News Flames Team Notes

[JJ]

Look, I gotta be honest here - as an Oilers fan writing for FlamesNation, that's a pretty wild situation but I respect the hustle. And you know what? The analysis ain't wrong.

The Flames are stuck in that brutal no-man's-land where you're not good enough to compete for a Cup but not bad enough to land a franchise-changing talent. That 19-23-4 record tells the whole story. Missing the playoffs on a TIEBREAKER last year? That's gotta sting worse than actually being bad.

That said, Craig Conroy has done some solid work building up that prospect pool. Parekh looks like he's gonna be a stud, and having multiple first-rounders in recent drafts is exactly how you dig yourself out of mediocrity. The Andersson trade is basically inevitable at this point - dude's having a career year on an expiring deal, and getting "the equivalent of two first-round picks" would be robbery in a good way.

Here's what gets me though - the Battle of Alberta NEEDS both teams to be competitive. When the Flames are good and we're good, that rivalry is absolutely ELECTRIC. Some of the best hockey you'll ever watch. Right now it's just us dunking on a rebuilding team and that ain't as fun.

The 2026 and 2027 drafts look absolutely STACKED. If Calgary can bottom out properly (not this wishy-washy stuff), grab a McKenna or someone similar, they could be back in contention right when that new arena opens. Smart timing if they can pull it off.

But let's be real - tanking is easier said than done. You still gotta develop your young guys, keep Wolf sharp, and not completely destroy the culture. It's a tightrope walk.

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames trade rumours: What could a Rasmus Andersson trade with the Detroit Red Wings look like?

Stay calm, everyone. We may finally be on the brink of a Rasmus Andersson trade, potentially ending multiple years of rumours and speculation and everything that comes with the process. However, since a deal hasn’t been completed yet, there’s still time to continue exploring different scenarios of what an Andersson trade could look like for the Calgary Flames.

That brings us to the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit has openly been in the market for a top-four defenceman for some time now. They’re looking for a reliable presence who can help lead their young defensive core and bring some relief to Moritz Seider.

The Red Wings were reportedly in on former Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes, but when extension-related issues arose, they pulled out of the race. Hughes eventually landed with the Minnesota Wild.

As a result, Detroit remains in the market for a defenceman and is expected to become increasingly aggressive as the trade deadline approaches and the club looks to make a deep playoff run.

There are other names available that Detroit could pursue, including Dougie Hamilton or Erik Karlsson, but Andersson appears to be an ideal fit — especially if the Red Wings can lock him up with an extension.

With that in mind, let’s dive into a couple of potential trade scenarios between Detroit and Calgary.

Scenario #1​

Let’s start with the most obvious option, one that’s been circulating in the rumour mill of late.

To Calgary:
– Nate Danielson
– 2026 first-round pick

To Detroit:
– Rasmus Andersson (50 per cent salary retained)

This would be a dream scenario for the Flames. They would land a high-end, right-shot centre prospect along with a first-round pick in an upcoming draft. That aligns with the Flames’ reported desire for a return equivalent to two first-round picks, considering Danielson was selected ninth overall in the 2023 NHL draft.

The 21-year old Edmonton native began his first NHL season with the Red Wings this year. In 28 games, Danielson recorded two goals and five assists before it was determined he needed more time to develop his game. He was subsequently assigned to the AHL, where he has matched that production in seven games with the Bakersfield Condors.

Calgary would almost certainly need to retain salary in this scenario to lower Andersson’s cap hit and make the deal more appealing to Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman. 50% seems like a good place to start – making Andersson cap hit just $2.275 million.

You’d also have to assume Yzerman would only agree to this trade if an extension with Andersson was already in place or close to being finalized.

While reports later suggested this scenario was baseless (or at the very least, very speculative), it still represents a deal that checks boxes for both sides — and for Calgary, it could be the best possible offer available.

Scenario #2​

To Calgary:
– Carter Mazur
– Michael Rasmussen
– 2026 second-round pick

To Detroit:
– Rasmus Andersson

When the deadline pressure ramps up, the Flames may ultimately have to take the best offer on the table — and it could look something like this.

In this scenario, Calgary would acquire Detroit’s No. 8-ranked prospect in Mazur. The 23-year old winger has spent the entire season in the AHL but has appeared in just five games after suffering a lower-body injury early on. In his five games, he’s impressed with four goals and two assists.

The Flames would also receive a reliable NHL player in Rasmussen. His inclusion would largely be for cap purposes, but Calgary could either slot him into the lineup as a dependable penalty killer who can contribute offensively, or flip him to another team to recoup additional assets.

Then there’s the draft pick. This type of deal feels more like a deadline-day outcome — the best offer available at the time. Yzerman is unlikely to move a first-round pick without certainty on an Andersson extension. If that is the case a second rounder may be the best they can get.

Calgary likely wouldn’t need to retain much salary here, as taking on Rasmussen and Mazur would mean absorbing more money than they’re sending out. That said, the Flames have the cap flexibility to retain a small portion if it helps get the deal done or if it inclines Yzerman to upgrade the second round pick to a first.

What do you think? Does Detroit have the best assets in a potential Andersson trade? Let us know in the comments!

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...on-trade-with-the-detroit-red-wings-look-like

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames Game Day 47: Closing out the road trip in Chicago (6:30pm MT, SNW)

After being on the road since last week, the only thing between the Calgary Flames (19-23-4, 42 points) and sleeping in their own beds is 60 minutes (or more) of hockey against the Chicago Blackhawks (19-20-7, 45 points). And a plane ride home. Well, the Flames will look to finish off their five game road trip on a winning note against Chicago, a team that has run their show so far this season.

Today’s broadcast begins at 6:30 p.m. MT on Sportsnet West and Sportsnet 960 The Fan.

The Flames​

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff (and Sportsnet’s Derek Wills):

Connor Zary – Nazem Kadri – Adam Klapka
Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Joel Farabee
Yegor Sharangovich – Mikael Backlund – Matt Coronato
Ryan Lomberg – Justin Kirkland – Dryden Hunt

Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Yan Kuznetsov – MacKenzie Weegar
Joel Hanley – Hunter Brzustewicz

Based on Wills’ intel from morning skate, it sounds like Devin Cooley starts in net, backed up by Dustin Wolf. The healthy extras for the Flames are William Stromgren and Brayden Pachal. Dryden Hunt comes into the lineup after being called up on Wednesday. And there’s been a swap of centres, with Nazem Kadri and Morgan Frost switching lines.

It’s been a rough road trip for the Flames, continuing a rough start to 2026. They’re 1-3-0 on the road trip, with their lone win being a low-scoring grind of a game in Pittsburgh. In this calendar year, they’re 1-5-0 and have been out-scored 23-11 in the process. Only two Flames have scored more than one goal in 2026: Connor Zary and Rasmus Andersson, and the team has struggled to generate a lot offensively.

Simply put: the Flames need to find ways to score goals, and fast, if they want their playoff hopes to remain a possibility.

The Blackhawks​

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff:

Ryan Greene – Connor Bedard – Andre Burakovsky
Tyler Bertuzzi – Jason Dickinson – Ilya Mikheyev
Ryan Donato – Oliver Moore – Nick Lardis
Nick Foligno – Colton Dach – Landon Slaggert

Alex Vlasic – Louis Crevier
Wyatt Kaiser – Artyom Levshunov
Matt Grzelcyk – Connor Murphy

We’re projecting Spencer Knight to start in net, backed up by Arvid Soderblom. Chicago’s lone healthy extra is Sam Lafferty. (Chicago’s had a flu bug go through their room recently.)

Chicago is 5-2-0 in 2026. And even better, they’ve recently gotten Connor Bedard back in their lineup a couple games ago. (Then he missed a game with the flu, but we digress…) In two games against the Flames this season, Bedard has a casual four goals and seven points. Chicago’s scored nine times against the Flames this season, and Bedard has a hand in seven of those goals. So, uh, watch that guy.

Unavailable players​

The Flames are without Martin Pospisil, Sam Honzek, Jake Bean, John Beecher, Zayne Parekh and Blake Coleman.

The Blackhawks are without Shea Weber, Ryan Ellis, Frank Nazar and Teuvo Teravainen.

The numbers​

Flames	Blackhawks
19	Wins	19
42 (.457)	Points (%)	45 (.489)
49.7% (17th)	xGF%	45.1% (30th)
15.4% (29th)	PP%	22.9% (7th)
82.0% (9th)	PK%	85.2% (2nd)

Head to head​

This is the third and final meeting between these teams this season. The Blackhawks won both earlier games by a combined 9-2 score.

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-game-day-47-closing-out-the-road-trip-in-chicago-630pm-mt-snw

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames close out road trip with victory in Chicago

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

The Calgary Flames closed out their five game road trip on Thursday night with a visit to the United Center to face the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago scored early, but the Flames locked things down and controlled much of the flow of the game from there on out.

The Flames beat Chicago by a 3-1 score.

