The Calgary Flames wrapped up their preseason Saturday with a 4-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, and now the real thing begins fast. The league’s first 84-game schedule opens Tuesday with five games on the board, and Calgary gets going Thursday against the Seattle Kraken in what will be the final home opener at the Saddledome.
With the Flames entering the last season at the Dome and leaning hard into a retool, the question for fans was simple: where does this team finish in the standings? The response leaned heavily toward the bottom.
Almost 60% of readers expect Calgary to land in the bottom five this season, while another 20% put the Flames in the bottom 10. That view matches the reality of a roster that underwent major change last season, with the team moving on from Mackenzie Weegar, Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson, and Blake Coleman. Calgary did add veterans Zach Whitecloud, Ryan Strome, and Jake Middleton, but the season is set up to give far more responsibility to the younger group.
That means more pressure on players such as Matvei Gridin, Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and newly acquired Simon Nemec. Offense could again be a problem, and the reworked blue line may leave more on the shoulders of Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley.
The organization has clearly turned the page, with hopes that this next phase pays off in time for the inaugural season at Scotia Place. Even if the Flames wind up in lottery territory again, a large group of Conroy-drafted talent should finally get meaningful minutes and a chance to show what the future might look like.
A smaller slice of the vote - roughly 16% - sees Calgary landing in that familiar middle ground, outside the true playoff picture but not buried either. That kind of season would fit the Flames’ recent habit of hanging around without fully breaking through.
The Western Conference may not be as unforgiving as the East, and the Pacific Division looks stronger than it did a year ago, but there’s still a path to a middling finish if the team strings together enough streaky play. Chemistry would help.
Only 5% of fans think Calgary can fight its way into the playoffs. That road looks steep in a division that includes Vegas, fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, and Edmonton, which has reloaded with Mike Babcock and a revamped philosophy.
The Ducks and Sharks are also expected to keep pushing forward, while the Central features Colorado and Dallas as clear playoff teams, with Minnesota and Utah battling for third. Even the wild card route could be a grind.
However it plays out, this season is going to look different in Calgary. The Flames are moving toward a younger core, and the final year at the Dome gives the whole thing a different edge. Fans will get one last run in the old building while watching the next chapter of Flames hockey begin.
In Other News...
Flames Opening Night Roster Sends An Early Message About This Team
The Flames have settled on their opening-night group for the 2026-27 season, and the first look at the roster says plenty about how Calgary is trying to start this year. The club is carrying 13 forwards and 8 defensemen, with Brennan Othmann sticking around after a strong preseason showing, a sign that the team is at least willing to reward camp performance when it matters.
There is also a clearer picture of the veterans the Flames trust to help set the tone. Joel Hanley and Brayden Pachal are on the roster, while Aydar Suniev was assigned to the American Hockey League, trimming one more young option from the mix. Jonathan Huberdeau is on injured reserve, which adds another layer to the early-season puzzle as Calgary works through its first lineup decisions without one of its most established names. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Opening Roster Puts Forward Depth In Focus Fast
The Flames have settled on their 23-man active roster for the season opener, and the first look at the lineup says plenty about how the club is approaching its forward group. Calgary is carrying two goaltenders, nine defensemen and 13 forwards, with the opening-day mix built around a roster that still has room to sort itself out as the season gets going. Salary-cap commitments and available space are also part of the picture, making the roster math as important as the personnel decisions.
Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Huberdeau were both moved off the active group, which keeps the focus squarely on forward depth and what it means for the team early in the year. Huberdeau is working his way back from hip surgery and is expected to return in seven to nine months, so his absence will linger well beyond opening night. For Calgary, the bigger question now is how the forwards handle the workload while the roster settles into place. [Read more 🡒]
Wranglers Scoreless Debut Raises An Early Concern Up Front
The Calgary Wranglers first pre-season game in team history ended the way no new club wants to start, with a 3-0 loss to the Abbotsford Canucks and an offense that never found a breakthrough. Abbotsford grabbed control early with two first-period goals, while Calgary had to lean on goaltender Arsenii Sergeev, who made several key saves to keep the score from getting worse as the game went on.
Even with the puck spending plenty of time in the Canucks end, the Wranglers could not convert their chances and left the ice looking for answers up front. The late empty-net goal only added to the frustration, but the bigger concern was the same one that lingered from the opening period: Calgary generated looks, yet never managed to turn pressure into a goal. [Read more 🡒]