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[Calgary Flames]

Wranglers add assistant coach David Liffiton to coaching staff

The Calgary Wranglers have added a new face to their coaching staff for the 2025-26 season.

Well, okay, it’s not an entirely new face. Joining the Wranglers as an assistant coach is David Liffiton, most recently an assistant coach for the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen, who share a home building with the Wranglers.

The 40-year-old Liffiton is entering his fifth season as a coach after a pretty interesting playing career. A blueliner by trade, he played in the Ontario Hockey League with the Plymouth Whalers and was selected in the second round of the 2003 NHL Draft by Colorado.

Nine months after being drafted, he was traded to the New York Rangers as part of a trade that sent Matthew Barnaby to Colorado. He went pro with the Rangers organization, ultimately playing 14 seasons of pro hockey in a lot of different leagues.

Here’s Liffiton’s pro career at a glance:

• 7 NHL games with the NY Rangers and Colorado
• 339 AHL games with Hartford, Syracuse and Lake Erie
• 16 ECHL games with Charlotte
• Two seasons in Denmark, with EfB Ishockey and the Frederiksvahn White Hawks
• One season in Italy with Milano Rossoblu
• Half a season in the Swedish Hockey League with Farjestads BK
• A season and a half in HockeyAllsvenskan with the Malmo RedHawks
• One season in Austria’s EBEL with HC Innsbruck

Liffiton began assistant coaching high-level hockey in 2020, and he’s racked up a year of U18 coaching with the North Island Silvertips U18 AAA, two seasons of BCHL coaching with the Nanaimo Clippers, and last season with the Hitmen.

Liffiton’s move to the pros from the Hitmen continues a pretty impressive trend of internal promotions within Calgary’s hockey clubs. In addition to Liffiton, in recent memory we’ve seen goalie coach Jason LaBarbera, skills consultant Matt Stajan, video analyst Connor Rankin, PR/team services Rees Giacchetta and athletic therapist Nathan Hollinger make the jump to the Flames or Wranglers staffs from the Hitmen. The Hitmen have been a pretty good spot to develop and promote up-and-coming hockey talent from.

The Wranglers coaching staff for the coming season will consist of head coach Brett Sutter, assistants Joe Cirella and David Liffiton, goalie development coach MacKenzie Skapski and video coach Chandler Biggar. Aside from Cirella, it’s a pretty youthful group coaching what could potentially be a pretty youthful AHL lineup. It should be a lot of fun.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/wranglers-add-assistant-coach-david-liffiton-to-coaching-staff

 

[Calgary Flames]

Streaming Flames games will cost more in 2025-26 due to Sportsnet+ price hike

If you’re a Calgary Flames fan hoping to stream games in 2025-26, it’s gonna cost you a bit more than it used to.

On Thursday, Sportsnet announced price increases for its Sportsnet+ streaming platform starting Sept. 9, 2025 (prices do not include taxes):

• For the Standard yearly package, the price has increased from $199.99 to $249.99, an increase of $50.00.
• For the Premium yearly package, the price has increased from $249.99 to $324.99, an increase of $75.00.
• For the Standard monthly package, the price has increased from $24.99 to $29.99, an increase of $5.00.
• For the Premium monthly package, the price has increased from $34.99 to $42.99, an increase of $8.00.

For cord-cutting Flames fans, the Standard package has been sufficient to watch regional and national broadcasts for those living in the local Calgary area. However, for out-of-market fans in other parts of Canada hoping to keep up with the red team, the Premium package has been a requirement. Both options are getting much pricier. (And this excludes anyone that wants to watch any TSN or Amazon broadcasts…)

This Sportsnet+ price hike continues a frustrating trend for fans, who have seen prices steadily climb up for the service. Sportsnet+ originally launched as Sportsnet NOW in 2016 as an online streaming platform for Sportsnet programming – essentially replicating the TV broadcast experience online for existing subscribers on the go, or those who had cut the cord but still wanted a reliable way to get their sports fix. A few years later, Sportsnet+ essentially replaced the NHL.TV service as the streaming home for all NHL games in Canada.

That would have been great, except the service has been a source of frustration for hockey fans for awhile. (When you try to Google “Sportsnet Plus,” the majority of the search engine’s fill-in suggestions for your search are references to the service not working properly.)

Some fans have had issues getting the service to recognize their IP address, resulting in (for example) Calgary fans trying to watch Flames games while in Calgary but being told they’re located outside the broadcast region. Or the service’s app crashing randomly. Or merely the service buffering perpetually when trying to stream video.

Based on online sentiment, and conversations with fans, the reaction from hockey fans looking for a reliable, safe place to stream hockey games when faced with Sportsnet+ price hikes in the past has been “Okay, sure, as long as the service works.” The persistent unreliability of an increasingly expensive platform has been a big challenge for fans just trying to watch their team.

Let’s see if this season, in the face of another price hike, if Sportsnet+ takes a big step forward.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/stream...t-more-in-2025-26-due-to-sportsnet-price-hike

 

[Calgary Flames]

The Flames will have 10 prospects playing college hockey in 2025-26

Folks, college hockey has always been one of the lifelines of the Calgary Flames. Some really splendid hockey players came to the Flames via the NCAA; among them names like Joe Nieuwendyk, Joe Mullen, Jamie Macoun, Joel Otto and Johnny Gaudreau.

But with the NCAA’s rule change that allows players from Canadian major junior hockey to be eligible to play in college, there’s been an influx of top prospects into the college ranks over the past year. Heck, the Flames will have 10 prospects – roughly a quarter of their prospect base – playing in the NCAA in the 2025-26 season.

So as we amble through our summer months and the fall remains in the distance, for now, let’s take a look at which college teams Flames prospects will be on during the coming season. (We’ve sorted it by conference!)

ECAC Hockey​

Quinnipiac University Bobcats – F Ethan Wyttenbach (2025 5th-rounder)

Based in Hamden, Connecticut, Quinnipiac is a really strong program. They’ve appeared each of the past six NCAA national tournaments, winning the crown in 2023.

In addition to Wyttenbach, Quinnipiac boasts just a pair of NHL-drafted players in Boston Bruins prospects D Elliott Groenewold (2024 4th-rounder) and F Christopher Pelosi (2023 3rd-rounder). They haven’t had a powerhouse recruiting class, especially compared to some other programs, but they look to be returning a lot of their heavy hitters from last season, so they should be strong again.

Harvard University Crimson – F Aidan Lane (2025 6th-rounder)

Now, we know some Flames fans have some Ivy League anxiety about Harvard because of Adam Fox. But hey, Harvard also gave the Flames Matt Coronato, and historically they’ve been a really nice proving ground for NHLers. They’ve missed the NCAA national tournament in the past two seasons, but they could be bound for a bounce-back season.

In addition to Lane, Harvard’s NHL drafted prospects include Anaheim D Ryan Healey (2022 4th-rounder), Buffalo D Sean Keohane (2023 6th-rounder), Boston D Mason Langenbrunner (2020 5th-rounder), Anaheim F Michael Callow (2022 5th-rounder), San Jose F Richard Gallant (2025 7th-rounder), Toronto F Joe Miller (2020 6th-rounder) and Philadelphia F Heikki Ruohonen (2024 4th-rounder). They may lack elite NHL prospects, but they have a ton of pretty promising depth.