The rundown​

The Blackhawks opened the scoring 2:38 into the game, scoring on their second shot of the game. Off the rush, Colton Dach found some space and then found Nick Foligno in the slot area, and Foligno fired the puck past Devin Cooley to give Chicago a 1-0 lead.

Nick Foligno opens the scoring for Chicago.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/k3x7HRexk0

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 16, 2026

Just after that goal, Nazem Kadri drew a minor. On the resulting power play, Connor Zary drove the net with the puck. He didn’t score but the chaos created by his net drive led to a Yegor Sharangovich goal on the scramble in front to tie the game at 1-1 (and give the Flames their fourth power play goal in two games).

FLAMES GOAL

The power play remains hot for the Flames! Yegor Sharangovich ties this game up on the man advantage.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/flOSr3Ed6h

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 16, 2026

Just after that, MacKenzie Weegar took a penalty. On the resulting power play… Calgary scored again! This time, Mikael Backlund made an astute poke check in the neutral zone, stealing the puck away from Andre Burakovsky and then racing into the Chicago zone, making a quick deke and firing the puck past Spencer Knight to give the Flames a 2-1 lead.

FLAMES GOAL

Mikael Backlund scores a short handed beauty! He is playing some of the best hockey of his career.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/pITObw7iCg

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 16, 2026

First period shots were 9-6 Blackhawks. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 5-3 Blackhawks and high-danger scoring chances were 3-0 Blackhawks.

Neither team scored in the second period. The period was fairly even, though also fairly low event.

The highlights of the frame were some big hits and some post-whistle extra-curriculars.

Joel Farabee drops the gloves with Connor Murphy

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/ZpI7xmi5QO

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 16, 2026

Kevin Bahl lays out Oliver Moore with a huge hit!

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/Rx5dqpfBXc

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 16, 2026

Second period shots were 11-9 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 8-7 Flames and high-danger scoring chances were 5-3 Flames.

The Blackhawks pressed in the third period, but the Flames did a really nice job avoiding getting hemmed into their own end.

Matt Coronato scored an empty-netter late to give the Flames a 3-1 victory.

Third period shots were 6-5 Flames.

Why the Flames won​

How do we say this politely? Uh, the Flames suckered Chicago into playing their style of game. This was a low-event, tight-checking game of hockey. You could argue that it was also a fairly dull 60 minutes of hockey too. This was the type of game the Flames needed during a stretch where they haven’t been scoring a ton, especially on the road.

And when your special teams out-score the other teams by a 2-0 margin, that’s usually a recipe for a win.

Red Warrior​

Mikael Backlund had a couple points in the first chunk of this game, and generally played very well.

Turning point​

Let’s give it to the Flames scoring back-to-back special teams goals in the first period. The Flames got down early and you could be forgiven if you had uttered the phrase “Here we go again…” But the Flames grabbed the lead before those words could probably be uttered.

This and that​

Devin Cooley, now seemingly recovered his illness-fuelled week, started for the second time on this road trip.

Mikael Backlund assisted on Yegor Sharangovich’s first period goal, which gave him his 366th assist with the Flames, putting him past Mark Giordano into sixth place on the franchise’s all-time leaderboard.

Mikael Backlund factored on both goals in the opening frame, and collected his 367th career assist to pass Mark Giordano (366) for the sixth most in @NHLFlames history. #NHLStats

Tune in : https://t.co/dT34F4MhkC pic.twitter.com/1MIdvBiSAp

— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) January 16, 2026

After Burner​

Join Mike Gould and myself right after the game for After Burner!

Up next​

The Flames (20-23-4) are headed home. They host the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon to kick off a five game homestand.

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 best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-close-out-road-trip-with-victory-in-chicago

 

[Calgary Flames]

Series preview: Wranglers host the Condors for the battle of the AHL’s best rookies

The Calgary Wranglers kick off a four game homestand on Friday and are looking for a big push through the second half of the season. The Flames’ AHL squad has faced some challenges over the past few weeks and are struggling to get things done in regulation. As conversations around the playoff picture start to loom, they need some improvement to guarantee they qualify. The Wranglers only have two wins in their last 10 games but have been picking up points outside of regulation. Their record is creeping below .500 with a 15-14-7-2 season record and a sixth place spot in the Pacific Division standings.

Last game’s lines​

Calgary

Dryden Hunt (inactive) – Sam Morton – Matvei Gridin

Aydar Suniev – Rory Kerins – Martin Frk

Carter King – Clark Bishop – David Silye

Alex Gallant – Parker Bell

Artem Grushnikov – Daniil Miromanov

Nick Cicek – Jeremie Poirier

Turner Ottenbreit – Simon Mack

Etienne Morin

Arsenii Sergeev (starter)

Connor Murphy

Bakersfield

James Stefan (inactive) – Viljami Marjala – Seth Griffith

Daniel D’Amato – James Hamblin – Quinn Hutson

Brady Stonehouse – Sam Poulin – Rem Pitlick

Matthew Brown – Matt Copponi (inactive) – Ethan Keppen

Damien Carfagna – Beau Akey

Riley Stillman – Josh Brown

Mason Millman – Tyson Feist

Connor Ungar (starter)

Matt Tomkins

Leaders​

Calgary

Rory Kerins – 35GP, 13G, 20A

Martin Frk – 38GP, 14G, 17A

Dryden Hunt – 26GP, 11G, 20A

Bakersfield

Quinn Hutson – 30GP, 23G, 15A

Seth Griffith – 35GP, 11G, 25A

Viljami Marjala – 35GP, 10G, 22A

Notes and expectations​

There was a little bit of roster action this week for the Wranglers. On Tuesday, it was announced that Martin Pospisil was ready to return from the injury that has kept him away from game action at any level this season so far. He joined the Wranglers on a conditioning loan and practiced with the team this week. He is expected to play in one or both games. Also assigned to the team on Tuesday was Xavier Bernard from the Rapid City Rush. Bernard is a left-shot defenceman with 12 points in 33 games with the Rush this season.

On Wednesday, Dryden Hunt was called up to the Flames again, leaving Carter Wilkie and Lucas Ciona as other remaining forward options currently on the roster. Connor Murphy is also still with Calgary after Owen Say took himself out about halfway through his game in Abbotsford last Saturday. Say’s status is a lower body injury with no timeline attached to it yet.

For the roster that remains, good news came out this week for rookie, Matvei Gridin. On Thursday, he was announced as the Wranglers representative for the AHL All-Star game. This year’s event is hosted by the Rockford IceHogs in Rockford, IL and will be on Feb. 10 and 11. Gridin is third in scoring by active Wranglers with 10 goals and 18 assists in 32 games. Despite missing some time to start the season with the Flames and a minor injury last month, he still stands at second in rookie scoring in the league. He’s 10 points behind Quinn Huston, who will be Bakersfield’s All-Star selection and on the ice against Calgary this weekend.

This home series for Calgary starts on Friday at 7:00 p.m. MT and wraps up on Sunday for a 1:00 p.m. matinee game. Tickets are still available to catch the AHL’s battle between the Flames and Oilers affiliates and streaming options are available for a fee on FloHockey. FlamesNation contributors Ryan Pike and I will have updates on X (formerly Twitter).

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/series...ndors-for-the-battle-of-the-ahls-best-rookies

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flashback Friday: Looking back at the Noah Hanifin trade

It seems like sooner rather than later, the Calgary Flames will trade Rasmus Andersson.

The last time they were sellers ahead of a trade deadline was back in 2023-24. They traded two defencemen at the deadline, Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights and Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars. The latter turned out to be a light return, while the former is what we’ll look at in this edition of Flashback Friday.

Andersson is in a similar situation to Hanifin. Ahead of the 2024 deadline, Hanifin was in the final season of his contract, but in the age range where any trade probably includes a long-term extension. On Mar. 6, the Flames found a trade for the Boston native, sending him to the Golden Knights for their 2026 first-round pick, a 2024 third-round pick, and Daniil Miromanov.

There were some additional conditions to the trade. The first was originally the 2025 first rounder, but the Golden Knights traded that pick for Tomáš Hertl around the same time, pushing the pick the Flames got to 2026. Hanifin also had 75% of his contract retained, 50% by the Flames and 25% by the Philadelphia Flyers. The left-shot defenceman also signed an eight-year, $7.35 million extension later that season.

Prior to the trade, Hanifin had scored 11 goals and 35 points in 11 games, with a plus/minus of +13. Funnily enough, Andersson has similar numbers, scoring 10 goals and 29 points in just 47 games with the Flames this year. Anyway, after the trade, Hanifin added two goals and 12 points in 19 games. In the seven-game first round series against the Tanev and the Stars, Hanfiin scored twice and had five points.

Last season, he scored 10 goals and 39 points in 80 games, then added a goal and five points in 11 post-season games. Through 36 games this season, Hanifin has two goals and 19 points. It’s been a pretty solid get for the Golden Knights, as they continue to contend for first in the Pacific Division.

