News Flames Team Notes

[Calgary Flames]

Should the Flames sign Ilya Samsonov for extra goaltending depth this season?

There was no better story last season than the dominance Dustin Wolf displayed in his first full NHL campaign. Now, the support Wolf will get heading into his second full season is up in the air at this time.

Heading into the off-season, it was clear the Calgary Flames would need to address their goaltending depth. With a strong chance Dan Vladar wouldn’t return — which he didn’t — a roster spot opened up heading into the 2025-26 season.

On the opening day of free agency, Calgary signed Russian netminder Ivan Prosvetov to a one-year deal. He was coming off a strong season in the KHL, posting a 2.32 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage, four shutouts and a 20-16-2 record.

The current plan is for Prosvetov to compete with Devin Cooley for the backup job at training camp. Cooley got off to a red-hot start in the AHL last season, earning an All-Star Game nod, but struggled down the stretch. It became clear he couldn’t simply be handed the backup role if it became available.

That sets up the Flames’ top three goaltenders as Wolf, Prosvetov and Cooley — a trio with a combined 101 career NHL games, 71 of which belong to Wolf. There’s not much of a safety net if injuries occur or if someone falters.

That begs the question: Should the Flames go with what they have and hope one of Cooley or Prosvetov builds off a strong 2024-25 campaign and becomes reliable at the NHL level? Or should they consider bringing in a veteran to add stability in the crease?

If the latter makes more sense, Ilya Samsonov could be a fit.

The 28-year-old Russian netminder is set to enter his seventh NHL season. Samsonov spent last season with the Vegas Golden Knights but was limited to just 29 games due to injury, finishing with a 16-9-4 record, a 2.82 GAA and an .891 save percentage.

Before joining Vegas, Samsonov spent two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs and three with the Washington Capitals. He’s been a consistent and dependable option over the years, even appearing in 22 playoff games during his career.

If the Flames were to bring in Samsonov, it wouldn’t threaten Wolf’s starts — the crease belongs to him. But no goalie plays all 82 games. Prosvetov looked sharp in the KHL, but his past NHL stints have been rocky. Cooley, too, remains unpredictable. With a veteran like Samsonov, at least you have a clearer idea of what you’re getting. Plus, it would just be temporary. The Flames would not need to commit to Samsonov long term.

One thing the Flames will need to be mindful of, however, is the ripple effect at the AHL level. Prospect Arsenii Sergeev is turning pro this season, and if the Wranglers end up with three goalies, it could impact Sergeev’s development due to limited playing time. (The Flames have also signed college netminder Owen Say, and he’ll be playing pro, too.)

Perhaps the Flames roll with what they have. There’s nothing wrong with that — and a goaltending battle at camp could be fun to watch. Still, it doesn’t rule out the possibility of signing someone early in the season if things don’t go well. That’s a realistic option, too. There will likely be a few goalies left unsigned as the off-season wraps up, and Samsonov could be one of them.

Are you comfortable with the Flames’ current goaltending situation? Or should they bring in some additional help?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/should...sonov-for-extra-goaltending-depth-this-season

 

[Calgary Flames]

Parker Bell developed his 200 foot and physical game in his rookie season with the Wranglers

Parker Bell played his first professional season with the Calgary Wranglers last season and as time went on, the growth in his game was starting to show. He was effective in creative ways when he wasn’t scoring and worked alongside a lot of veteran players over the course of the season. He was also one of the prospects that took some tips from Alex Gallant and embraced a more physical style of play in the back half of the season.

Bell was drafted by the Calgary Flames in the 2022 NHL Draft, going 155th overall in the fifth round. He is one of the tallest Wranglers (especially with Adam Klapka graduating to the Flames) at 6’5”.

Bell played his Junior Career with the Tri-City Americans and went back-to-back seasons with 64 points before making his professional debut with the Wranglers in the 2023-24 season. He got a two game preview at the end of the year and did not put up any points. He did not make the lineup for any of the post-season games that season.