Big 10​

Penn State University Nittany Lions – F Luke Misa (2024 5th-rounder)

You’re probably aware of Penn State for either their run to the Frozen Four this past spring (backstopped by Flames prospect Arsenii Sergeev) or their recent recruitment of presumptive 2026 first-overall pick Gavin McKenna. They’ve been on the upswing in recent years, making the NCAA national tournament in two of the past three seasons.

Aside from Misa (and McKenna), the Nittany Lions also have Ottawa G Kevin Reidler (2022 5th-rounder), Columbus D Jackson Smith (2025 1st-rounder), Florida F Shea Busch (2025 4th-rounder) and Carolina F Charlie Cerrato (2025 2nd-rounder). Even before McKenna signed on, Penn State was looking to be a really fun team. They’re a team to watch this fall.

University of Michigan Wolverines – D Henry Mews (2024 3rd-rounder)

The Wolverines had a bit of a down year by their standards in 2024-25, missing the NCAA national tournament for the first time in five seasons. They’re generally considered one of the top programs in the country, and they’re likely hoping for a bounce-back.

In addition to Mews, in terms of NHL prospects the Wolverines have Nashville G Jack Ivankovic (2025 2nd-rounder), Anaheim D Drew Schlock (2025 4th-rounder), San Jose F Cole McKinney (2025 2nd-rounder), Carolina F Jayden Perron (2023 3rd-rounder) and NY Rangers F Malcolm Spence (2025 2nd-rounder). It’s a younger group, but there’s a lot of potential there.

NCHC​

University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks – F Cole Reschny (2025 1st-rounder) & F Cade Littler (2022 7th-rounder)

You’re probably aware of North Dakota as a Flames fan, likely due to 2025 first-rounder Cole Reschny being headed there in the fall. (We’ll forgive you if you don’t recall that Cade Littler goes there, too.) North Dakota has built a reputation as a really strong program, but they’ve been in a bit of a slump lately. They missed the NCAA national tournament last year, and have qualified for just one of the past three.

In addition to Reschny and Littler, the Fighting Hawks have NHL prospects like NY Islanders D Sam Laurila (2025 5th-rounder), Vegas D Abram Wiebe (2022 7th-rounder), Detroit F Dylan James (2022 2nd-rounder), San Jose F David Klee (2023 7th-rounder), Buffalo F Ashton Schultz (2025 6th-rounder) and Boston F Will Zellers (2024 3rd-rounder). North Dakota graduated Sasha Boisvert to the pros in the spring and Owen McLaughlin moved on to Boston University, so we’ll see if North Dakota’s new faces can find their stride quickly.

Arizona State University Sun Devils – F Cullen Potter (2025 1st-rounder)

From the hockey hotbed of Tempe, Arizona, the Sun Devils are the home of Flames first-rounder Cullen Potter and have been one of the more interesting stories in college hockey over the past decade. They’ve made the NCAA national tournament just once, in 2019 as an independent, but could be a surprise this season.

In addition to Potter, their NHL prospects include Minnesota D Justin Kipkie (2025 5th-rounder), Philadelphia F Noah Powell (2024 5th-rounder) and Boston F Cole Spicer (2022 4th-rounder). The Sun Devils have an older group than a lot of teams, but they’re returning a bunch of key players. If they’re going to make a splash, someone – probably Potter – is going to need to have a strong season.

University of Denver Pioneers – D Eric Jamieson (2024 6th-rounder)

The Pioneers have been consistently very good lately. They’ve qualified for the NCAA national tournament in each of the past four years, and made it to the Frozen Four three of the past four years. Heck, they won a national championship in 2024. They’re good. Carter King played there last season, and they keep winning and graduating players to the NHL.

In addition to Jamieson, NHL prospects at Denver include Montreal G Quentin Miller (2023 4th-rounder), Colorado D Tory Pitner (2024 6th-rounder), Seattle F Clarke Caswell (2024 5th-rounder), Los Angeles F Kristian Epperson (2025 3rd-rounder), Colorado F Jake Fisher (2024 4th-rounder) and Los Angeles F Brendan McMorrow (2025 7th-rounder). The Pioneers graduated a bunch of their top players, so we’ll see who steps up to fill the void.

Hockey East​

University of Maine Black Bears – F Jaden Lipinski (2023 4th-rounder)

Maine’s been a low-key fun story in the NCAA over the past few years, with back-to-back NCAA national tournament appearances after not being in the big dance for over a decade before that.

In addition to Lipinski, the Black Bears have NHL prospects like Florida D Luke Coughlin (2023 6th-rounder), Nashville F Miguel Marques (2024 3rd-rounder) and Carolina F Justin Poirier (2024 5th-rounder), Jeremie’s brother. Maine’s resurgence hasn’t been star-driven, so we’ll see if they can continue to play a strong team game and keep their hot streak going.

Merrimack College Warriors – F Trevor Hoskin (2024 4th-rounder)

Is Merrimack College a conference powerhouse? Not really. They’re a solid team, but they’ve made just one NCAA national tournament appearance in the last decade (back in 2023).

As of right now, Hoskin is the only NHL-drafted player committed to Merrimack College for the coming season.

Which Flames prospect are you most excited to watch in the NCAA this coming season? Let us know in the comments!

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-flames-will-have-10-prospects-playing-college-hockey-in-2025-26

 

[Calgary Flames]

FlamesNation Mailbag: The Stampede ends and the dog days of summer begin

Gang, the 2025 edition of the Calgary Stampede is now complete. Hopefully everybody had a good time, or avoided it entirely, to their own personal preferences.

As we sweep all the hay out of Calgary’s streets, let’s check in with the mailbag!

Is it managements decision not to commit to an actual rebuild or ownerships? It seems like Conroy knows what this team needs but isn't allowed to do it as Nonnis and malony are actually calling the shots. It's incredibly frustrating as a fan.

— Alberta Moose Knuckle (@AlbertaMatt) July 12, 2025

All due respect, I think you – and others – are overestimating the influence Dave Nonis and Don Maloney have on Flames management. Craig Conroy is running the show and while he does consult with others, including his experienced colleagues such as Nonis and Maloney, he’s steering the ship. My read, from various chats with Conroy over the years in various settings, is that he legitimately believes that tearing it down to the studs was not the ideal option for the Flames when he took the reins, and so he’s embraced the “retool” or “hybrid rebuild” or whatever folks want to call it.

If Conroy holds on to Anderson and intends to trade him at the deadline, but he gets injured and cant be moved.
Is it total meltdown in Flames land? And will the fans turn on Conroy?

— Baldy (@Bald8Tyler) July 12, 2025

This is probably a fair sentiment. Rasmus Andersson is arguably the last big sellable asset that Craig Conroy inherited from the previous regime, and if Andersson is going to be departing the organization and not signing a long-term deal to remain with the club, they need to get some assets back for him in order to keep the momentum of their retool rolling along.

And much like with Chris Tanev, who everyone seemed to wince alongside every time he blocked a shot during the 2023-24 stretch drive, it’s imperative that Andersson not get injured and become a diminished asset before he can be sold off.

I think Conroy has done enough good things thus far that he has a lot of banked goodwill with Flames fans, but not getting a sufficient return for Andersson should garner him criticism from fans and media in the event that it happens. It probably wouldn’t wash out all the smart things he’s done so far as general manager, but you never know.

Who is the Flame, new prospect, or whomever that can be the new Sam Bennett(similar playing style), but stays this time. Or maybe it's no one?