Okay, but what about what the Flames received? Well, the first will be settled in June, with the pick likely being in the 24-32 range. Miromanov is still with the Flames’ organization, playing 32 games with their American Hockey League team where he has five goals and 15 points in 32 games. Once Andersson is traded, a logical replacement would be Miromanov.

Additionally, the third round pick in 2024 was used to select Russian netminder Kirill Zarubin. This season with Mikhailov Academy, a team in Russia’s junior league, the 20-year-old has a .929 save percentage and 2.10 goals against average.

It’s also worth noting that the Hanifin trade is part of the larger and ongoing Curtis Glencross trade tree. After trading him for a 2015 second-rounder, the Flames use that pick to acquire Dougie Hamiton, who was traded with Adam Fox and Michael Ferland to the Carolina Hurricanes for Hanifin and Elias Lindholm.

Like Hanifin, Lindholm was traded ahead of the 2024 trade deadline for Hunter Bruzstewicz, Joni Jurmo, Andrei Kuzmenko, a 2024 first (Matvei Gridin), and a fourth-rounder. That fourth-rounder was traded for a fifth and sixth, with the Flames selecting Luke Misa and Eric Jamieson respectively.

On Jan. 31, 2025, the Flames sent Kuzmenko to the Flyers for Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. That means there are eight players currently in the Flames system involved in the Glencross trade tree, not including the 2026 first or Joni Jurmo.

The upcoming Andersson trade is part of an entirely different tree stemming from trading Sven Baertschi, but the Hanifin trade is a potential comparison for the what the Flames could get for Andersson.

---

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

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/flashback-friday-looking-back-at-the-noah-hanifin-trade

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames roster news: Matvei Gridin recalled from AHL’s Wranglers, William Stromgren returned to AHL

In advance of their match-up on Saturday afternoon against their expansion cousins, the New York Islanders, the Calgary Flames have made a pair of roster moves – in addition to the simultaneously-announced conditioning stint for Zayne Parekh. The club has announced that they’ve recalled forward Matvei Gridin from the American Hockey League’s Calgary Wranglers and, in a corresponding move, they’ve assigned forward William Stromgren back to the Wranglers.

Both Gridin and Stromgren are waiver exempt this season, so they can be moved freely between the NHL and AHL.

Gridin, 19, was a first-round selection by the Flames back in 2024. He’s in his first year of pro hockey and actually made the Flames’ roster out of training camp, scoring his first career NHL goal on opening night – his pass to the slot, intended for Matt Coronato, bonked into the Edmonton net off Noah Philp’s skate. Gridin played six games and had one goal, playing in the Flames’ top nine. He went down to the Wranglers in mid-October and has had a ton of success, posting 10 goals and 28 points over 32 games. He was named to the AHL’s All-Star Classic earlier this week.

Stromgren, 22, was a second-round selection by the Flames in 2021. He’s in his third year of North American pro hockey. He was called up by the Flames back on Jan. 5. He’s played on the fourth line and has been okay, but his underlyings have been pretty rough. In three NHL games, he has zero points. In 33 games with the Wranglers, he posted six goals and 29 points.

Here’s how the Flames’ 23-man active roster looks right now, after this swap:

• Goaltenders [2]: Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley
• Defencemen [8]: Rasmus Andersson, Kevin Bahl, Yan Kuznetsov, MacKenzie Weegar, Joel Hanley, Brayden Pachal, Hunter Brzustewicz and Zayne Parekh (in AHL on conditioning stint)
• Forwards [13]: Connor Zary, Nazem Kadri, Adam Klapka, Jonathan Huberdeau, Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Yegor Sharangovich, Mikael Backlund, Matt Coronato, Ryan Lomberg, Justin Kirkland, Dryden Hunt and Matvei Gridin
• Injury Reserve List [5]: Sam Honzek, Blake Coleman, Jake Bean, John Beecher and Martin Pospisil (in AHL on long-term injury conditioning stint)

Of the players on the active roster, Brzustewicz, Hunt and Gridin all do not currently require waivers and can be swapped to and from the AHL as needed.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...s-wranglers-william-stromgren-returned-to-ahl

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames trade rumours: Bruins reportedly only team with permission to talk extension with Rasmus Andersson

On Saturday afternoon, Calgary Flames blueliner Rasmus Andersson played a team-high 25:40 in a 4-2 win over the New York Islanders.

Following the game, a visibly emotional Andersson hugged his teammates as they left the ice at the end of the game, which some may take as a clue that perhaps this was Andersson’s last game with the Flames. Or at the very least, one of his final games.

With trade talks reportedly heating up, no pun intended, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman provided an update on Andersson’s situation – his second such update of Saturday’s Hockey Day in Canada broadcast – during the weekly Saturday Headlines segment.

A #HockeyDay edition of Saturday Headlines with @FriedgeHNIC pic.twitter.com/GxNFr47wup

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 18, 2026

Here’s Friedman:

I think everyone’s kind of wondering where this is going to go. Here’s what we can tell you. One phone call can change everything, that’s the caveat, but nothing is expected tonight with Rasmus Andersson.

The Flames have called around to a bunch of teams that were interested or other teams that maybe they hadn’t heard as much from yet, I heard today, and they said ‘we want to decide if we’re going to proceed with this, so we want everybody’s most serious offer.’ So that is happening.

The team that appears to be in the driver’s seat, though nothing is done until it’s done, is Boston. Boston is very serious about its offer. And nobody is confirming or denying this, but I believe they are the only team that has been given permission to talk to Andersson, and I do believe they’ve done some pretty significant extension talks. Although again, nothing is done before it’s done. Both things have to work out. The Bruins are not believe to be interested in this without an extension.

Vegas is there. It’s not believed that their offer is as strong as Boston’s, that’s for now, that can always change. But the thing that Vegas has is that they like Andersson and he likes them. I don’t think Vegas is worried at all that if they could trade fro him or he got to the summer, he would have a great chance to get him. But for now, their offer is not seen, from what I’m hearing, as strong.

I think Dallas has been around there. I think Toronto’s been around there. And I’m always worried after what happened with Quinn Hughes going to Minnesota, that there’s teams out there that I’m not seeing. But right now, from what I can tell, and I think this is true, Boston’s the only team that has permission to talk to him.

Andersson is a pending unrestricted free agent. He and the Flames reportedly have a mutual desire to consummate a trade before the Olympic trade freeze kicks in on Feb. 4.

The Flames are back in action on Monday night when they host the New Jersey Devils.

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...ssion-to-talk-extension-with-rasmus-andersson

 

[Calgary Flames]

Could Leo Carlsson’s injury send Mikael Backlund to the Olympics?

Gang, injuries to National Hockey League players are never good news. On Friday, the Anaheim Ducks announced that centre Leo Carlsson had to undergo surgery for a lower body injury and he’s slated to be out for 3-5 weeks.

Carlsson’s a really promising young player and he’s become an important player for the Ducks. He’s so important and prolific that he was named to Sweden’s national men’s team for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

However, with Carlsson needing surgery, the timeline for his recovery creeps into the window for the Olympic men’s hockey tournament. While it hasn’t been announced or officially confirmed, it seems probable that Carlsson may miss the Olympics due to his injury.

And that begs the question: if Carlsson isn’t good to go to Italy for the Olympics, who would be replacing him on Team Sweden?

Could it be Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund?

Carlsson’s a 21-year-old left shot centre who’s now into his third full NHL season with the Ducks. He’s progressed really quickly offensively and has spent much of this season on a line with Chris Kreider and Troy Terry, playing against some of the opposition’s toughest players but getting a steady diet of offensive zone starts, too. In 44 games, Carlsson has 18 goals and 44 points.

Meanwhile, Backlund is a 36-year-old left shot centre who’s now into his 16th full NHL season with the Flames. Backlund has been one of the NHL’s most reliable 200-foot centres since around 2016-17 and regularly appearing on Selke Trophy ballots. He’s having a strong offensive season, with 12 goals and 31 points through 48 games. He’s played in a checking role for the past decade, usually with a steady diet of defensive zone starts against the opposition’s top players, plus he’s one of the better penalty-killers in the NHL.

If Carlsson can’t go, the decision will probably depend on what role the Swedish brass is looking to fill. The three Swedish forwards with the most points that weren’t named to Team Sweden were Minnesota winger Marcus Johansson (34 points), Backlund (31 points) and San Jose winger William Eklund (30 points). If they want a two-way, checking centre, Backlund’s probably their guy. If they’re looking for wingers or players that are more offensively oriented, perhaps they go another way.

Backlund has previously represented Sweden at 10 major international events, most recently captaining them to a World Championship back in 2018. He turns 37 in March, so it’s reasonable to call the 2026 event probably his last chance to represent Sweden at an Olympics.