2024-25 expectations​

Parker Bell’s professional experience was quite limited going into the 2024-25 season. The expectation for him was to ease into it, learn the ropes and figure out where he landed talent-wise compared to his teammates. Bell wasn’t a name being thrown around for an NHL debut this season but he was still a well enough known name to follow along with at the AHL level. He had the skillset that made him seem like an lineup option nearly every night, so this season appeared to be a good whole year of learning.

2024-25 results​

Bell did transition into this league well and as time went on, he did figure out what kind of game he’d like to lean into. It seemed at first, he was going for a sniper mentality to try and make a run for more playing time but did also put a lot of pressure on himself. At this level in the Flames organization, it seems the AHL guys need to light it up from the get-to to even get a second look and Bell likely felt some of this need to produce and produce consistently.

Bell finished the season with 61 games played and a total of 12 points consisting of seven goals and five assists. His first professional goal came on Oct. 22 against the Bakersfield Condors and his season high was two goals against the Manitoba Moose on Nov. 29. His consistency wasn’t quite there for this first season but his opportunities were quite limited in big game scenarios, power play and overtime chances.

They needed that one! Parker Bell gives the Wranglers the lead late in the second period. pic.twitter.com/4wPLmQtVyB

— Paige Siewert (@thathockeygirly) March 1, 2025

His last game of the season was on Apr. 12, where he was punched square in the face and taken down in a fight that appeared to have caused a minor head injury. He was benched the rest of the season and into playoffs as a precaution.

When Parker Bell spoke to the media at Wranglers exit meetings about his rookie season, he talked about continuing to develop that physical style of play, saying:

“I think coming from junior, I had to adjust a little bit. You become more of a 200-foot player, and more defensive and hard to play against. I think adding that to my game will help me next year.”

Bell continued:

“From September to now is a big difference for me. I think I’ve improved and I think you come back just a little more confident.”

Next season’s expectations​

Parker Bell has some work to do on positioning and speed this summer but if he comes into the Fall able to play more into his size, he could elevate his spot in the Wranglers lineup to take the next step in his game. The most important part is that he’s had enough time away from the game to fully recover, then set his sights on year two of his contract.

He’s in a group of sink or swim prospects in the AHL that have their young age and early career time on their side but a three year ELC flies by. The end of it doesn’t mean the end of your development, but if that club is not seeing what they’d like to, you’re not going to stick around much longer beyond that. This upcoming season will be a big test and opportunity for Bell.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/parker...-game-in-his-rookie-season-with-the-wranglers

 

[Calgary Flames]

The Flames’ best fights of 2024-25: Ryan Lomberg took on the much bigger Mathieu Olivier

On an afternoon game in late November, a hockey game broke out at a fight night.

The Calgary Flames visited the Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 29, 2024. If that game on that date sounds familiar, we’ve already covered one of the fights from that day. In fact, there were three of them.

A quick recap for those who didn’t read it: Martin Pospíšil dropped the gloves with Jake Christiansen after he laid out Andrei Kuzmenko with a clean, open ice hit. That fight wasn’t a top-five ranked fight according to Hockeyfights, but Pospíšil’s second fight against Mathieu Olivier was. In the end, the Blue Jacket got the better of Pospíšil, as he stepped in for Joel Hanley this time.

Would you believe it if I told you that one of the toughest guys in the league got into his second fight of the period? Well, at the end of the fight-filled second, Olivier dropped the mitts with Ryan Lomberg, the Flame with the most fights in 2024-25.

Off the offensive zone face-off, the two were jawing at one another, and they dropped the gloves as the puck dropped. Olivier has a clear size advantage, and he used it in this fight, as Lomberg got maybe three punches in, while Olivier got about 20 punches in (it was 22, I counted). Lomberg’s biggest punch was his first one, getting it in after about five seconds.

Of the 87 voters on Hockeyfights, only one voted for Lomberg, as 99% of voters picked Olivier as the fight winner. Honestly, it’s hard to argue against that. This fight had a rating of 7.79, the highest-voted Flames’ fight in 2024-25.

It’s not Lomberg’s size that makes him valuable. Standing at 5’9”, 184 pounds, the left winger plays like he’s 6’3”, fighting any challenger and sticking up for teammates. While he may not have won this fight, nor did the Flames win this game, Lomberg was easily the best teammate on the Flames in 2024-25.