— Steve Berman (@5t3v3b3rm4n) July 12, 2025

Sam Bennett was a unicorn in terms of having the size, smarts and snarl to be a really effective playoff player. I don’t know if anybody in the organization right now has those three attributes to the degree Bennett did.

However, I am excited to see Andrew Basha at 100% potentially playing pro hockey this coming season, because he has a lot of those Bennett-y attributes, albeit possibly not in the same amount. I’ll also single out Lucas Ciona, who probably doesn’t have the skill ceiling of Bennett or Basha, but feels like someone that opponents will hate playing against in the playoffs if he keeps progressing as a physical role player in the forward group.

But no, there’s no Sam Bennett clone out there.

Is there any news on the Zary signing?

— Fox (@FoxON3P) July 12, 2025

On July 1, here’s what Craig Conroy said to us media folks when asked if he had any updates on Connor Zary and Morgan Frost:

“Talking to their agents. I think it’ll get done here at some point. So hopefully we’ve been busy with the draft and everything. So I think those will start to pick up. That’ll be our priority in the next couple weeks.”

Frost signed shortly afterwards, so we would suggest that Zary is their top priority right now.

Which current players do you think will be on the team in 2030?

Also what’s your favourite new change to the CBA?

— Aidan (@aidan_thakkar) July 12, 2025

Current Flames that I think will be on the team in 2023 include, but are not limited to, Dustin Wolf, MacKenzie Weegar, Kevin Bahl, Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato. And because I want to throw some prospects on there, I’ll also say Cole Reschny, Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz.

Via e-mail from David: “How many of the Flames and the prospects train in Calgary during the offseason?”

It varies, because some players stick around for awhile after the season ends – especially those with school-aged kids – and then head off elsewhere. I would estimate somewhere around 20-25% of the players under contract hang around town for a significant amount of the off-season.

Via e-mail from Steve: “I’ve been looking at the development maps for the area and I’m stumped at the “walking path” for the hockey fans from the LRT station to the new dome. I was there since the new station was finished and the only walking route is the “alley way” between the BMO and Cowboys. Something will replace the now demolished elevated partially covered walkway. I can’t find anything in any plans anywhere. To be clear from Victoria Park station to the Event Centre. If the Green Line gets built it will be across the street for the Event Centre but the Red Line walk way remains a mystery. Any news you have seen??”

The plan, as has been relayed to me by various people working on the various Stampede Park developments, is for there to be no dedicated indoor path from either Victoria Park LRT station (to the west) or the eventual Green Line station (to the north) to Scotia Place. The idea is that the planners want some foot traffic along the street level, and that would drive some business to the various places that pop up in the area.

They’re working on a couple more hotel developments for the area to go with the two that were just announced in recent weeks, and those hotels will have lobby bars and restaurants, as does the Cowboys Casino. The hope is that fans will pop in and out of all those places before and after games and concerts and make the area a fun, lively place.

Via the DMs from Ethan Williams: “What will be the first event at Scotia Place? Will it be a concert? Will it be the 2027 regular season home opener? Will it be a pre season game? IMO the regular season home opener should be the first ever event.“

In an ideal world, the hope is probably to have a few concerts before the 2027 NHL pre-season to stress test Scotia Place. It sounds incredibly stressful to launch a brand-new building with an NHL regular season game, and I think everybody involved would like to have a few smaller-scale rehearsals before the pre-season begins. Failing that, the two home pre-season games (and the early Calgary Hitmen regular season games in 2027-28) would probably work as stress tests.

But you can understand why they would like multiple outings with varied audiences to work out the kinks, and then use the Flames season-opener in 2027-28 as a big event to act as the building’s “grand opening,” so to speak.

Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flamesnation-mailbag-the-stampede-ends-and-the-dog-days-of-summer-begin

 

[Calgary Flames]

Despite offensive breakout in 2024-25, Flames prospect Jacob Battaglia might still be underrated

When Calgary Flames fans think about the organization’s prospects, a few names immediately come to mind.

Understandably, fans are excited about Zayne Parekh. The club’s other recent first-rounders – Matvei Gridin, Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter – merit a lot of attention. Local product Andrew Basha returned from a pretty significant ankle injury to help Medicine Hat win a league championship. Several prominent prospects are headed onto new challenges with good college programs in the fall.

In this context, let’s talk about 2024 second-rounder Jacob Battaglia, who scored 40 goals and 90 points for the Kingston Frontenacs last season and may still somehow be underrated when we discuss Flames prospects. He had a big leap forward offensively in 2024-25, increasing his goal output from 31 and his point output from 65. He was asked about the secret to his scoring increase.

“Honestly, I feel like I just got better in the off season, just kind of translated that into the hockey season,” said Battaglia. “Didn’t really try to do too much, just kind of wanted to kind of play more simple and try to keep the puck on my stick and less hope plays and throwing it away. And I think that helped me a lot, just being able to possess the puck longer on the ice and make better plays and higher end plays that ultimately result in a goal or at least an offensive chance.”

Back in November, the developmental hockey landscape changed as the NCAA voted to allow Canadian junior players to become eligible to play college hockey starting in 2025-26. That led to a veritable gold rush as junior-aged CHLers began to make college commitments. One of the most prominent CHLers who didn’t do that was Battaglia, who signed his entry level deal with the Flames in late March, closing the door on any possible collegiate move.

“I mean, my dream and always the route I dreamed of playing was playing in the OHL and going to the NHL from there, even taking one or two years in the AHL and getting to the NHL,” said Battaglia. “That was always kind of the dream route. Even when I chose the OHL at 16, again, never really thought of school, always had in my mind that OHL was going to be the way. So I thought might as well just stick to what I chose before and not change up and make it too hard on myself, just go out there and play the game.”

On Mar. 28, the Flames announced they had signed Battaglia to a three year entry-level deal – presuming that Battaglia spends the upcoming season in the OHL, his ELC won’t kick in until 2026-27. Coming at the end of a really strong season for him, it was some validation that he was on the right path towards his goals.

“Yeah, I got that call the day after my birthday from my agent,” said Battaglia. “So it was kind of a little belated birthday gift. Even that experience, just getting that phone call is so cool. Just the reaction for me was more just a relief and feel that they have been watching me and they’ve been seeing me put in work and that they believe and they want to give me a chance to be a Calgary Flame. So just knowing you have that from the management and the coaching staff and everyone else around that they believe in you and they want you to be a Calgary Flame is just so inviting and you just feel so comfortable around them to be yourself.”

Battagalia is a 2006 birthday, so he’s not eligible to go pro and play in the American Hockey League this coming season. More likely than not, he’ll be back with the Frontenacs for the 2025-26 season. And while he played some really good hockey last season, he remains hungry to prove himself as he works towards his ultimate goal of the NHL.

“I mean, well, the job’s not finished,” said Battaglia. “Obviously that’s just, again, just another stepping stone in the dream plan of eventually playing in the NHL. So yeah, just trying to stay the course and entrust the process. No, it’s not always going to be direct work, go to the OHL, get drafted, sign a contract, play in the NHL. It’s going to be a lot of adversity throughout the way and throughout the journey and just trying to stay the course and stay level with myself, stay level headed, not trying to get too up, not trying to get too down. Just kind of stay right in the middle there and feel where I’m most comfortable on and off the ice.”