We’ll see if he ends up making it to Italy after all.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/could-leo-carlssons-injury-send-mikael-backlund-to-the-olympics

 

[Calgary Flames]

After Rasmus Andersson trade to Vegas, the Flames can turn another page

When the Calgary Flames take to the ice against the New Jersey Devils on Monday evening, only one player in their lineup will have previously appeared in a playoff game for them.

With his countryman, Rasmus Andersson, headed to join the Vegas Golden Knights after Sunday’s blockbuster trade, team captain Mikael Backlund is now the only active Flame to have played beneath the full force of the C of Red in the spring.

Injured forward Blake Coleman was also around for that fateful 2022 playoff experience, which capped off the Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk era in Calgary in bittersweet fashion, but Andersson’s time in Calgary began all the way back in 2015 and ultimately encompassed three separate trips to the postseason, totalling 27 games.

In more than a decade as a member of the Flames organization, Andersson has experienced both the exciting climbs and gut-churning free-falls of the NHL’s rollercoaster ride. The Swedish right-hander gave the Flames a solid 584 games over parts of 10 regular seasons. He scored 50 points in 2021-22 and 49 points the year after, and was on pace to exceed both those marks over a full season with the Flames this year. And now, he’s a Golden Knight.

From the first lap in front of the C of Red to the signature stare downs, thank you Ras for the passion you brought every night! pic.twitter.com/IaOMWVCHqk

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 19, 2026

The Flames used the No. 53 overall pick to select Andersson from the OHL’s Barrie Colts at the 2015 NHL Draft. They’d received that pick from the Vancouver Canucks a few months earlier in exchange for Sven Baertschi. Remember him? In the end, Andersson undoubtedly made much more of a mark in Calgary — and he was traded for much more, too.

In return for Andersson, now 29, the Flames received a first-round pick in 2027, a conditional second-round pick the following year, and the rights to defensemen Zach Whitecloud and Abram Wiebe. The condition on the second pick is that it can turn into a first-rounder if Vegas wins the Stanley Cup in 2026. Whitecloud, also 29, was already a Knights mainstay when they won their first and only championship in 2023.

It’s a very strong package for a player who, at this point, is worth more to Vegas as an asset than he was to Calgary. It might be different if the Flames were in a position to contend for a championship of their own at any point in the immediate future. In reality, it’ll be many more years before this team is back in the hunt for a playoff spot, let alone a title.

Right now, the Flames need picks and prospects above all else. They added two more picks in Sunday’s deal, and there’s a very real possibility that they flip Whitecloud for more at some point down the line; Wiebe is a prospect of moderate repute at the University of North Dakota. With Andersson ultimately opting against signing a contract extension with any potential suitor, Flames general manager Craig Conroy did well to command the package he got for his team.

Andersson should be a great fit for the Knights, who needed another righty on their blue line after losing Alex Pietrangelo to an apparent career-ending injury after last season. In Vegas, Andersson will get the chance to reunite with longtime Flames partner Noah Hanifin, who joined the Knights two seasons ago (netting Conroy another first-rounder in the process). As was the case with Hanifin, it won’t be surprising if and when Andersson puts pen to paper on a new deal with Vegas later this season.

The Knights should get great value from Andersson, just as the Flames did over his decade spent in their colours. The Malmö product overcame early concerns about his off-ice preparation and fitness to become as sturdy and consistent a top-four defender as we’ve seen in this city for some time. On the whole, that six-year, $4.55-million contract Andersson signed with the Flames back in 2020 turned out to be a steal.

Andersson exits Calgary with the sixth-most points by a Flames defenceman, with 261, putting him behind only TJ Brodie, Paul Reinhart, Mark Giordano, Gary Suter, and Al MacInnis. Only six other rearguards (Brodie, Giordano, Suter, MacInnis, Jamie Macoun, and Robyn Regehr) have played in more games with the club. But it’s safe to say no Flames defender has ever stared down more opposing fans in the stands than Andersson, who seemingly made it his personal mission to do just that after each goal he scored over his final few seasons in Calgary.

Will Rasmus Andersson bring his "staredown" celly to the @GoldenKnights? pic.twitter.com/xH3xXys4ua

— NHL (@NHL) January 19, 2026

On top of it being potentially unwise for the Flames to commit big dollars and term to a defenceman entering his 30s, they also needed to clear space for some of their younger right-shot rearguards to cut their teeth at the NHL level. We’ve already seen plenty from Hunter Brzustewicz and Zayne Parekh in Flames colours this season; Henry Mews is on his way, and there’s always the possibility of Calgary landing Keaton Verhoeff in this year’s draft, too.

Andersson had to go to make room for some of these guys. The youth movement is officially on in Calgary, with plenty of reasons for excitement on the horizon. But there’ll still be plenty of time in the years to come to reflect on what has been, and it’ll always be impossible to discuss the last decade of Flames hockey without speaking plenty about Rasmus Andersson.

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/after-rasmus-andersson-trade-to-vegas-the-flames-can-turn-another-page

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames grind out a point against Devils

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

The Calgary Flames hosted the New Jersey Devils at the Saddledome on Monday night in the club’s first game since the departure of longtime Flame Rasmus Andersson.

The game was, admittedly, a bit of a sleepy affair. The Flames lost 2-1 in overtime.

The rundown​

Neither team scored in the first period. Both had a few decent looks, but neither was able to generate anything really dangerous – or get anything past the opposition’s netminder.

First period shots were 7-3 Devils. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 6-5 Flames and high-danger scoring chances 2-2.

7:51 into the second period, the Devils opened the scoring. Dougie Hamilton made a nice read at the point, firing a puck just to the left of Devin Cooley, right onto the stick of Dawson Mercer for a nice redirect. Cooley couldn’t quite glove it and it trickled over the line to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead.

Dawson Mercer opens the scoring for the Devils.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/0sHvNI4NSY

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

A little bit later, though, the Flames tied things up. Off a nice offensive zone rush play, Nazem Kadri threw a nice pass to a late-arriving Kevin Bahl, who then threw a nice pass back to Kadri for a one-timer that beat Jacob Markstrom – with Connor Zary hanging around out front – to tie the game at 1-1.

FLAMES GOAL

Nazem Kadri breaks his 13 game goalless streak on a goal set up by Kevin Bahl!

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/gXTppdHI2I

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

Markstrom took away a scoring chance from Ryan Lomberg later in the period, rushing out to knock the puck away.

Jacob Markstrom is losing his mind

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/q6ZGqExJQY

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

Second period shots were 13-10 Devils. 5v5 scoring chances were 14-3 Devils and high-danger scoring chances were 6-0 Devils.

The third period was similarly back and forth as the first two frames, but equally low event and tight-checking. Neither team scored.

Third period shots were 9-9. 5v5 scoring chances were 5-3 Flames and high-danger scoring chances were 4-0 Flames.

The Devils scored 1:17 into overtime after the puck glanced off the referee’s foot, MacKenzie Weegar couldn’t get good contact on a clearing attempt and Jack Hughes wobbled the puck over to a wide-open Simon Nemec, who evaded a Cooley poke-check attempt and scored on the Flames net to give the Devils a 2-1 win.

New Jersey wins in overtime.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/EtyA7WR7SZ

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

Why the Flames got a point​

This was the platonic ideal of low event hockey. There were some scoring chances here and there, but this was a battle of wills between two teams that were trying to minimize mistakes and hope the other team made more than they did.

But offensively, this was the type of game where neither team had a lot going consistently.

Red Warrior​

Let’s give it to Devin Cooley, who made some big saves at key times. He made a bit of a bad read on the poke-check attempt in overtime, but it’s hard to blame him for trying to make a play in a tough spot.

Turning point​

Cooley made a breakaway stop on Nico Hischier in the third period during a sequence of four-on-four. If Cooley’s not sharp here, the Flames don’t have a chance to get a point.

Devin Cooley stops Nico Hischier on a breakaway!

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/hgu01fTGes

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

This and that​

This was the Flames debut for newly-acquired blueliner Zach Whitecloud. He played 22:23 and had two shots on goal.

After Burner​

Join Kent Wilson and Robert Munnich right after the game for After Burner!

Up next​

The Flames (21-23-5) host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.

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 best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-grind-out-a-point-against-devils

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames prospect roundup: Theo Stockselius returns, Abram Wiebe joins the organization

Theo Stockselius is back!

This is the Jan. 14 – Jan. 19 edition of the Flames prospect round-up, where we look at how Calgary Flames prospects have done every week. Specifically, we’ll look at players playing overseas, in junior hockey, or at the college level, as the American Hockey League prospects will have an article of their own in the Wranglers Recaps.

We’ll take a look at the games which were played last week, what’s next for all the players, and look at the standings.

College​

The big news regarding Flames prospects in college is that there’s a new one. On Sunday, the Flames traded Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, getting Zach Whitecloud, a conditional 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 second-round pick, and prospect Abram Wiebe in return.