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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...mberg-took-on-the-much-bigger-mathieu-olivier

 

[Calgary Flames]

3 Flames prospects to represent Canada at the World Junior Summer Showcase

We’re into the meat of the off-season, friends, which means it’s time for preparations to begin for the 2026 edition of the World Junior Championship tournament. The World Junior Summer Showcase, hosted by USA Hockey in Minnesota, begins on Sunday. In advance of the event, Hockey Canada has finally announced the roster for their entry at this event.

Three Calgary Flames prospects will be suiting up for Canada at the 2025 Summer Showcase: Zayne Parekh, Cole Reschny and Henry Mews. (This was previously reported on social media by The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler in early July.) This trio joins Cullen Potter, representing the United States, as Flames representatives at this event.

The 19-year-old Parekh was a first-round pick of the Flames, ninth overall, in the 2024 NHL Draft. He’s a right shot blueliner who’s spent the past few seasons with the Saginaw Spirit dominating the OHL offensively. He previously represented Canada at the 2022 Under-17 Hockey Challenge and the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. He also played for Canada during pre-tournament games at the 2025 World Championship. We’ve written about and discussed Parekh extensively over the past couple of years: he’s very good at hockey and could be playing for the Flames this fall.

The 18-year-old Reschny was a first-round pick of the Flames, 18th overall, in the 2025 NHL Draft. He’s a left shot centre who spent the last few seasons with the WHL’s Victoria Royals, but he’s headed to college to play at the University of North Dakota this coming season. He’s previously represented Canada at the 2023 Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the 2024 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2025 Under-18 Worlds.

The 19-year-old Mews was a third-round pick of the Flames, 74th overall, in the 2024 NHL Draft. He’s a right shot blueliner who’s headed to college this fall with the University of Michigan, coming on the heels of a pretty strong run in the OHL with the Ottawa 67’s and Sudbury Wolves. He previously represented Canada at the 2022 Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and the 2024 Under-18 Worlds.

The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase runs July 27-Aug. 2 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, featuring teams from Canada, the United States, Sweden and Finland. The 2026 World Junior Championship runs Dec. 26, 2025 to Jan. 5, 2026 in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/3-flam...nt-canada-at-the-world-junior-summer-showcase

 

[Calgary Flames]

The 10 best rookie seasons in Flames history: counting down #10 to #6

Friends, the Calgary Flames are in the midst of a youth movement that’s seen several draft choices transition into the NHL full-time, and several of them have made big impacts.

Flames netminder Dustin Wolf was a huge part of the club’s success in 2024-25 and was runner-up for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie, and it seems pretty likely that Zayne Parekh will be given an opportunity to play with the Flames this coming season.

So in light of the continuing impact that youngsters have made with the Flames in recent years, we’re counting down the 10 best rookie seasons in Flames history. First up: the 10th through 6th-best seasons by Flames rookies ever.

#10: Hakan Loob (1983-84)​

One of the first excellent Swedes in franchise history, Loob was drafted in the ninth round, 181st overall, in the 1980 NHL Draft. He played three more seasons in Sweden before deciding to try out the NHL in 1983 as a 23-year-old.

He ended up becoming a strong contributor immediately. He scored 30 goals and added 25 assists for 55 points. He was fourth on the Flames in points, behind Kent Nilsson, Eddy Beers and Lanny McDonald. League-wide, he was fifth in points among rookies, behind Steve Yzerman, Dave Poulin, Sylvain Turgeon and Kelly Kisio. He ended up being voted to the league’s All-Rookie Team, joining Yzerman and Turgeon. (Flames teammate Jamie Macoun joined Loob on the All-Rookie Team as one of the blueliners.)

Loob’s 1983-84 season stands as the 19th-best point total achieved by a Swedish rookie in NHL history, and when you look at even-strength points, he’s fourth-best in NHL history. He has one of just four 30+ goal performances by a Swedish rookie, too.

