The Calgary Flames’ roster has been turned over in a major way since training camp opened on Sept. 17 with 58 players in the building.
A year ago, this group looked one way. Now it looks very different.
The Flames have moved out a long list of veterans and depth pieces, while bringing in a fresh wave of players through trades, free agency and the draft. The result is a roster that has been reshaped from top to bottom.
The biggest names are gone. Rasmus Andersson, the longtime defender and alternate captain, was dealt to Vegas in late January.
Nazem Kadri, another alternate captain and veteran centre, went to Colorado just before the trade deadline. Blake Coleman, the veteran two-way winger and alternate captain, was moved to Minnesota in early July.
MacKenzie Weegar, the versatile two-way defender, was traded to Utah in March.
The turnover didn’t stop there. Jeremie Poirier was sent to Dallas in February after struggling following a serious skate cut.
Etienne Morin went to New Jersey in June. Ilya Solovyov was claimed off waivers by Colorado in October.
Daniil Miromanov left for SKA St. Petersburg in the KHL, while Artem Grushnikov signed with CSKA Moskva.
Nick Cicek joined the KHL’s Shanghai Dragons, and Martin Frk did the same after leaving on a free. Ivan Prosvetov headed to the KHL’s Avangard Omsk.
Several other familiar names also moved on. Jake Bean’s run with the Flames ended after two seasons when his contract expired following a season-ending injury, and he is now a free agent.
Justin Kirkland left for Minnesota. Ryan Lomberg signed with Columbus.
Connor Murphy joined Coachella Valley. Clark Bishop moved on to an AHL deal with Syracuse.
Simon Mack signed in Slovakia. David Silye went to Hungary.
Parker Bell signed in Czechia after not receiving a qualifying offer, and Lucas Ciona signed an AHL deal with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after not getting one either.
A few players were simply never in the mix for the long haul. Nathan Brisson, Mael Lavigne and Kadon McCann all attended camp on try-outs before heading back to their junior teams.
Hunter Laing’s rights lapsed on June 1. Carter King did not receive a qualifying offer and is currently a free agent.
The Flames also moved on from Jacob Battaglia, who was traded to the Rangers before the deadline.
On the other side of the ledger, Calgary has brought in a new crop of players who now define the 2026-27 roster picture.
Some arrived through the trade market. Jacob Middleton came from Minnesota in the Coleman deal.
Simon Nemec was acquired from New Jersey in June. Brennan Othmann arrived from the NY Rangers prior to the trade deadline.
Ryan Strome came over from Anaheim before the deadline. Maxim Tsyplakov was acquired from New Jersey in June.
Zach Whitecloud landed in Calgary from Vegas in the Andersson trade, and Abram Wiebe came back in that same deal before signing his entry-level contract in the spring. Jonathan Castagna also joined from Utah in the Weegar trade and signed his entry-level deal in the spring.
The Flames also added through free agency. Michael Benning signed as a free agent after being a Florida draft pick in 2020.
Andreas Englund, an Ottawa draft pick from 2014, joined as a free agent. Tyson Gross, a Calgary kid and St.
Cloud State standout, signed as a free agent. Jake Livingstone, a college free agent who briefly played with Nashville, also signed with the Flames.
Ben Jones returned to the Flames system as a free agent after a couple years with Minnesota’s.
The draft has supplied another layer of the reset. Chase Harrington and Joe Iginla, both draft picks from 2026, are headed back to Spokane and Vancouver in the WHL, respectively.
Simon Katolicky, another 2026 pick, is going to Sarnia of the OHL as an import after playing in Finland for a couple seasons. Bode Laylin, also a 2026 pick, is headed to Everett of the WHL after spending a couple seasons in the USHL.
Kirill Zarubin is also part of the new group.
In Other News...
Abram Wiebe Is Forcing His Way Into The Flames Blue-Line Picture
Abram Wiebes path to the Flames has already been anything but ordinary. After being acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights, he finished out his collegiate career at the University of North Dakota, where his game took a clear step forward in his junior year and helped push the program to a conference title run.
Now the left-shot defenseman is starting to look like more than a depth name on the organizational chart. He earned NCAA all-tournament honors during North Dakotas postseason, then quickly turned that momentum into a pro opportunity with Calgary and an NHL debut late in the 2025-26 season, giving the Flames another young blue-liner worth tracking closely. [Read more 🡒]
Flames May Have Found The Veteran Their Young Prospects Need
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Kelly Hrudeys Flames Exit Leaves A Huge Void For Fans
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The news leaves a noticeable gap for Calgary fans who relied on Hrudeys blend of candor and comfort on nights when the games mattered most. In a hockey market where broadcast voices become part of the fabric of the season, losing that kind of consistency stings, and it adds another reminder that even around the leagues biggest stage, familiar figures can disappear quickly when the business side shifts. [Read more 🡒]