil, Connor Zary and Yegor Sharangovich have all been tried at centre by the Flames in recent years.
Among that group, Pospisil looks like the best stylistic fit for a fourth-line role. Zary and Sharangovich, by contrast, seem better suited to the wing on lines that are expected to create offence.
Pospisil’s most recent centre work came with Slovakia at the World Championships, where he played the position and looked pretty effective doing it. That could be a sign he’s in line for another shot with Calgary.
Then there are two newer candidates in Tyson Gross and Sam Morton, both of whom are natural centres with far less NHL mileage than the other options. Each got a taste of the role last season.
Morton played three games there in November before John Beecher was claimed off waivers and took over the spot. Morton was really good in his first game, but he wasn’t quite as effective after that.
Gross got his chance later in the year after signing with Calgary as a college free agent. He appeared six times and was generally pretty good, though all of those games came while the Flames were playing out the string, which makes the evaluation a little tougher.
Even with the limited sample sizes, Gross and Morton may be the most intriguing names in the race because the Flames are now in full prospect-evaluation mode. That could open the door for longer auditions and a real look at whether either one can stick as a long-term answer down the middle.
In Other News...
Flames Fans Will Love This Brutal Take On Edmontons Blue Line
The Oilers blue line got an unexpected little taxidermy treatment on a recent podcast, where Peng zeroed in on Edmontons habit of collecting former San Jose Sharks defensemen and used it as a shorthand for his larger doubts about the roster. With Jake Walman, Ty Emberson and Shakir Mukhamadullin all now part of the conversation around the back end after the Darnell Nurse trade, the veteran hockey voice framed the group as a reason to question how sturdy the Oilers really are when the games get tight.
There is a caveat worth keeping in mind, because past Sharks struggles do not automatically tell you what Edmontons current defense will look like. Still, the reaction captures the broader skepticism hanging over the Oilers right now, and it is the kind of take Flames fans are always happy to hear when the Battle of Alberta debate turns to who actually looks built for a long playoff run. [Read more 🡒]
Former Flame Weighs In On A Debate Calgary Fans Know Too Well
The debate over whether some NHL players would rather land in a U.S. market than a Canadian one has been around for years, and it tends to flare up any time a player asks out of a team north of the border. Around the league, there have been examples of players wanting trades or steering toward American destinations, which only adds fuel to a conversation Calgary fans know well.
MacKenzie Weegar added his own perspective to that discussion, and it carried a different tone than the usual skepticism. The Canadian-born defenseman made it clear his time in Calgary and in Canada was a positive one, a reminder that the pull of Canadian hockey can still matter to players who appreciate the passion around the game. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Radio Picture Is Clearing Up But One Spot Still Looms
The Flames radio future is starting to take shape after the closure of Sportsnet 960, with QR 770 stepping in on a five-year agreement to become Calgarys new broadcast home. Derek Wills will stay on as the play-by-play voice, giving the station a familiar lead-in as it builds out its hockey coverage around the team.
Pat Steinberg and Jock Wilson are also set to host a daily Flames show, giving listeners a fresh weekday hub for team coverage and conversation. One piece still hasnt been filled in, though, and it is the one that will matter most once game night arrives: the club has not yet announced who will handle colour commentary on Flames broadcasts. [Read more 🡒]