#9: Eric Vail (1974-75)​

A second-round pick, 21st overall, from the 1973 NHL Draft, Vail played 23 games with the Flames in 1973-74 but became a full-time NHLer the following season as a 21-year-old.

Vail had 39 goals and 21 assists for 60 points as a rookie. He finished third on the Flames in points, behind Tom Lysiak and Curt Bennett. He ended up leading the Flames in goals. He was third among NHL rookies in points, behind Pierre Larouche and Danny Gare. He led all NHL rookies in goals.

Vail ended up being voted the winner of the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie, becoming the first-ever Flames player to win a major trophy.

#8: Sergei Makarov (1989-90)​

Well on his way to becoming a legend in Russia before even being drafted, Makarov was a 12th-round pick, 231st overall, in the 1983 NHL Draft. He remained in Russia for awhile before joining the Flames in 1989-90, at the age of 31.

Makarov posted 24 goals and 62 assists for 86 points that season. He finished fourth in points on the Flames, behind Joe Nieuwendyk, Doug Gilmour and Al MacInnis. He was tied for seventh on the team in goals. League-wide, he led all rookies in points, but he was seventh in goals.

Makarov ended up being voted the Calder Trophy winner, but there was push-back over a 31-year-old with Makarov’s extensive hockey resume being considered a rookie, so the league amended their rules to add an age restriction capping Calder eligibility at 26 years of age.

#7: Jarome Iginla (1996-97)​

A junior star with the Kamloops Blazers selected in the first round of the 1995 NHL Draft, Iginla was acquired from Dallas by the Flames in the Joe Nieuwendyk trade in December 1995. He made his debut with the Flames in the 1996 playoffs and played his rookie season with the club in 1996-97 as a 19-year-old.

Iginla posted 21 goals and 29 assists for 50 points. He finished fourth on the Flames in points, behind Theo Fleury, Dave Gagner and German Titov. He was also fourth on the team in goals. However, he led all NHL rookies in points and was third in goals.

Iginla finished second in Calder Trophy voting and was one of three forwards named to the All-Rookie Team.

#6: Willi Plett (1976-77)​

Plett was drafted in the fifth round, 80th overall, in the 1975 NHL Draft. He played a handful of games in 1975-76 and became a full-time NHLer in 1976-77 as a 21-year-old.

Plett scored 30 goals and added 23 assists for 56 points. He was third on the Flames in points, behind Tom Lysiak and Eric Vail, and he led the team in goals. He led all NHL rookies in goals and was tied for fourth in points. (He tied with Don Murdoch, and he trailed behind Roland Eriksson, Paul Gardner and Glen Sharpey.)

Plett won the Calder Trophy, becoming the second Flame to capture that award.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/the-10-best-rookie-seasons-in-flames-history-counting-down-10-to-6

 

[Calgary Flames]

FlamesNation Mailbag: Winding down July

Gang, we’re into the very late stages of July, a month that started off with a quiet free agency period, included development camp and Stampede, and is concluding with four Calgary Flames prospects participating in USA Hockey’s World Junior Summer Showcase.

As we try to make sense of things and prepare for August, let’s delve into the mailbag!

Are expectations a little too high for Parekh?
It seems like people want the next Makar and don't realize the odds are against it.

— Muka93 (@Manuka_93) July 27, 2025

I agree with this sentiment, to a point. I don’t think anyone expected that Dustin Wolf would be one of the better netminders in the NHL last season… but he was. Should we have been surprised that he was able to play so well given how he performed at prior levels of hockey? Probably not, but the NHL is a really challenging environment to be in, and sometimes even really good players have have gigantic adjustment challenges. (Johnny Gaudreau was pretty ordinary for his first couple weeks in the NHL.)

In terms of Parekh, I don’t know what realistic expectations are for him in the NHL in 2025-26. Why? Because he’s an absolute hockey unicorn. He’s done things offensively in the OHL that nobody has done, or at least nobody has done in decades. I wonder if he’ll struggle with the physicality and pace of the NHL, at least at first, but he was with the Flames for a few weeks and got an opportunity to study games and learn from established NHLers. Maybe that experience will help him adjust to things more quickly.