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/despit...ect-jacob-battaglia-might-still-be-underrated

 

[Calgary Flames]

Report: Flames place prospect Joni Jurmo on unconditional waivers to terminate contract

The Calgary Flames have reportedly placed defensive prospect Joni Jurmo on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Joni Jurmo (CAL) & Ty Voit (TOR) both on unconditional waivers to terminate contracts

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 15, 2025

The 23-year-old Jurmo is a left shot defenceman from Espoo, Finland. He was originally selected in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Vancouver Canucks. His rights moved to the Flames as part of the January 2024 trade for Elias Lindholm, and the Flames signed Jurmo to a two year entry-level contract in March 2024.

Since being drafted, Jurmo had bounced around Finnish pro hockey a bit, playing with JYP, Jukurit, Ilves and KooKoo in the first-tier SM-liiga and Kiekko-Espoo in the second tier Mestis over a four season period. When he signed with the Flames, the hope was probably that some stability would allow the big-bodied blueliner to blossom. Listed at 6’4″ and 207 pounds, you can understand why the Flames would have coveted Jurmo’s size, defensive prowess and pro experience in good leagues.

Unfortunately, Jurmo was lost in the shuffle in the Flames system. When he was with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush, he played a lot and played quite well. Well enough, in fact, that an argument could be made that he was too good for that league. He had 10 points in 12 ECHL games with the Rush last season. With the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, he played just 17 times, often as a seventh defender, and he didn’t really carve out a role for himself given how sporadically he played. He had zero points in the AHL.

Including Jurmo, the Flames organization has 16 defencemen on NHL contracts for 2025-26. With highly-touted prospect Etienne Morin going pro with the Wranglers in the fall, and lefties like Ilya Solovyov, Nick Cicek, Yan Kuznetsov and Jeremie Poirier vying for ice time, it seems unlikely (on paper) that Jurmo’s placement within the Flames defensive pecking order would improve in 2025-26 from where it was in 2024-25.

A contract termination opens up a contract slot for the Flames, and gives Jurmo a chance to pursue a larger on-ice role elsewhere. Signing Jurmo was a worthwhile, low-risk gamble for player and team. Sometimes those gambles don’t work out.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/report...n-unconditional-waivers-to-terminate-contract

 

[Calgary Flames]

The Flames and Stars are perfect trade partners for Rasmus Andersson

It’s looking like Rasmus Andersson’s time in Calgary is coming to an end. The Flames and their 28 year old defenceman are reportedly far apart on extension talks.

The best course of action for Craig Conroy is to trade Andersson, preferably before the start of training camp. They are going to want to avoid making this situation a distraction this season.

Andersson has a six team no trade list. Conroy has the ability to move Andersson to 25 teams across the NHL as a rental.

But there is one team that makes the most sense to partner with in an Andersson trade. And that is the Dallas Stars.

Andersson is exactly what the stacked Dallas Stars team is missing.

Dallas desperately needs help on the right side of their defence. As of June 14th, the only right shot defencemen on the Stars NHL roster is Ilya Lyubushkin, Nils Lundkvist, and Alex Petrovic. Keep in mind that Miro Heiskanen plays the right side. But man, after Heiskanen, there is zero depth on that blueline.

Jim Nill needs to add to that group if they want to give themselves the best chance at winning the Stanley Cup. And who better than Rasmus Andersson to fill that void?

Andersson is the type of player you want to add to a cup contender. As Flames fans know, Andersson’s style of play and attitude is perfect for playoff hockey. His physicality, willingness to block shots, defensive play, and ability to piss off his opponents will allow him to thrive in the biggest games of the season.

Andersson would be a great fit. But do the Stars have the assets to make a trade happen? The answer is yes.

The Stars have a lot of assets the Flames would be interested in. They have their second and third round picks in the stacked 2026 NHL draft. They have their first and third round picks in the 2027 NHL Draft.

The Flames have shown in the past under Craig Conroy that they like acquiring young NHL players. The Stars have a couple intriguing names.

Lian Bichsel is a 6’7″, 231 pound, 21-year-old left shot defenceman who broke out for the Stars late in their regular season and playoff run. He is a very similar player to Kevin Bahl. He is a good skater for his size. He is tough and difficult to play against. He is a perfect partner for the Flames skilled, right shot defencemen like MacKenzie Weegar, Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Henry Mews.

The other young NHL player the Flames would be interested in is Mavrik Bourque. The 23 year old winger played in 73 games, scored 11 goals and added 14 assists. He was under-utilized playing on the fourth line. Bourque might be one of those players who could break out if given a bigger role on a new team.

Finally, there is the salary cap. The Dallas Stars only have $1,955,084 of cap space. Rasmus Andersson makes $4.55 million next season.

There is an easy solution to this problem: add Ilya Lyubushkin’s $3.25 million to the deal. The Flames would have to be incentivized to take on that deal. They are doing to Stars a favour.

Lyubushkin could help replace the minutes left behind by Andersson on the Flames blue line. He would also be a stop-gap for Zayne Parekh. He can take on tough minutes at 5-on-5 and help ease Parekh into the NHL.

If the Flames are able to rebuild his value on the trade market, they could move him for an asset at the 2026 or 2027 deadline.

All the pieces are there to make a trade. So what could that potentially look like?

The Flames trade a valuable right shot defenceman on a great contract. They also take on the two remaining years of Ilya Lyubushkin’s contract that pays him $3.25 million. The Stars will need to give up some significant assets to make this happen.

Lian Bichsel, a potential left shot top four defenceman and a 2027 first round pick feels like a fair starting point. Throw in a 5th round pick to boot and there might be a deal to be had.

The stars are aligning on a Rasmus Andersson trade between Calgary and Dallas. All the components are there to make a trade happen. Will these two deals be able to work something out? We will find out between now and the 2026 trade deadline.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-flames-and-stars-are-perfect-trade-partners-for-rasmus-andersson

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames release 2025-26 regular season schedule

After a bit of a wait, the National Hockey League released the 2025-26 regular season schedule! The Calgary Flames’ next 82 regular season games have been unveiled, representing their second-last season at the historic Scotiabank Saddledome.

Their schedule begins on the road in Edmonton against the Oilers on Wed., Oct. 8. Then they visit Vancouver on Thu., Oct. 9 in the Canucks’ home-opener before returning home for a Saturday matinee on Oct. 11 against the St. Louis Blues in the first Saddledome game of the regular season.

Here’s the breakdown of the schedule overall:

Within the Pacific Division:

• 4 games (2 home, 2 away) against Anaheim, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose and Vegas
• 3 games (2 home, 1 away) against Seattle
• 3 games (1 home, 2 away) against Vancouver

Within the Central Division:

• 3 games (2 home, 1 away) against Winnipeg, St. Louis, Utah and Dallas
• 3 games (1 home, 2 away) against Chicago, Nashville, Minnesota and Colorado

Within the Eastern Conference

• 2 games (1 home, 1 away) against everybody

There will be four Battles of Alberta this season for just the second time since the Flames and Oilers met in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. (The rotating schedule matrix in-division is very odd.)

The Olympic break for the Flames will begin after their Feb. 4 game at home against Edmonton and last until they return to action on Feb. 26 in San Jose.

