The early season has already put the Flames in a strange spot, and the noise around the team is only getting louder. Calgary finally got into the win column on Tuesday after opening 0-5-0, but the damage from that brutal start has already pushed Ryan Huska into the conversation as questions swirl about his future behind the bench. At the same time, trade chatter is picking up around Zach Whitecloud and Connor Zary, while Aydar Suniev has given the organization a much-needed lift since his recall.
Huska’s situation became a talking point over the weekend after the Flames stumbled out of the gate and were outscored 27-8 in those first five games. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman addressed the speculation directly.
“I think the one team everyone’s kind of looking at right now is Calgary,” Friedman said. “I don’t know if that’s fair, but I recognize it’s kind of out there.”
On Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman said he expects general manager Craig Conroy to remain patient for as long as he can. Still, the margin for error is shrinking if Calgary keeps taking those one-sided losses.
The Flames may also be a team to watch as the season moves along on the trade front. Morgan Frost sits near the top of the list as a pending unrestricted free agent, but Whitecloud has also started to surface in speculation. Calgary does not need to move the 29-year-old, who is signed through the 2027-28 season, yet his $2.75 million cap hit has made him appealing to other clubs.
One of those clubs appears to be Toronto. The Maple Leafs are looking for help on the right side of their blue line after Chris Tanev’s injury, and David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported that they have asked what it would take to land Whitecloud.
“I look at a team like the Toronto Maple Leafs, a team looking to bolster their blue line. The previous regime had a lot of interest in him,” Pagnotta said on DFO Insider.
“I believe there have been at least exploratory inquiries. I don’t even know if I’d say poking or whatever, but I think they’re one of the teams that would look at him.”
Zary is another name still hanging around the rumor mill. Calgary sent the 25-year-old to waivers last week, and when he cleared, he was assigned to the Calgary Wranglers. But that may not be the end of the story.
“I think they’ve discussed taking a contract back. They’ve talked about it with Vancouver.
I don’t know how likely that is,” Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I think there’s a couple other teams still that are in on this.
Vancouver was the one I heard definitively, but I still think there’s a couple other teams who’ve looked at it and are kicking around. We’ll see.”
Zary’s game still has rough edges, but there is talent there. He was a first-round pick in 2020, has already played 193 NHL games, and has flashed enough offense to keep teams interested. A fresh start could be exactly what he needs.
For all the uncertainty around the roster and the bench, Suniev has been the bright spot. He was recalled one day after Zary was placed on waivers, and he has wasted little time making an impression.
He scored and added an assist in Tuesday’s win over the Anaheim Ducks, giving him three points in three games so far. With Calgary struggling to find goals, that kind of production stands out immediately.
The Flames will try to carry that win into a tougher stretch this week. They visit the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, then return home to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
In Other News...
Ex-Wild Forward Nicolas Aub-Kubel Has Taken An Unexpected Career Turn
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The move is as much a family decision as a hockey one, with Aub-Kubel settling in for the adventure abroad alongside his young family. Early on, the adjustment appears to be going smoothly on the ice as well, with his first seven games offering a quick reminder that even after a winding route through North America, there is still some punch left in his game. [Read more 🡒]
Kirill Marchenko Already Faces One Early Leafs Concern
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Leafs Suddenly Have A Real Crease Decision Before Buffalo
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Stolarz, meanwhile, has not given Toronto the same comfort level in the numbers, and it has been enough to stir trade chatter around a situation that was supposed to be more settled. With Buffalo next on the schedule, the Leafs appear to be leaning toward the goalie who has earned the edge in performance rather than the one who has simply been getting the longer look. For a team still trying to establish its early-season rhythm, this is becoming one of the more interesting choices on the board. [Read more 🡒]