I’ll be completely honest here: I am really excited to see Parekh in the NHL. I just have no idea what to expect from him.

Hi Ryan,
Realistically, if the Flames wait until the trade deadline to trade Rasmus, will the return be better or worse than it would be now?

— Special K (@kyle_neddow) July 27, 2025

Do you take the best offer out there before training camp for ras to prevent any distractions

— Cal (@radke89) July 27, 2025

So there are two mindsets, I think, regarding Rasmus Andersson and a probable trade away from the Flames.

The Flames should trade him immediately to get it over with, avoid injury, and removing a possible distraction! This mindset suggests that there are risks involved with the Flames holding onto Andersson into the regular season. And if we’re being honest, looking back on the 2023-24 season and the mess of pending UFAs that were traded… yeah, we understand the distraction concern and the injury concern. But I also think that Andersson knows he needs to have a good season to get the big contract he wants, and the Flames need Andersson to have a big season to maximize his trade value. The injury concern is totally valid, but I think motivations are aligned enough – and Andersson is enough of a pro – that he won’t be a distraction.

The Flames should hold onto Andersson until someone gets desperate and meets their price! This mindset is sort of where I sit right now. The Flames’ best asset in 2023-24 was Elias Lindholm. They set a price, communicated it to suitors, and then hung tough as the season wore on. Eventually, someone met their price and they got a haul. That’s no guarantee that it’ll happen again, but it does feel possible that some team will decide that Andersson is the answer to their problems and meet the Flames’ price.

Whether or not the Flames get the return they want, though, depends on external factors, such as a team getting desperate. Otherwise, they may just need to settle for the best offer they can get at the time. The “hold Andersson” approach is not without risks.

Have the Flames offered Dustin Wolf the 8.25Mx8year goalie deal right now? Surely Dustin would take that?

— Steve Berman (@5t3v3b3rm4n) July 27, 2025

I would point to Lukas Dostal’s recent deal in Anaheim – five seasons at $6.5 million per season – and suggest that if you’re Wolf, you probably want a little bit more than him on the same length of deal (Wolf has better numbers). On a longer deal, buying additional UFA years, it probably creeps up by at least $500,000 per year the longer you go. And maybe more than that. I simply don’t know what fair market value would be for Wolf on an eight-year max-term deal.

Ryan come opening night at the Dome who do you see as the Flames core 4? Thanks!

— Big Daddy (@bigdaddybustard) July 27, 2025

The short answer, right now, is I don’t think they have one yet. They have two guys in Dustin Wolf and MacKenzie Weegar that I think could be part of a “core four,” but I think you want your “core” to be elite-level players ideally and the Flames don’t quite have that yet.

Where can Huska improve this upcoming year, from training camp onward. I listened to Blair and Barkers talk with John Schneider the other day, and he was saying communication has improved over his tenure with the Jays. Is that or something else Huska is working on?

— Steve Berman (@5t3v3b3rm4n) July 27, 2025

I really want to see the Flames improve their special teams and their consistency with special teams.

I think Ryan Huska has been pretty good at communication for awhile, but I also like how he seems to delegate things to different parties – assistant coaches and the leadership group – so that the message isn’t only coming from him.

I know the Leafs development camp includes cooking lessons. Do the Flames also have this for the players?

— Steve Berman (@5t3v3b3rm4n) July 27, 2025

I don’t know if that was something they did this year, but it’s definitely something they’ve done in the past.

Does Kadri for Rossi make sense?

— Zach Gray (@ZtotheG86) July 27, 2025

I think it would be a risky move for both sides. By that I mean, if you’re Minnesota, you really need to think that Nazem Kadri, at his age and cap hit, can be enough of a difference-maker for your team to justify the cost of acquiring him. And if you’re the Flames, you need to think that Marco Rossi could not just be a potential upgrade over Morgan Frost, but that he can be your top-line centre for the long-term.

I don’t think I would do it, but I can kind of understand the possible motivations. (I also don’t think the Flames are in any hurry to move Kadri anytime soon.)

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-winding-down-july