In terms of big home dates to keep an eye on:

• The Battles of Alberta in the Saddledome are Dec. 27 and Feb. 4.
• Vancouver visits for the lone time on Mar. 28.
• Montreal visits on Oct. 22.
• Toronto visits on Feb. 2.
• The annual New Year’s Eve game on Dec. 31 has Dan Vladar and the Philadelphia Flyers visiting.

The longest homestand is six games, from Mar. 18-28, with the Flames hosting St. Louis, Florida, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Anaheim and Vancouver.

The longest road trip of the season is six games, from Mar. 30 to Apr. 11, and features stops in Colorado, Vegas, Anaheim, Dallas, Colorado again, and Seattle.

The Flames will play in nine back-to-back sets, all involving travel:

• Oct. 8 in Edmonton and Oct. 9 in Vancouver.
• Oct. 14 at home against Vegas and Oct. 15 in Utah.
• Nov. 1 in Nashville and Nov. 2 in Philadelphia.
• Nov. 18 in Chicago and Nov. 19 in Buffalo.
• Nov. 22 at home against Dallas and Nov. 23 in Vancouver.
• Dec. 7 in Montreal and Dec. 8 in Boston.
• Feb. 28 in Los Angeles and Mar. 1 in Anaheim.
• Mar. 9 in Washington and Mar. 10 in New York against the Rangers.
• Apr. 11 in Seattle and Apr. 12 at home against Utah

If you’re a fan looking for “fun” trip ideas for road games:

• The Flames play in Vegas on Oct. 18 and Apr. 2.
• The Flames visit Montreal on Jan. 7.
• The Flames visit Nashville on Nov. 1 and Dec. 2.
• The Flames go through California in the spring, with San Jose on Feb. 26, Los Angeles on Feb. 28 and Anaheim on Mar. 1. They’re also in Los Angeles and San Jose in December, but the other visit to Anaheim is in April as part of the weird long road trip.
• The New York trip is in March as part of a longer road swing, with the Rangers on Mar. 10, the Devils on Mar. 12 and the Islanders on Mar. 14.

What do you think of the 2025-26 schedule? Let us know in the comments!

PRESENTED BY 6IX INNING STRETCH PODCAST​

Love baseball? Don’t miss The 6ix Inning Stretch — the brand new podcast from The Nation Network, presented by Betway. Hosted by Toronto sports reporter Lindsay Dunn and 3-time MLB All-Star Whit Merrifield, this weekly show delivers insider stories, unfiltered Jays talk, player interviews, and expert analysis from around the majors. New episodes drop every Wednesday — listen on your favourite podcast platform or watch on the Bluejaysnation YouTube channel.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-release-2025-26-regular-season-schedule

 

[Calgary Flames]

New Flames blueline prospect Jakob Leander could offer sneaky value in the late rounds

If there’s one event on the National Hockey League calendar that’s extremely fun from a media perspective, it’s the annual NHL Draft. There’s a guarantee of a certain amount of news based on the number of draft choices that the team you’re covering has, and you have a rough idea of when the news will come based on the draft order.

Moreover, the draft is fun because you get to learn a lot, and often quickly, about players you may have only heard about briefly during the scouting season. A bunch of excited young hockey players get to have their dreams come true, and we get to write stories about them doing so. It can be a lot of fun.

But sometimes, usually late in the draft, a player is selected that you cannot find much information about. You head to Daily Faceoff to see if Steven Ellis had them ranked or wrote a blurb about them at any of the many events he covered. Nope. You check their Elite Prospects bio, only to find it pretty lean on information. Heck, sometimes Google in general runs dry.

Such was the case with the 208th player selected in the 2025 NHL Draft, new Calgary Flames prospect Jakob Leander. His Elite Prospects page, usually a fairly reliable source of biographical information, didn’t even have his hometown listed.

At Flames development camp, we had a chance to chat with Leander after an on-ice session. And as is often the case, the more we dig into Leander, the more we can see the upside in him as a late-round draft selection.

A product of Jönköping, a lakeside city in south central Sweden, Leander is a big, lanky young man, listed by the NHL at 6’4″ and 196 pounds. He was watching the televised Swedish coverage of the draft when the Flames selected him.

“I was at home with my friends, five friends, and yeah, I saw my name on the TV and was so happy,” said Leander.

Quietly, Leander has progressed up the ladder of Swedish hockey. Originally with HC Dalen, another team in Jönköping, he moved to HV71’s system as a 15-year-old. He played primarily in Sweden’s main under-16 league in his 15-year-old season (2022-23), then moved up to their under-18 league in his 16-year-old season (2023-24), and spent the majority of his draft season (2024-25) as a 17-year-old in Sweden’s top under-20 league, the J20 Nationell.

“It went very well because I had a really good season,” said Leander. “I had upgraded myself from the last season, so it was a really good season for me.”

Because of his size and two-way defensive style, Leander can be compared to fellow Flames draft choice (and Swede) Axel Hurtig, who was coincidentally enough drafted at 208th overall in 2023. While Hurtig had a higher stock in his draft year based on his international experience and slightly higher offensive production in the J20 Nationell, Leander has shown the ability to adapt and figure out how to generate offence as he spends more time in a league.

After continuously moving up the Swedish hockey leader in recent years, Leander is aiming to continue that trend in 2025-26 as he returns to HV71 for the coming season.

“To play in SHL, the highest league in Sweden, a few games and then maybe the second league,” said Leander, describing his goals.

Leander was a seventh-round draft choice. It’s natural to not know a ton about him. But the more we’re learning about him, given his size, style and ability to adapt, the more it seems like there could be some sneaky value for the Flames in the seventh round.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/new-fl...r-could-offer-sneaky-value-in-the-late-rounds

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames re-sign RFAs Jeremie Poirier ($775K), Rory Kerins ($775K) and Yan Kuznetsov ($812,500) to new deals

Craig Conroy’s off-season to-do list just got a lot shorter.

On Thursday morning, the Calgary Flames announced that they’ve re-signed a trio of their restricted free agents. Blueliner Jeremie Poirier received a one year, two-way deal worth $775,000, as did forward Rory Kerins. Blueliner Yan Kuznetsov received a two year deal with a $812,500 cap hit. Kuznetsov’s deal is a two-way in 2025-26 and a one-way in 2026-27.

Poirier is a 23-year-old left shot blueliner, originally selected in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft. His deal is worth $775,000 in the NHL and $100,000 in the AHL. He was a superb offensive blueliner with a lot of upside coming out of junior, with the thought that he would need to tidy up his defensive zone play a bit to be a bit less of a risk-taker.

However, a promising early run in the AHL was disrupted by a really nasty laceration he suffered when an opposition skate gashed his wrist early in the 2023-24 season. Since returning, he’s been a bit tentative – understandably so – and hopefully he’s able to get his swagger back and carve out a niche within the Flames system.

Kerins is a 23-year-old left shot forward that plays centre and the wing, originally selected in the sixth round of the 2020 NHL Draft. His deal is worth $775,000 in the NHL and $110,000 in the AHL, with $125,000 guaranteed. He was a really impressive, if slightly undersized, offensive forward in the OHL with the Soo Greyhounds. He showed flashes of brilliance in his first two pro seasons, then enjoyed a breakout 2024-25 campaign where he scored 33 goals with the Wranglers and managed to play five NHL games and not look out of place.

His two-way game may not be amazing – he’s no shutdown forward – but he’s got a knack for being in the right places to create offence. He’s worth keeping an eye on during Flames camp this fall.

