The Calgary Wranglers are heading into another offseason of uncertainty, and the picture is already starting to come into focus after the 2026 NHL Draft. With the organization trying to reset after a rough 2025-26 season, the AHL club is shaping up around a mix of returning veterans, young prospects and a handful of open questions that still need answers.
Right now, the Wranglers are carrying a roster board full of names that are either under contract or at least still in the conversation for next season. Some of the most interesting pieces are the waiver-exempt players who could end up with the Flames depending on how camp unfolds, including Sam Honzek, Hunter Brzustewicz and Aydar Suniev. That flexibility matters, because all three could spend time in the AHL if the situation calls for it.
The confirmed options currently break down like this: at left wing, Andrew Basha, Alex Gallant, Dryden Hunt and Sam Honzek; at center, Jonathan Castagna, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton and Tyson Gross; at right wing, Aydar Suniev; on the left side of defense, Axel Hurtig, Kyle Walker and Abram Wiebe; on the right side, Kent Anderson and Hunter Brzustewicz; and in goal, Arsenii Sergeev and Kirill Zarubin.
Even with those names in place, the roster is far from settled. The Wranglers have already seen some pieces move on, including Etienne Morin, Martin Frk, Daniil Miromanov and Simon Mack.
Frk’s departure is a notable hit to the offense, since he finished as the team’s top goal scorer before signing in the KHL. That leaves Calgary needing to find more scoring punch as the summer goes on.
There is still a foundation here, though. Dryden Hunt, Rory Kerins and Sam Morton are already locked in as part of the group that should help set the tone next season. Those are the kinds of players the Wranglers will lean on while the rest of the roster continues to take shape around them.
If you project forward from here, the lineup starts to look a little more complete. A reasonable guess for the 2026-27 roster would include Dryden Hunt, Andrew Basha, Brennan Othmann, Alex Gallant, Lucas Ciona and Sam Honzek on the left side; Tyson Gross, Jonathan Castagna, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton and Carter King down the middle; Aydar Suniev, William Stromgren and Parker Bell on the right side; Axel Hurtig, Abram Wiebe, Kyle Walker and Artem Grushnikov on defense from the left; Kent Anderson, Hunter Brzustewicz and Gavin White on the right; and Arsenii Sergeev, Owen Say and Kirill Zarubin in net.
But the biggest shift may still be coming. Around the Calgary market, there’s growing chatter that several Wranglers from last season - Nick Cicek, Ivan Prosvetov, Justin Kirkland and Clark Bishop - are expected to explore free agency and may not return.
If that happens, the team would lose its second captain in franchise history. Cicek also wore an A, so if both he and the captain move on, along with Martin Frk, the leadership group will need a new face or two to step up.
There’s a practical reason behind those possible departures as well. Kirkland and Cicek are both believed to be looking for situations where the path to NHL time is clearer, and the Wranglers’ pipeline keeps getting crowded as more prospects enter the Flames’ system.
With several younger players choosing NCAA or junior routes for next season, the window is opening for some of the players on the fringe to carve out bigger roles. For a few of them, this could be the moment to make their case.
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Among the group, the blue line is drawing as much attention as any other part of the roster. Carson Carels stands out as the kind of defender the Flames can dream on, while Cole Reschny, Cullen Potter and Ethan Wyttenbach are also expected to get a close look before eventually returning to Calgary after their NCAA seasons. Henry Mews is part of the camp list as well, adding another layer of interest to a group that should give the Flames a clearer sense of how much future help they may already have in the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]