Wiebe, drafted 209th overall in 2022, plays alongside Cade Littler and Cole Reschny at the University of North Dakota. This past week, they played two games against Eric Jamieson and Denver, beating them 5-0 and falling 3-2. In the win, Littler picked up an assist, Reschny scored a goal and had an assist, and Wiebe was held pointless. Both Wiebe and Littler were held pointless in the loss, but Reschny picked an assist on both goals.

What a pass, what a shot! #UNDproud | #LGH pic.twitter.com/Cz3L6etA29

— North Dakota Hockey (@UNDmhockey) January 17, 2026

This season, Reschny has four goals and 24 points in 20 games, Littler has four goals and 11 points in 22 games, and Wiebe, a left-shot defenceman, has three goals and 14 points in 24 games. North Dakota will play two road games against Arizona State on Friday and Saturday.

Cullen Potter’s Sun Devils weren’t in action this past week, and it was reported that Potter will miss the remainder of the season.

As for Jamieson’s Denver Pioneers, they won a game 3-2 and lost the other one 5-0 against the Fighting Hawks. The left-shot defenceman was held off the scoresheet in both games as he has cooled off. Through 25 games, he has six goals and 13 points, but has a chance to increase that as Denver host St. Cloud State on Friday and Saturday.

Shifting gears to ECAC Hockey, Ethan Wyttenbach’s Quinnipiac played two games this past week, defeating Colgate 5-1 and Cornell 4-1. Wyttenbach had a fairly quiet week for himself, picking up just a goal and an assist. Of course, that’s only for his standards, as the 18-year-old has 13 goals and 33 points in 24 games. Their match-up this week is against Sacred Heart on Friday in the Connecticut Ice tournament. Their opponent for Saturday is yet to be determined.

Can't leave Wytter alone like that #BobcatNation x #NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/MZWIITtVo8

— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) January 18, 2026

The other ECAC Hockey prospect in the Flames’ system is Aidan Lane. They won the past three games they played, defeating St. Lawrence University by a score of 5-1, Clarkson University by a score of 2-1, and shutout Union by a score of 4-0. Lane picked up an assist in the shutout, giving him five goals and seven points in 18 games this season. Harvard plays Colgate on Friday and Cornell on Saturday.

In Hockey East action, Trevor Hoskin and Merrimack played two games this past weekend, falling 4-2 and 3-1, both games were losses to UMass. Hoskin scored two of the three goals Merrimack had, giving him six goals and 21 points in 21 games this season. Merrimack hosts Northeastern for two games, one on Thursday and the other one the following day.

GOAL!

Trevor Hoskin with two in two and we take the lead!

Watch on @ESPNPlus#GoMack x #MissionMerrimack pic.twitter.com/1DZqeU8lVs

— Merrimack Men’s Hockey (@Merrimack_MIH) January 18, 2026

Jaden Lipinski’s Maine were off the past week, but will return to action in Hockey East action against UMass Lowell. They play two games this coming weekend, as the Flames’ fourth-rounder in 2023 has three goals and eight points.

Lastly, Luke Misa was the only Flames’ prospect in action in the Big 10 conference. They played two games against Notre Dame this past weekend, defeating them 4-1 and 6-3, with Misa picking up a goal and two assists in their 4-1 win, and an assist in their 6-3 win. The Flames’ fifth-rounder in 2024 has found another gear in 2026, as he now has four goals and 11 points in 22 games. Penn State heads to Wisconsin to take on the Badgers for two games this weekend.

A MISA MISSILE!!#WeAre #HockeyValley pic.twitter.com/7gPZijln2t

— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) January 17, 2026

Alright, so what about the standings? Over in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference, North Dakota leads the way with 32 points in 14 games. Second is Denver with 27 points in 14 games, while Arizona State sits tied for sixth with 12 games played. Eight of the nine teams in the conference make the end-of-season tournament.

Like North Dakota, Quinnipiac sits at the top of their conference, as they have 28 points in 12 ECAC games this season. Harvard isn’t too far behind, as they have 24 points in 12 games. All 12 teams make the end-of-season tournament.

Over in Hockey East, Merrimack is at the bottom of the standings, accumulating just 13 points in 13 games, but just three points separate them and the seventh-placed Maine. All 11 teams in the conference make the end-of-season tournament, with the top four teams earning a bye in the first round.

Lastly, Henry Mews’ Michigan sits first in the Big Ten conference, followed by Penn State, who are six points behind the Wolverines, albeit with two fewer games played. All seven teams make the end-of-season tournament.

Junior​

The Medicine Hat Tigers’ win streak has finally been snapped, ending after 19 consecutive victories. They defeated the Edmonton Oil Kings 3-2 in a shootout, followed by a 7-3 victory over the Oil Kings two days later. Unfortunately, they fell 8-5 to the Prince Albert Raiders. Flames’ prospect Andrew Basha was held pointless in their shootout victory, but scored and picked up an assist in the 7-3 win, and an assist in their loss.

Are you not entertained?!

Make it 3 Points in the first period for Andrew Basha!@tigershockey | @NHLFlames | #Flames pic.twitter.com/uKXRrIrK8R

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 17, 2026

Basha has been great for the Tigers since returning to the Western Hockey League, as he has three goals and 12 points in seven games this season. The Tigers have a chance to start a new win streak, as they host Axel Hurtig and the Calgary Hitmen on Tuesday, then Hunter Laing and the Saskatoon Blades on Friday. They’ll also have a chance at revenge over the Raiders, as the two teams lock up on Saturday.

It wasn’t a great week for the Hitmen or Hurtig. They beat the Tri-City Americans 4-3 in a shootout, but fell 5-2 to the Kelowna Rockets and 4-3 in overtime to the Penticton Vees. Hurtig was a -2 in their win and a -3 in their regulation loss, but picked up an assist in their overtime loss. This season, the left-shot defenceman has three goals and nine points in 37 games. The Hitmen return this week with road match-ups against the Tigers and the Red Deer Rebels, before hosting the Regina Pats on Saturday.

Laing missed the three Blades’ games this past week. They fell 3-1 to the Brandon Wheat Kings, defeated the Swift Current Broncos by a score of 4-2, but lost the second game of the home-and-home to the Broncos by a score of 4-3 in overtime. This week, the Blades host the Victoria Royals on Wednesday and the Tigers on Friday, before hitting the road to play the Oil Kings on Sunday.

In Ontario Hockey League action, Jacob Battaglia and the Flint Firebirds played three games this past week, falling 5-3 to the Barrie Colts and 7-2 to the Sudbury Wolves, before defeating the North Bay Battalion 6-3. Battaglia scored in the 7-2 loss and picked up an assist in their win, giving him 17 goals and 31 points in 42 games this season. The Firebirds play a home-and-home against the Windsor Spitfires this weekend.

Jacob Battaglia
Rylan Fellinger
Kevin He pic.twitter.com/9OkWGrbrwl

— Flint Firebirds (@FlintFirebirds) January 17, 2026

Shifting gears to United States Hockey League action, Mace’o Phillips and the Green Bay Gamblers were in action, playing two games against the USA’s Under 18 Development Team. They fell 6-5 in overtime, but won the following game 4-3. The defenceman picked up an assist in the win, giving him a goal and five points in 23 games this season, along with 95 penalty minutes. The Gamblers play two games against the Muskegon Lumberjacks over the weekend.

Unsurprisingly, the Tigers sit at the top of the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference, as they have a 31-7-5 record with 67 points. The Hitmen are fourth in the conference with 51 points, while the Blades have 48 points. You can break it down like this, the Hitmen are in a battle with the Raiders and Oil Kings for first in the conference, while the Blades, Wheat Kings, and Hitmen are in a battle for home-ice advantage in the first round. Eight teams from each conference make the playoffs.

Although they lost two games this week, the Firebirds remain in first in the OHL’s Western Conference thanks to a 30-11-4 record and 64 points. Not too far behind them are the Spitfires, who have 63 points. It’s a very important home-and-home, to say the least. Eight teams from each conference make the playoffs.

The Gamblers are still in good shape in regards to the USHL’s Eastern Conference standings, as they have a 25-9-4 record with 54 points, second in the conference. Six of the eight teams make the post-season, with the two best teams earning a bye.

Overseas​

Theo Stockselius returned to the Djurgårdens IF U20’s lineup, and he’s back with a vengeance. The centre picked up an assist in their 4-3 win over Brynäs IF U20, but lit up the lamp with two goals and two assists in their 7-3 win over Timrå IK U20. After a lengthy layoff, the Flames’ second-rounder in 2025 has three goals and 14 points in nine games. Djurgårdens IF U20 play AIK U20 on Sunday.

Sticking in Sweden, Jakob Leander’s HV71 U20 faced off against Linköping HC U20 this past week, falling 7-4. Leander got on the scoresheet thanks to an assist, giving the right-shot defenceman two goals and eight points this season. HV71 U20 plays Örebro HK U20 on Saturday and Färjestad BK U20 on Sunday.