Kuznetsov is a 23-year-old left shot blueliner, originally selected in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft. In 2025-26, he’s slated to receive $775,000 in the NHL and $125,000 in the AHL with $150,000 guaranteed. He’s on a one-way deal in 2026-27 worth $850,000. He’s been lauded as a really reliable two-way defender, dating back to his amateur days with the NCAA’s University of Connecticut and the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs (where he was briefly teammates with Poirier).

But Kuznetsov has found a way to increase his offensive production over the past few years, which has led to him getting a few NHL opportunities along the way. He was part of a really effective tandem last season alongside Hunter Brzustewicz, and did a lot to help his partner find his footing as a pro blueliner.

With these deals, the Flames only have one RFA left unsigned: forward Connor Zary. The Flames now have 45 players under contract for 2025-26: five goaltenders, 15 defencemen and 25 forwards.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...ns-775k-and-yan-kuznetsov-812500-to-new-deals

 

[Calgary Flames]

Plans changed for Flames prospect Henry Mews when the NCAA became an option

For a lot of young hockey players, they have an idea of how they want their progression to go. Sure, life throws you curve balls, but a lot of youngsters sort of plot out the steps they want to take as they hopefully work towards becoming pro hockey players and, eventually, National Hockey League players.

But sometimes, plans change.

For Calgary Flames blueline prospect Henry Mews, the 2025 half of the 2024-25 season was a time of change. He ended up changing junior teams for the first time in his career, and then ended up changing the trajectory of his next hockey season.

A product of Ottawa and a third-round pick of the Flames in 2024, Mews played for his hometown Ottawa 67’s in the Ontario Hockey League, joining them in 2022 as a 16-year-old. He played nearly three full seasons with the 67’s, but with his time in junior likely winding down and the 67’s out of the playoff mix, he was traded to the Sudbury Wolves in January.

“Yeah, I mean it was a good move,” said Mews, during Flames development camp. “Obviously, I kind of knew it was gonna be my last year in the OHL so I wanted to get the most of my opportunity winning a championship and we weren’t gonna be able to do that in Ottawa. They didn’t make the playoffs. Going to Sudbury gave me a chance to do that, and we had a really good team there and I enjoyed my time there and learned a lot and it was a great season.”

Mews was in the midst of a strong offensive season with Ottawa at the time of the trade, posting 50 points in 38 games, but he slowed down a bit as he adjusted to Sudbury, posting 32 points in 30 games. (Yes, Mews was scoring at a high enough rate that being a couple points above a point-per-game pace is considered slowing down.) The Wolves just couldn’t get traction in the OHL playoffs, though, getting eliminated in the first round by Jacob Battaglia’s Kingston Frontenacs.

10 days after his OHL season ended, Mews officially announced his commitment to the University of Michigan for the 2025-26 season. He was one of the first major NHL-drafted CHL prospects to commit to play college hockey. He shared that when the NCAA changed their rules to allow CHL players to go to college in 2025-26, the trajectory of his player development plan changed a bit.

“That rule [change] happened in November and I kind of knew right away that’s what I wanted to do,” said Mews. “Me and the development team here in Calgary we discussed it and we thought that was the best option for me. I had three really good years in the OHL, especially this year was a really good year, and I think it’s time for the next step. And college is the next step and I got a really good setup in Michigan and you see the alumni they produce there, especially on defence. So I’m hoping to be the next chapter of that.”

The list of blueliners that the Wolverines have produced for the NHL in recent years include Quinn Hughes, Zach Werenski and Owen Power. If you’re a puck-moving defender like Mews, perhaps in need of a bigger challenge – and a chance to spend more time in the gym during the season due to the lighter college schedule – Michigan seems like a really good fit.

“Yeah, it’s crazy, you know, my goal going into the year was you know have a really good year, which I did, and sign a contract in the year with Calgary,” said Mews. “And that rule change obviously happened and so my mind switched a bit to that. But I think it’s just the gym, the time in the gym. That’s what I need the most and the reps in the gym, just lifting heavier weights getting bigger in the gym and turning into my man’s body. I’m still in my kid’s body and stuff, so I got years to produce, some size and mass and I think playing against older guys as well will help me a lot.”

“And I’m going to be playing with, our whole team will be pretty much drafted, so we’re a really good team. I’m going to be playing with a lot of guys in the same situation as me trying to get better. So every practice, every game is going to be competitive and I’m in the right environment for it.”

In addition to Mews, the Wolverines have added CHLers Jack Ivankovic (Brampton), Malcolm Spence (Erie) and Matthew Mania (Flint). They’ve also bolstered their roster with some additions from the transfer portal, most prominent among them being Carolina Hurricanes prospect Jayden Perron from North Dakota.

In the old system, Mews would have probably signed an entry-level deal with the Flames and then spent 2025-26 running roughshod over the OHL once more. But with the college option now open, he’ll have an opportunity to play in a completely new level of hockey, on a completely new team. It’s a brave new world, and a new challenge for Mews.

“I’m looking forward to it,” said Mews. “Kind of nervous, I don’t know what to expect right off the bat. But I’m going to get there a few months early before the season starts and get comfortable and stuff like that, so not to worry about that. I’m really excited just going to have fun on the ice and work on my game. I’m really excited to see how much I develop this year next year to get moving towards getting pro.”

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/plans-...ospect-henry-mews-when-the-ncaa-became-option

 

[Calgary Flames]

The Flames’ best fights of 2024-25: Joel Hanley and Andrei Svechnikov fight because of a misunderstanding

By March, the Calgary Flames were in the thick of a playoff race.

Heading Mar. 2, the Flames sat a point out of a playoff spot while going 4-5-1 in their last 10 games. The road trip in particular hadn’t been going well, as they won their first game but proceeded to lose two consecutive games.

They played against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, with Jaccob Slavin scoring late in the second period for a 1-0 lead. Just seven minutes into the final frame, Nazem Kadri scored his 21st of the season to tie the game.

The fight occurred with under five minutes left, and it all happened because of a miscommunication. As Dustin Wolf saved a shot, Blake Coleman missed a stick lift, hitting Jordan Martinook in the face and drawing blood. As Joel Hanley rounded the net, he bumped into the Hurricane forward.

Because Andrei Svechnikov’s back was turned, all he saw was Hanley shoving Martinook, which led to him dropping the gloves. Before engaging, it sounded like Hanley said “it wasn’t me”, but that wasn’t enough to stop this fight from happening.

Svechnikov got the upper hand early, ripping off Hanley’s helmet and throwing a few overhand rights as the linesmen attempted to get involved. It took a few seconds, but Hanley eventually found his balance and the two started trading punches.

Hanley attempted to take off Svechnikov’s helmet by putting him in a Muay Thai clinch, and when that failed, Hanley fed him with two upper cuts and a few overhand rights before the Hurricanes stood upright. No more punches were exchanged as the two grappled for another few seconds before the linemen broke up the fight.

Overall, it was a rather even fight, with Svechnikov getting the upper hand early, but Hanley finishing the fight strong. On hockeyfights.com, Hanley was declared the winner, as 66% of the 50 voters gave him the win. It was given a 5.86 rating, the fourth-highest rated Flames fight this season.

In the end, the two players got a five-minute major, but Coleman received a four-minute minor for the high stick. The Flames were able to kill off the rest of the penalty kill, but ultimately fell in overtime to extend their losing streak to three games. It was one of many overtime or shootout losses where you say, “hey, if they won that game, they’d be in the playoffs.”

