The Calgary Flames are headed into 2026-27 with plenty of questions, and scoring sits near the top of the list.
That’s not exactly a surprise after a season in which Calgary finished last in the NHL with just 208 goals. Now, with Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, Nazem Kadri, and Blake Coleman moved out, the roster looks even thinner on paper. Unless some younger players take a real step, the offense could dip again.
That puts a spotlight squarely on Matt Coronato.
Coronato has been a major name in this organization since the Flames took him 13th overall in the 2021 draft. He arrived with a reputation for having one of the best shots in that class, and he’s flashed that skill through his first 192 NHL games. The problem is that the finishing touch hasn’t always shown up as often as Calgary would like.
His first full season came in 2024-25, and it looked like he was turning a corner in a big way. The 23-year-old scored 24 goals and finished with 47 points in 77 games, enough to make it look like star potential was very much in play. Craig Conroy clearly saw it that way, too, signing Coronato to a seven-year, $45.5 million deal last offseason.
Then came a step back.
Coronato posted 18 goals and 45 points in 80 games last season. That’s not a bad year by any stretch, but it wasn’t the kind of leap many expected after his breakout. For a player entering the prime years of his career, the next move matters.
The raw shot talent still points to a bigger ceiling. Coronato looks like a player who should be able to reach 30 goals, but last season he scored on only 9.1 per cent of his shots. That was a noticeable drop from 2024-25, when he converted 13.3 per cent of the shots he put on net.
He also didn’t have much help around him. His 45 points led the Flames in scoring, which says plenty about the state of the lineup. With a stronger supporting cast, he probably clears the 20-goal mark more comfortably.
Instead, the burden is still there, and it’s going to stay there this season. Calgary needs Coronato to be more than a beneficiary. They need him driving offense.
Consistency is the next step. Last season included a rough 14-game stretch from late February into mid March without a goal, and he finished with just two goals in the final 12 games. Slumps happen, especially for a player his age, but those dry spells are exactly the kind he has to start pushing past.
There’s still a lot to like here, but the ceiling remains a little blurry at the NHL level. The Flames are hopeful Coronato can become a steady 30-goal scorer, and this season should tell them a lot about whether that projection is realistic.
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Flames Could Face A Tough Expansion Choice Around Dustin Wolf
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The wrinkle is the kind of depth issue contenders and rebuilders alike hope to avoid: a valuable backup or organizational insurance piece could become the odd man out in a theoretical expansion scenario. There is no official NHL expansion draft on the calendar, but the discussion is still useful for Calgary because it shows how quickly goalie depth, contract timing and long-term planning can collide when a team has one clear starter and a young core worth shielding. [Read more 🡒]