Over in Russia, Red Army defeated HC Kapitan by a score of 6-2, with Flames’ prospect Yan Matveiko being held off the scoresheet despite four shots on goal. This season, he has 13 goals and 29 points in 32 games, but has cooled off recently. Red Army plays Dinamo-Shinnik on Thursday and Saturday.

Also beating HC Kapitan were Kirill Zarubin’s Mikhailov Academy, as they won 5-1. The Flames’ netminder prospect made the start, stopping 31 of 32 shots for a .969 save percentage, giving him a .929 save percentage and 2.10 goals against average in 30 games this season. Mikhailov Academy plays AKM-Yunior on Friday.

Yegor Yegorov played in two games this past week for JHC Spartak-MAX, allowing three goals on 27 shots in a 5-3 win over Taifun. He picked up a shutout in a 1-0 shootout loss to JHC Atlant, stopping all 47 non-shootout shots he faced. Through 21 games, Yegorov squared has a .924 save percentage and a 2.77 goals against average. It’s a busy week for the team, as they play two games against Amurskie Tigry (Tuesday, Wednesday) and Sakhalinskie Akuly (Saturday, Sunday).

Looking at the standings and sticking in Russia, Red Army sits third in the Western Conference’s Gold Division, while Mikhailov Academy sits sixth. JHC Spartak-MAX sits fourth in the Western Conference’s Silver Division, trailing by nine points but having played six fewer games. The top five teams in the Gold Division earn a bye to the second round, while teams six through eight in the Gold Conference play the top three teams in the Silver Conference.

In Sweden, the top five teams from each of the two conferences earn a playoff berth in what is called the winner’s stage, while the other 10 teams head to the losers’ stage. Those 10 teams in the losers’ stage still have a chance to play in the playoffs, as the top six teams are seeded 11-16. As it stands, Djurgårdens IF U20 sit in fourth in the North Conference, while HV71 U20 sit second last in the South Conference.

---

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/flames...us-returns-abram-wiebe-joins-the-organization

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames trade rumours: ‘potential for more’ Flames trades before deadline

The Calgary Flames got their most pressing piece of business done on Sunday in trading Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights, ending his fantastic tenure in Calgary and a hectic trade saga.

After a brief exhale, the questions now shift to what else, if anything, Craig Conroy has left on his to-do list before the March 6 trade deadline. There’s nothing as imperative as the Andersson trade, but Calgary still owns multiple aging players that would fetch substantial returns on the open market.

The Flames have been pretty bad this year, the highest they’ve climbed in overall standings was 27th on New Year’s Day. Their leading scorers, Nazem Kadri and Mikael Backlund, are 35 and 36 years old, respectively, and there isn’t a ton of optimism that they’ll turn the ship around and morph into contenders in 2026-27. So naturally, there is a lot of trade speculation surrounding Calgary’s veterans, and it’s been reported that they’ve garnered a significant amount of interest around the league.

Elliotte Friedman discussed this topic in Monday’s edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast and took a firm stance on the matter:

“I don’t think they’re done, I think they’ll continue to look at this. (Blake) Coleman has ten teams he can go to, and I don’t know how flexible he’s going to be with that, and that’s his right. He has to submit a list, and if he doesn’t want to adjust that list, I have no problem with that. Calgary’s got some framework… Tampa Bay makes so much sense, so much sense. It just depends on if Tampa has enough to get this done. But I don’t think Calgary is done by any stretch of the imagination, I think there’s definitely the potential for more.”

It was reported in November that Coleman was the player that the Flames were receiving the most calls on, despite their many other potential trade-chips, including Andersson at that time. The 34-year-old has another year left on his $4.9 million AAV contract, along with a 10 team trade approval clause, and is currently on the injured reserve.

We also know that Nazem Kadri would at least contemplate a trade if it meant he was going to a contender. Kadri is in year four of seven on his $7 million AAV contract, and currently has a 13-team no-trade list.

Other Flames that have been the subject of trade rumours are Joel Hanley and the newly acquired Zach Whitecloud.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-trade-rumours-potential-for-more-flames-trades-before-deadline

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach nominated for Hobey Baker Award

One of the most exciting young players in the Calgary Flames system has been included as a nominee for college hockey’s most prestigious award. On Wednesday, the long list of initial nominees for the Hobey Baker Award were announced. Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach was included as one of the 86 players nominated. (The long list will get whittled down by fan voting and other methods to 10 finalists.)

So far in his freshman season with the Qunnipiac University Bobcats, Wyttenbach has scored 13 goals and 20 assists for 33 points through 24 NCAA games. Among freshmen, he’s first in points and assists and fourth in goals. Among all NCAA players, he’s fourth in points and sixth in assists.

A product of Roslyn, New York, on Long Island, Wyttenbach is a right shot winger listed at 5’10” and 181 pounds. He’s a February 2007 birthday, so he’ll turn 19 in a couple of weeks. (Because he started college at 18, he’s what’s known as a “true freshman.”)

Now, we know what you’re thinking: how come this kid was still available when the Flames took him in the fifth round (144th overall) in June’s NHL Draft? Well, Wyttenbach’s relatively small compared to a lot of hockey players. He also had a knee injury that required surgery, which is why he wasn’t on the ice at Flames development camp in July. And he spent just a single season with the United States Hockey League’s Sioux Falls Stampede, where he had 24 goals and 27 assists for 51 points as a rookie. If you’re a scout, it’s tough to try to project his development and progression based on just a single year of high-end junior hockey.

The Flames felt comfortable rolling the dice in the fifth round. Wyttenbach was encouraged by the Flames to head to college instead of going back to the USHL, and both gambles have paid off in the form of one of the most exciting stories in college hockey.

Two Flames prospects have won the Hobey Baker Award throughout the years: 1985 third-rounder Lane MacDonald won the award with Harvard in 1989, while 2011 fourth-round pick Johnny Gaudreau won it with Boston College in 2014, getting the award immediately before signing and joining the Flames. Coincidentally, Wyttenbach won the USHL’s inaugural Gaudreau Award in 2024-25; we’ll see if he ends up following in Johnny Hockey’s footsteps in the spring when the Hobey Baker is awarded.

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-prospect-ethan-wyttenbach-nominated-for-hobey-baker-award

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames found lacking against Penguins

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

The Calgary Flames hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night at the Saddledome. It didn’t go particularly well for the home side.

The Penguins scored first and never trailed, taking advantage of some loose defensive coverage by the Flames in their own zone en route to a 4-1 victory over the Flames.

The rundown​

7:49 into the first period, the Penguins opened the scoring. They cycled the puck in the Flames zone, then Ryan Shea fired the puck towards the net. Evgeni Malkin, with position on MacKenzie Weegar in the slot area, got his stick on the puck and it changed direction (and speed) on its way to the net and fooled Dustin Wolf to make it 1-0 Penguins.

Malkin breaks the ice in Calgary

Catch the action on SN1, or stream on Sportsnet+ pic.twitter.com/oCygVSRiHy

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2026

First period shots were 11-5 Penguins. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 11-8 Flames and high-danger scoring chances were 2-2.

12:32 into the second period, the Penguins scored again. This time, it was a nice little passing play that set up Egor Chinakhov with a clear shooting lane from the high slot. He wired a shot past Wolf to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.

Tic-tac-GOAL

The Penguins take a 2-0 lead pic.twitter.com/2Gh49R7A6T

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2026

Late in the second, though, the Flames got a glimmer of hope. With 2.7 seconds left, Zach Whitecloud’s point shot deflected off Yegor Sharangovich – we think it hit his pants – and eluded Stuart Skinner to cut the Penguins’ lead to 2-1.

Zach Whitecloud records his first point as a Flame! pic.twitter.com/EQiCog0ENW

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2026

Second period shots were 9-8 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 12-10 Penguins and high-danger scoring chances were 3-2 Penguins.

But early in the third period, just 50 seconds in, the visitors expanded their lead. A Bryan Rust wrap-around attempt rattled around the crease area and trickled past Wolf to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead.

Sid the Kid restores the Penguins' two-goal lead

: Penguins Flames live on SN360, or stream on Sportsnet+ pic.twitter.com/ytfAQV3eeA

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2026

Tommy Novak made it 4-1 later in the third period, taking advantage of some soft rush defence and chipping the puck over top of Wolf.

TOMMY NOVAK!

Yeah, that was NASTY. pic.twitter.com/hsZcZytieT

— NHL (@NHL) January 22, 2026

The Penguins managed their lead well and skated to a 4-1 win.

Third period shots were 6-5 Penguins. 5v5 scoring chances were 8-4 Penguins and high-danger scoring chances were 4-1 Penguins.

Why the Flames lost​

The Flames didn’t have much going on offensively, and they didn’t do very much to challenge Stuart Skinner in the Penguins net. He faced a lot of fairly routine shots. But the big problem was that the Flames just weren’t all that good defensively. Their in-zone defensive coverage afforded the Penguins a ton of time and space, and they took advantage of it.