Still, it was a highly entertaining fight that probably shouldn’t have happened had the players talked it out.

---

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-fl...vechnikov-fight-because-of-a-misunderstanding

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames and Wranglers extend ECHL affiliation with the Rapid City Rush

The Calgary Flames organization had a minor announcement on Friday afternoon, as the club announced a multi-year extension of their affiliation with the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush.

The Flames and their American League affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, have been partnered with the Rush since 2022-23.

During the first three seasons of their affiliation, 14 players have suited up for the Rush and the Wranglers, those primarily being players on AHL deals with the Wranglers. But the Rush have provided playing time for evaluation and development to a handful of Flames-drafted prospects, including 2019 third-rounder Ilya Nikolaev, 2019 fourth-rounder Lucas Feuk, 2020 fourth-rounder Daniil Chechelev and 2020 sixth-rounder Rory Kerins. Kerins memorably made his NHL debut during the 2024-25 season, becoming the first Rush player to move up the ladder from the ECHL to the AHL and end up in the NHL.

While the ECHL is admittedly, and by definition, a lower level of hockey than the AHL, it can be a really useful providing ground for players learning pro hockey. The skill level is often a bit lower than the AHL, and so players moving up from junior or college hockey can often translate their skill package to that level (and find success and confidence) as first-year pros in a way that might not be possible in the AHL. Case in point? Kerins, who really impressed with the Rush in 2022-23. The Flames may not have sent a lot of prospects to the Rush – only Kerins, Nikolaev and Connor Murphy have been with the ECHL club while on NHL deals – but the ones they have sent have benefited.

Based in Rapid City, South Dakota, the Rush were founded as a Central Hockey League expansion team back in 2008-09 and won that league’s championship in 2010. They were absorbed by the ECHL in 2014-15 after the CHL ceased operations. Since joining the ECHL, they’ve served as a minor-league affiliate for the Arizona Coyotes (2015-17, 2019-22) and Minnesota Wild (2017-18),

Prior to Rapid City, the Flames had ECHL affilations with a variety of different teams, including the Kansas City Mavericks (2017-22), Adirondack Thunder (2015-17), Colorado Eagles (2014-15), Alaska Aces (2013-14) and Utah Grizzlies (2010-13).

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-and-wranglers-extend-echl-affiliation-with-the-rapid-city-rush

 

[Calgary Flames]

Daily Faceoff dug into the Flames’ fuzzy Stanley Cup contention window

It’s the off-season, folks, and across the hockey media landscape, everyone’s either at the cottage or engaging in some big-picture thinking.

Over at Daily Faceoff, our pal Matt Larkin has avoided the cottage and is in the midst of an examination of the Stanley Cup contention windows for all 32 National Hockey League clubs. On Friday, Larkin dug into the Pacific Division, and touched on the Calgary Flames.

Larkin slotted the Flames into the “Window Opening” category, but in his breakdown of the Flames’ chances, he admits that it’s not quite clear what the club is right now:

I almost placed the Flames in the Foggy Window category, as I do think Dustin Wolf’s incredible play lifted Calgary higher in the standings than it deserved to be this past season, and I wonder if that sets unrealistic expectations for [2025-26]. I’m not totally sure this is a playoff team even though it just tied for the final Wildcard berth. That said, Wolf is a rising star. The Flames saw a major step forward from right winger Matt Coronato last season. We’ll see sublimely gifted defenseman Zayne Parekh get his big shot to be an NHL regular and challenge for the Calder Trophy. What makes Calgary’s identity still a bit confusing is the presence of veteran holdovers such as pending 2026 UFA Rasmus Andersson and even center Nazem Kadri. General manager Craig Conroy has spent the past couple years gutting the core with trade after trade, launching a new era for the franchise. So do you finish the job and deal a few more veterans, or do you hold them, knowing they’re still good enough to help you compete in the present and maybe snatch that playoff spot? The Flames are trending in the right direction, but I’m not seeing a defined upward trajectory quite yet like I do with Anaheim.

The Flames are in the midst of a roster retooling process that began in earnest during the 2023-24 season, the first under new general manager Craig Conroy, which has seen the Flames part ways via trade with veterans Tyler Toffoli, Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin, Jacob Markstrom and Andrew Mangiapane. The process has seen them get younger, with prospects like Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil, Matt Coronato and Dustin Wolf become NHL regulars.

Heck, Wolf emerged as one of the top young goaltenders in the entire NHL in 2024-25, catapulting the Flames to within the regulation wins tiebreaker of a playoff spot. During the first full season of their retool. Can they follow this up with a better season? Will they merely maintain their prior success? Or will they back-slide? And how will the impending arrival of prospect Zayne Parekh and the impending departure of veteran Rasmus Andersson play a part in everything?

It was tough to get a handle on a changing Flames team in 2024-25. And it feels like we’re heading into a similarly interesting season in 2025-26. We’ll see how it plays out.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/daily-faceoff-dug-into-the-flames-fuzzy-stanley-cup-contention-window

 

[Calgary Flames]

Sam Honzek plans to keep grinding after first professional season

The Calgary Flames organization has a lot of young players to be excited about. Especially first-round draft picks like Zayne Parekh, Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter. Also in that conversation is Sam Honzek. Honzek has faced a bit of troubles with injuries over the last two seasons but still remains an exciting player who is developing at the AHL level so we see more of him at the NHL level.

Sam Honzek was a first round draft pick for the Calgary Flames back in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft where he went 16th overall. The 20 year old grew up in Slovakia and transitioned to North American hockey in his draft year with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. Last season, he made a three game appearance with the Calgary Wranglers at the end of the season. He played in two regular season games and one playoff game.

2024-25 expectations​

Sam Honzek wrapped up his junior hockey career with the Vancouver Giants in the 2023-24 season and was on a good track scoring-wise when he was healthy. He put up 31 points in 33 games that season. He was expected to start the year with the Wranglers and maybe start to transition to NHL games in the back half of the season.

2024-25 results​

All eyes were on Sam Honzek for his first good long look in the club. Unfortunately for him, an early season injury put a damper on that. Honzek exceeded expectations at Flames training camp and earned a roster spot with the Flames on opening night. After just five games in the NHL, Honzek was sidelined with an upper-body injury.

He took his time to recover and when he returned back to regular game action in early November, it was with the Wranglers. (He played one game with the Flames before being sent to the AHL.) Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to get back to the level he was at during camp to be the go-to option for the next call-up. He took a bit of time to get back in the swing of things and did get some developmental opportunities at centre later in the season, but didn’t get to where he wanted to be with that injury setback.

Honzek did not return to the Flames for the remainder of the season and played alongside Wranglers captain Clark Bishop for most of the season. Their other winger rotated between Martin Frk and William Stromgren for stretches of games. While fans would’ve loved to see more of Honzek, giving him some time to recover and build confidence may pay off for the organization in the long term.

Sam Honzek with a filthy goal to even this game up early in the third pic.twitter.com/7eqYbZInpj

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) April 6, 2025

His production finished with eight goals and 13 assists for a total of 21 points in his first full professional season. In playoffs, he played in both games but did not register any points. In his five games with the Flames, he has yet to put up a point and finished with a -1 plus/minus rating in the NHL last season.

In his Wranglers exit meetings, he reflected on his season saying:

“It’s kind of been an eye opening season. You know, I started with the Flames, a couple of games then come back to the Wrangler and I think it was lots of experience and lots of learning for me as a first year pro. Kind of get a taste in both leagues and I know what it takes to be in the NHL.”

Next season’s expectations​

Honzek is still in that conversation of first round picks to be excited about and for now, time is still on his side. He’s only played one of four years in his entry-level contract – his deal slid in 2024-25 – and going into the off-season healthy means we could see that stunning camp performance again. As he matures, a plan is being set around the position they want to develop him at more, whether that be centre or wing.

As far as the camp mentality goes, Honzek said:

“I just have to come in and just show that I’m a good first-round pick, do my stuff and do what I’m best in. I had a really good summer (last year) and it gave me confidence to see that I made the team and now I can’t stop. I have to keep grinding.”

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/sam-honzek-plans-to-keep-grinding-after-first-professional-season

 

[Calgary Flames]

7 Flames players will require waivers for the first time in 2025-26

With the National Hockey League’s calendar flipping over to 2025-26, the waiver statuses of many players throughout the league has changed and several players that weren’t previously subject to waivers have become eligible for them.

In the case of the Calgary Flames, seven players have become eligible for waivers for the first time. The good news is that a couple of them are established NHL players who, y’know, wouldn’t ever be sent to the minors.

Now eligible for waivers in 2025-26 are goaltender Dustin Wolf, defencemen Yan Kuznetsov and Jeremie Poirier, and forwards Matt Coronato, Rory Kerins, Adam Klapka and Sam Morton.

Wolf was the runner-up for the NHL’s Calder Trophy in 2024-25, was voted to the All-Rookie Team, and is the Flames starting goaltender. Coronato scored 24 goals last season and signed a seven year contract extension. It’s safe to say that both of them are NHL roster locks. Kuznetsov, Kerins, Klapka and Morton all spent time on the NHL roster in 2024-25. Of the course, Klapka is the closest to being an NHL regular, as he played 28 games with the Flames last season and then signed a one-way contract for 2025-26. Poirier is likely destined for the AHL.

For those unfamiliar, the waiver wire is the a roster mechanism that makes players available to the other NHL teams before they’re allowed to be sent to the minors. Generally-speaking, skaters are exempt from the waiver process and can be freely sent to and from the AHL during their entry-level contracts, while goaltenders are given an additional year of exemption beyond their entry-level deals.

The Flames have 15 waiver exempt players currently under NHL contracts for the coming season.

The waiver exempt group for 2025-26 includes:

• Goaltender Owen Say
• Goaltender Arsenii Sergeev
• Defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz
• Defenceman Artem Grushnikov
• Defenceman Joni Jurmo
• Defenceman Etienne Morin
• Forward Andrew Basha
• Forward Parker Bell
• Forward Matvei Gridin, 2024 first-rounder
• Forward Samuel Honzek, 2023 first-rounder
• Forward Carter King
• Forward William Strömgren
• Forward Aydar Suniev

Blueliner Zayne Parekh and forward Jacob Battaglia are both waiver exempt, but due to being teenagers drafted out of Canadian major junior hockey, they’re not eligible to be sent to the AHL in 2025-26.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/7-flames-players-will-require-waivers-for-the-first-time-in-2025-26

 

[Calgary Flames]

With CBA extended, how long do the Flames have to sign all of their drafted prospects?

A few weeks back, following the 2025 NHL Draft, we ran through how long the Calgary Flames had to sign their many unsigned drafted prospects.

When we did that rundown, it was based on the premise that the 2025 draft class would be operating under the rules of the new collective bargaining agreement extension. But since we published that list of dates, the memorandum of understanding for the new CBA has become available… and it turns out the new draft rights scheme doesn’t kick in until the 2027 draft class.

So with that in mind, we felt it prudent to revisit the topic and provide an updated rundown of how long the Flames have to sign their unsigned drafted prospects!

June 1, 2026​

2024 pick Hunter Laing, drafted out of junior and expected to remain in the WHL, has to be signed by the second June 1 following his selection.

June 1, 2027​

2023 pick Axel Hurtig, drafted out of Sweden and then moved to the WHL via the CHL’s Import Draft, has to be signed by the fourth June 1 following his selection. (Even though he moved to North America, his rights are based on the European draftee rules.)

Aug. 15, 2028​

2022 pick Cade Littler, drafted out of junior and then moved to college for his Draft+3 season, has to be signed by June 1, 2026 (the fourth June 1 following his selection) or the August 15 following his graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption he stays all four years and the Flames hold his rights through Aug. 15, 2028.

2024 pick Trevor Hoskin, drafted out of junior and then moved to college for his Draft+1 season, has to be signed by June 1, 2028 (the fourth June 1 following his selection) or the August 15 following his graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption he stays all four years and the Flames hold his rights through Aug. 15, 2028. (Hoskin was drafted as an overage player, so when we refer to “Draft+1” we’re referring to years after his selection, not his first year of draft eligibility.)

2025 pick Cullen Potter, drafted out of college, has to be signed by the August 15 following his graduation from college or, if he leaves prior to graduation, the later of June 1, 2029 (the fourth June 1 following his selection) or the August 15 following his exit from college. We’re defaulting to the assumption that he plays four years of college.

June 1, 2029​

2025 picks Theo Stockselius and Jakob Leander, drafted out of Sweden, have to be signed by the fourth June 1 following their selection.

Aug. 15, 2029​

2023 pick Jaden Lipinski, drafted out of junior and then moved to college for his Draft+3 season, has to be signed by June 1, 2027 (the fourth June 1 following his selection) or the August 15 following his graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption he stays all four years and the Flames hold his rights through Aug. 15, 2029.

2024 picks Henry Mews, Luke Misa and Eric Jamieson, drafted out of junior and then moved to college for their Draft+2 seasons, all have to be signed by June 1, 2028 (the fourth June 1 following their selection) or the August 15 following their graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption they stay all four years and the Flames hold their rights through Aug. 15, 2029. (Jamieson was drafted as an overage player, so when we refer to “Draft+1” we’re referring to years after his selection, not his first year of draft eligibility.)

2025 picks Cole Reschny, Ethan Wyttenbach and Aidan Lane, drafted out of junior and then moved to college for their Draft+1 seasons, all have to be signed by June 1, 2029 (the fourth June 1 following their selection) or the August 15 following their graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption they stay all four years and the Flames hold their rights through Aug. 15, 2029.

Aug. 15, 2030​

2025 pick Mace’o Phillips, drafted out of junior and committed to go to college for his Draft+2 season, has to be signed by June 1, 2029 (the fourth June 1 following his selection) or the August 15 following his graduation/exit from college, whichever is later. We’re defaulting to the assumption he stays all four years and the Flames hold his rights through Aug. 15, 2030.

Indefinite​

Finally, 2020 pick Daniil Chechelev, 2023 pick Yegor Yegorov, 2024 pick Kirill Zarubin and 2025 pick Yan Matveiko were all selected from Russia and in the absence of a valid IIHF transfer agreement with Russia. Because they were selected during a period where Russian player rights were undefined, the Flames hold their rights indefinitely.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the industry-leading 10-year, 160,000-kilometre powertrain warranty. Check out their showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/with-c...s-have-to-sign-all-of-their-drafted-prospects