Dustin Wolf wasn’t great in this game, but he didn’t get a ton of help from the guys in front of him.

Red Warrior​

We’ll give it to the new guy. Whitecloud’s shot ended up in the back of the Penguins net, by way of a deflection, and he was generally rock-solid in his second outing with the Flames.

Turning point​

The Flames just can’t give up a goal to the Penguins that early in the third period. A late second period goal gave them hope. An early third period goal snuffed it out.

This and that​

Jonathan Huberdeau missed this game with what the team announced as a lower-body injury. (He’s day-to-day.) Martin Pospisil returned to action after missing the first 49 games of the season with what the team called an undisclosed injury.

This was MacKenzie Weegar’s 600th NHL game.

After Burner​

Join Dean “Boomer” Molberg and Mike Gould right after the game for After Burner!

Up next​

The Flames (21-24-5) host the Washington Capitals on Friday night.

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 best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-found-lacking-against-penguins

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames trade rumours: forwards Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri land on latest Daily Faceoff trade board

In just two weeks, the NHL’s Olympic roster freeze will take effect, putting all trade action on pause until after the Winter Games in Milan. Ahead of that Feb. 4 date, a mini trade deadline of sorts, the phones are buzzing across the league.

On Thursday, Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin published the latest edition of his NHL trade board, highlighting players across the league who may soon be on the move. And while Rasmus Andersson was a big name who recently came off the board after the Calgary Flames exchanged him, the team still has a few more pieces to look at dealing.

Landing in the top tier of “Obvious trade candidates” is Flames forward Blake Coleman. On the second last year of his contract with an annual cap hit of $4.9 million, the 34-year-old boasts a ton of upside for Cup contenders, writes Larkin:

He’s a proven two-time Stanley Cup winner who can deliver 20 goals, occasionally more, while assisting on the penalty kill and playing a feisty, physical game. What contender wouldn’t want him for third-line and PK1 work? The Flames could always sit on him a year and move him as a rental next season, but the demand for his services should be sufficient this year when it’s stretch-run time. A reunion with the team that drafted him, the New Jersey Devils, could make sense given he can play center in a pinch, but should we also keep an eye on his other former team, the Tampa Bay Lightning? The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun floated that idea.

Coleman is currently in his fifth season with the Flames, and has 13 goals and 21 points in 44 games played so far.

The second tier of Larkin’s list is labelled “Names to keep an eye on,” and is led off by Calgary centreman Nazem Kadri. It’s not the first time Kadri’s name has floated around on the rumour mill, and this year he could be a big piece for the Flames to move:

The classic conundrum for Flames GM Craig Conroy: even if you’re in the midst of a rebuild and have already traded most of your core over the past couple seasons…don’t you need a few veteran tone setters to hang around and teach the kids how to win? That would be a reason to hold Kadri. But he could also command a significant return given his impact as a scorer and emotional leader. Now that the Habs landed Danault, would the Wild be the most logical place for Kadri to land? They have interest, reports Di Marco. Dallas could be a strong fit as well.

Of note, Kadri makes $7 million a year through the 2028-29 season and holds a 13-team no-trade list.

Larkin’s board ends with a final tier of “Theoretical trade chips if their teams fall out of contention,” which includes Flames winger Ryan Lomberg.

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...coleman-nazem-kadri-daily-faceoff-trade-board

 

[Calgary Flames]

What’s Going On In the Pacific Division: Ducks are back on track with five-game winning streak

The demise of the Anaheim Ducks has been greatly exaggerated.

Entering this past week’s slate of games, the Ducks had lost nine of 10, but picked up a 3-1 over the Dallas Stars. Now, they’re on a five-game winning streak and third in the Pacific Division.

This is What’s Going On In the Pacific Division, the weekly article where we look at how teams from the division fared, as well as setting up the following week. Let’s take a look at the week that was.

Anaheim Ducks​

Starting with the Ducks, they played a home-and-home against the Los Angeles Kings this past weekend, defeating them 3-2 in a shootout on Friday and 2-1 in overtime on Saturday. The Ducks followed that up with a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers and a 2-1 shootout win over the Colorado Avalanche. With a 26-21-3 record and 55 points, the Ducks sit third in the Pacific Division.

The Ducks are on the road this week, facing off against the Seattle Kraken on Friday, the Calgary Flames on Sunday, and the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. Their final road game before the Olympic break is on Thursday against the Vancouver Canucks.

Calgary Flames​

It was a mediocre week for the Calgary Flames, as they went 1-1-1. They defeated the New York Islanders 4-2, lost 2-1 to the New Jersey Devils, and were thoroughly beaten by the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 4-1. Their 47 points are the fourth-fewest in the league, but eight ahead of the Vancouver Canucks.

The Flames play just two games this week, both at home. On Friday, they welcome the Washington Capitals, before the Anaheim Ducks roll into town on Sunday.

Edmonton Oilers​

The Edmonton Oilers had a solid week following a 1-0 defeat at the hands of the New York Islanders last Thursday. They shutout the Vancouver Canucks 6-0, then the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-0 the following day. After two sleepy periods on Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils, they came alive, but were unable to beat Jake Allen in a 2-1 loss. They sit second in the division with 58 points.

That Blues game began an eight-game home stand for the Oilers. This week, they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, the Washington Capitals on Saturday, and the Anaheim Ducks on Monday.

Los Angeles Kings​

Last week was an okay one for the Los Angeles Kings. They fell 3-2 in a shootout then 2-1 in overtime, both to the Anaheim Ducks in a back-to-back. At that point, they had lost six of their last seven games, four in overtime or a shootout, but they followed up with a 4-3 win over the New York Rangers on Tuesday. The Kings are currently tied for the final wild card spot.

This week, the Kings hit the road, heading to Missouri on Saturday to face the St. Louis Blues, before heading out east to play the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings on Monday and Tuesday respectively.

San Jose Sharks​

It wasn’t a great week for the upstart San Jose Sharks. On Friday, they fell 4-2 to the Detroit Red Wings, before bouncing back with a 4-1 win over the reigning champions. That game featured a goalie fight, seemingly the first one since Cam Talbot and Mike Smith dropped the gloves in a Battle of Alberta shortly before the pandemic. The following day, the Sharks lost 4-1 to the Lightning. Their 53 points have them tied for the final wild card spot.

There are only two games this week for the Sharks. They return home to host the New York Rangers on Friday, before embarking on a five-game road trip, with their first stop against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday.

Seattle Kraken​

The Seattle Kraken have had a rough go of things in recent times. Since Jan. 8, they’ve lost six of eight games, including two games this past week. On Saturday, they fell 6-3 to the Utah Mammoth, and lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins by the same score. They got back in the win column on Wednesday, defeating the New York Islanders 4-1. Thanks to tiebreakers, their 53 points give them a wild card spot over the Sharks and Kings, who also have 53 points.

Monday’s game against the Penguins kick-started a six-game home stand for the Kraken. On Friday, they’ll host the Anaheim Ducks, the New Jersey Devils on Sunday and the Washington Capitals on Tuesday.

Vancouver Canucks​

There’s a strong chance that the Vancouver Canucks finish with the fewest-points in the league, and a big reason for that will be their 11-game losing streak. Loss #10 came against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, falling 6-0 with all six goals coming in the second period. They followed that up with a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders, before picking up their first win of 2026, a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. The Canucks’ 37 points are the fewest in the league, and it isn’t close.

Like the Kraken, Oilers, and Flames, all of the Canucks’ games this week are at home. The New Jersey Devils roll into town on Friday, followed by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, and the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday.

Vegas Golden Knights​

Sitting at the top of the Pacific Division are the Vegas Golden Knights, as they have 60 points and two games in hand over the Edmonton Oilers. They played just two games this week, defeating the Nashville Predators by a score of 7-2 to extend their winning-streak to seven games, but falling 2-1 to the Philadelphia Flyers.

Of the eight teams in the Pacific Division, the Golden Knights will have the busiest week of the bunch, as they head on a four-game road trip. They’ll play the Boston Bruins on Thursday, the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, and the Montréal Canadiens on Tuesday.

---

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

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/whats-...e-back-on-track-with-five-game-winning-streak

 

[Calgary Flames]

NHL Notebook: Sabres hand Josh Doan seven-year extension

The Buffalo Sabres have locked up one of their young forwards.

On Wednesday, the team announced that they’ve signed Josh Doan to a seven-year extension worth $6.95 million annually after a breakout season.

SEVEN MORE YEARS OF DOANER

We have signed Josh Doan to a seven-year extension with an AAV of $6.95 million.

Details → https://t.co/zc05oBo2cE pic.twitter.com/XVhj1KQJFh

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 21, 2026

Son of Phoenix/Arizona Coyotes legend Shane Doan, Josh was drafted 37th overall by the Coyotes in the 2021 draft. Doan turned professional in 2022-23 after playing two seasons with Arizona State. In his first full professional season in 2023-24, he scored 26 goals and 46 points in 62 games with the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League, and added five goals and nine points in 11 National Hockey League games with the Coyotes.

The Coyotes moved to Salt Lake City, and so too did Doan. In 2024-25, he scored seven goals and 19 points in 51 NHL games, with 11 goals and 26 points in 28 AHL games. In the off-season, he was traded alongside Michael Kesselring for J.J. Peterka.

Doan’s career has blossomed with the Sabres, as he has 15 goals and 35 points through 50 games this season. Similarly, Peterka has 17 goals and 33 points in 50 games, so this trade has been solid for both teams. Kesselring, who was drafted by the Oilers and traded away for Nick Bjugstad, has spent most of the season injured, and has been held pointless in 18 games.

Roman Josi and Charlie Coyle play 1,000th game​

Doan and Peterka still have a lot of their career left, but two players recently hit the 1,000 game mark. In a game against the Dallas Stars, Columbus Blue Jackets centre Charlie Coyle reached 1,000 games, as did Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi.

Coyle, drafted 28th overall by the San Jose Sharks in 2010, began his professional career with the Minnesota Wild after being involved in the Brent Burns deal. After parts of seven seasons in the State of Hockey, Coyle was traded to the Boston Bruins. He spent another seven seasons there, before being traded to the Colorado Avalanche before the 2025 trade deadline. This past off-season, Coyle was traded to the Blue Jackets in a cap clearing move.

In his 1,000 games, Coyle has 199 goals and 515 points, along with 26 goals and 53 points in 126 playoff games. He’s usually good for double-digit goals and upwards of 30 points, with his career-best season coming in 2023-24 when he scored 25 goals and 60 points.

Josi, 35, was drafted 38th overall by the Predators in 2008, and has spent his entire career with the team. One of the most underrated defencemen of his generation, Josi has accumulated 198 goals and 753 points in his 1,000 games. His best season was in 2021-22, when he scored 23 goals and 96 points in 80 games, but he also played well enough to win the Norris Trophy in 2019-20, when he scored 16 goals and 65 points in 69 games.

Before the start of the 2017-18 season, Josi was named as the Predators’ seventh captain in franchise history.

Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek returns​

The Minnesota Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek returned in Thursday’s 4-3 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings after missing six games.

Eriksson Ek has played 46 games this season, scoring 11 goals and 32 points, up from his 14 goals and 29 points in the 46 games he played last season. His return will be a big boost for the Wild, who have been playing some spotty hockey since their seven-game winning streak was snapped.

Since Dec. 21, they are 7-5-4, sitting second in the Central Division with a 29-14-9 record and 67 points. After landing Quinn Hughes earlier this season, it stands to reason that they’ll look to add another piece, likely a centre. Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco linked the Wild to Flames’ centre Nazem Kadri back in December.

---

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

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/nhl-notebook-sabres-hand-josh-doan-seven-year-extension

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames can’t find their scoring touch against Capitals

Welcome to Instant Reaction, where we give you our instant reaction to tonight’s Calgary Flames game and ask our readers to do the same in the comments section below!

The Calgary Flames played a good first period on Friday night when they hosted the Washington Capitals. They just couldn’t follow it up. After opening the scoring with a power play goal, the Flames struggled to generate much offensively en route to a 3-1 loss to the Capitals to run their home losing streak to three games (dating back to the Rasmus Andersson trade).

The rundown​

The first period was pretty even and pretty energetic, with the Flames doing a nice job generating some chances.

On a power play, the Flames opened the scoring 6:09 into the game. Morgan Frost rushed back to break up a shorthanded rush for the Capitals, then the play went the other way and Frost used Rasmus Sandin as a screen to disguise his shot, beating Logan Thompson to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

FLAMES GOAL

Morgan Frost makes a great backcheck and then takes the puck up the ice and scores his 10th goal of the season.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/FfyjAqoRTb

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 24, 2026

First period shots were 16-8 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 12-10 Flames and high-danger scoring chances were 6-5 Capitals.

The Capitals dominated the second period offensively, and they managed to tie the game, too.

The Flames iced the puck several minutes into the period and they were stuck with tired players on the ice and a long change. They managed to clear the zone and get a partial change, but John Carlson threw the puck towards the net-front, where it bounced off a tired Yan Kuznetsov’s skate and went right to Hendrix Lapierre parked at the post to Devin Cooley’s right. Lapierre put it into the net to tie the game at 1-1. (Kuznetsov, MacKenzie Weegar and Matvei Gridin were stranded on the ice for 1:34 apiece.)

Washington ties this game.

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/BZM1qPxZdK

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 24, 2026

Flames did not register a shot in the second period until 16:23 into the period, making it 19:18 between shots dating back to their prior shot late in the first period.

Second period shots were 17-4 Capitals. 5v5 scoring chances were 18-6 Capitals and high-danger scoring chances were 6-5 Capitals.

The Flames hung around in the third period, with Cooley making some good stops.

Midway through the period, though, the Capitals took the lead. Justin Sourdif muscled Brayden Pachal off the puck deep in the Calgary zone, then found Tom Wilson in front of the net. Cooley made the initial stop, but Aliaksei Protas jumped on the rebound and buried it, giving the visitors a 2-1 advantage.

Aliaksei Protas puts Washington up 2-1

: Sportsnet | #Flames pic.twitter.com/Et4NH7hVV5

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 24, 2026

The Flames tried to generate some chances in the back half of the period, but just couldn’t get anything past Thompson. Alex Ovechkin scored an empty-netter with 51.8 seconds left to ice this one.

The Capitals won 3-1.

Third period shots were 13-6 Capitals. 5v5 scoring chances were 10-5 Capitals and high-danger scoring chances were 3-2 Capitals.

Why the Flames lost​

The Flames looked pretty good in the first period and played fast and looked connected. Whether it’s something the Capitals did or the Flames stopped doing, man, the Flames really struggled with breakouts and neutral zone rushes in the second and third periods. As a consequence, they really couldn’t get much going offensively and were on their heels for the balance of this game.

Devin Cooley tried his best, but he was facing a ton of rubber in this game.

Red Warrior​

Again: Devin Cooley tried his best, but he was facing a ton of rubber in this game.

Turning point​

The Flames went 19:14 between shots on goal, stretching from late in the first period until late in the second period. The Capitals really took over the game in that stretch.

This and that​

Devin Cooley started for the Flames. Jonathan Huberdeau returned from a one game injury absence. As a result, the forward lines were shuffled a bit – Huberdeau-Kadri-Coronato, Pospisil-Zary-Gridin, Sharangovich-Backlund-Farabee and Lomberg-Frost-Klapka.

Ryan Lomberg and Matvei Gridin each played two shifts in the third period.

After Burner​

Join Cami Kepke and Mike Gould right after the game for After Burner!

Up next​

The Flames (21-25-5) host the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday night.

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 best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-cant-find-their-scoring-touch-against-capitals

 

[Calgary Flames]

After the Rasmus Andersson trade, how many draft picks do the Flames have?

For the ninth time in franchise history, the Calgary Flames added a first-round pick in a trade when they sent Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. They also added another pick – which could be a first or a second-round pick depending on how Vegas does this year.

As we ponder whether the Flames will make any other moves to add picks, let’s check in quickly on the picks – and the conditions on those picks – that the club currently owns in the next four NHL Drafts. (Stick-taps to our pals at PuckPedia for their many, many notes on the Flames’ upcoming picks!)

The 2026 draft​

The Flames still have their own picks in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. They’ve also acquired Vegas’ first-round pick – from the Noah Hanifin trade – and Vancouver’s third-round pick – from the Nikita Zadorov trade.

They traded their seventh-round pick to Detroit at last year’s draft in exchange for Detroit’s 2025 seventh-round pick.

The 2027 draft​

The Flames still have their own picks in all seven rounds. They’ve also acquired Vegas’ first-round pick, from the Rasmus Andersson trade.

Vegas’ 2027 first-round pick is top 10 protected, so if it lands in the top 10 after the draft lottery, they retain that pick and the Flames would receive an unprotected 2028 first-round pick. (If the Flames already own Vegas’ 2028 first-round pick before this condition is triggered, then they would get Vegas’ 2029 first-round pick instead.)

The 2028 draft​

The Flames still have their own picks in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth rounds. They’ve also acquired Vegas’ second-round pick, from the Rasmus Andersson trade. If Vegas wins the 2026 Stanley Cup, then the Flames would receive Vegas’ 2028 first-round pick instead.

The Flames traded their seventh-round pick to Philadelphia in the Joel Farabee/Morgan Frost trade.

The 2029 draft​

The Flames still have their own picks in all seven rounds.

If Vegas wins the 2026 Stanley Cup (and the Flames receive their 2028 first-round pick) and then their 2027 first-round pick is in the top 10 (and Vegas retains that pick and sends the Flames a future first-round pick instead), then the Flames would receive Vegas’ 2029 first-round pick.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/after-...trade-how-many-draft-picks-do-the-flames-have