RSS Flames Team Notes

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames earn exhibition overtime win in Edmonton

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 and Edmonton Oilers played twice on Sunday night. In the Edmonton portion of their split-squad home-and-home set, the Flames beat Edmonton in overtime by a 3-2 score.

The rundown​

Neither team scored in the opening period, but Darnell Nurse lit the lamp early in the second period to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

A few minutes later, though, Morgan Frost scored, cutting through the slot and beating Matt Tomkins with a spin-and-shoot wrister to tie the game at 1-1.

Slick moves from Frosty in Edmonton pic.twitter.com/MhNumDwM6B

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 22, 2025

A few more minutes later, Joel Farabee buried a feed from Rory Kerins on a power play to give the Flames a 2-1 lead.

Sweet dish from Rory, perfect finish from Beezer.

You love to see it pic.twitter.com/TjCbCP5b5R

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 22, 2025

But before period ended, Matvei Petrov tied things up for the Oilers at 2-2.

The third period settled nothing and this exhibition game – already a form of bonus hockey in itself – produced additional hockey at no extra cost to the attendees. In extra time, Frost scored his second of the game to give the Flames a 3-2 victory.

Ice cold pic.twitter.com/7RG7upryM6

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) September 22, 2025

How did it go?​

Despite having a roster that was a bit leaner on NHL pedigree than their Edmonton counterparts, the Flames seemed to do a pretty capable job of hanging around. Were they out-shot? Yes, in all three periods, and by a 30-14 in the aggregate.

Let’s give a shout-out to Frost, who scored twice and won 54.5% of his draws, Kevin Bahl, who played a team-leading 23:37 and was on for zero goals by either team, and Ivan Prosvetov, who made 28 saves for the victory.

This and that​

Flames lineup:

Farabee – Frost – Frk
Lomberg – Pospisil – Klapka
Hunt – Kerins – Ciona
Battaglia – Bishop – Bell

Bahl – Hurtig
Kuznetsov – Pachal
Solovyov – Miromanov

Ivan Prosvetov started for the Flames, backed up by Arsenii Sergeev. Prosvetov played the full game.

Edmonton lineup (via Jason Gregor):

Podkolzin – Frederic – Savoie
Janmark – Tomasek – Griffith
Pitlick – Hamblin – Lafrenière
Stonehouse – Marjala – Petrov

Nurse – Walman
Dineen – Regula
Millman – Stecher

Matt Tomkins started for Edmonton, backed up by Calvin Pickard. Tomkins went the distance.

Up next​

The Flames return to exciting exhibition game action on Tuesday night when they host the Seattle Kraken at the Saddledome.

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-earn-exhibition-overtime-win-in-edmonton

 

[Calgary Flames]

Eastern Conference off-season preview: Boston Bruins

It looks like the next few seasons are going to be long for the Boston Bruins.

After nearly two decades of contention, including a Stanley Cup and two other Stanley Cup Final appearances, the Bruins missed the playoffs for just the third time since the 2007-08 season.

Let’s take a look at how their 2024-25 season went, what they did over the off-season, and how the team stacks up heading into the new season.

How the season went​

After just 20 games, they fired head coach Jim Montgomery, who almost immediately joined the St. Louis Blues. It was a bit surprising, as the Bruins had an 8-9-3 record the day he was fired, tied for the final Wild Card spot.

They were still in the hunt come Mar. 7’s trade deadline, as they had a 28-28-8 record with 64 points, just three points back (with three more games played). Despite that, they traded their captain, Brad Marchand, to the Florida Panthers. Marchand went on to have an incredible post-season, including being a key factor in the Panthers’ Stanley Cup victory.

Other trades saw the Bruins trade Trent Frederic to the Edmonton Oilers, Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild, Brandon Carlo to the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Charlie Coyle to the Colorado Avalanche. The latter move brought in Casey Mittelstadt, while they also acquired Henri Jokiharju from the Buffalo Sabres for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

By the end of the season, the Bruins plummeted to a 33-39-10 record, with their 76 points being tied for dead last in the Eastern Conference.

Drafted players​

By finishing near the bottom of the league, the Bruins landed the seventh-overall pick, dropping two spots. They selected James Hagens with the pick, a Boston College player who was a potential number one pick entering the 2024-25 season.

With two picks in the second round, the Bruins selected centre Will Moore and defenceman Liam Pettersson. In the third round, the Bruins selected winger Cooper Simpson, followed by defenceman Vashek Blanár in the fourth round. Their final two picks were Cole Chandler and Kirill Yemelyanov, both centres.

Trades​

The Bruins have made a handful of trades since the off-season started. On Jun. 13, they traded Ryan Mast and a 2025 seventh to the Chicago Blackhawks for Victor Söderström. During the draft, they exchanged some picks before trading a 2027 fifth-round pick to the Oilers for Viktor Arvidsson on Canada Day.

Free agent signings​

On top of acquiring Arvidsson, the Bruins made a handful of free agent signings on the opening day of free agency. Their two major moves saw them sign Tanner Jeannot to a five-year deal worth $3.4 million annually and Michael Eyssimont to a two-year deal worth $1.45 million annually.

The Bruins picked up a few depth players, namely Sean Kuraly, Matej Blumel, Jordan Harris, and Jonathan Aspirot, but they didn’t replace the talent they traded at the trade deadline.

Before free agency began, the Bruins re-signed Morgan Geekie to a six-year deal worth $5.5 million, as well as Jokiharju to a three-year deal worth $3 million. Mason Lohrei and Söderström also re-signed.

Joe Sacco was let go after serving as the interim coach after Montgomery was let go, but the Bruins replaced him with Marco Sturm.

Departures​

After gutting their depth at the trade deadline, there weren’t a whole lot of departures. Jakub Lauko, who fought Ryan Lomberg last season, signed in his home nation of Czechia. Parker Wotherspoon signed with the Penguins.

What the team looks like heading into 2025-26​

That begs the question: how do the Bruins look heading into the 2025-26 season? Down the middle, the Bruins will deploy former Calgary Flame Elias Lindholm, as well as Mittelstadt, Matthew Poitras, and Kuraly. Their top six wingers consist of Geekie, David Pastrňák, Pavel Zacha, and Arvidsson. In their bottom six, they’ll have Jeannot, Marat Khusnutdinov, John Beecher, and Eyssimont, not particularly strong.

A big reason for their second-half struggles is because of Charlie McAvoy’s injury. He should be good to go heading into the 2025-26 season. Lohrei, Hampus Lindholm, Jokiharju, Nikita Zadorov, and Andrew Peeke make up the rest of their defence core.

In net, Jeremy Swayman looks to have a bounce-back season, but if he can’t, he’ll split the crease with Joonas Korpisalo. Time will tell if this is a retool or a full-on rebuild for the Bruins.

---

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 presented by Bon Ton Meat Market​

A Tradition of quality products and personalized service for 104 years.

Proud to feature only the finest premium AAA Alberta Beef, Locally raised fresh pork, locally raised fresh free range chicken and turkey, fresh Alberta lamb and milk fed veal.

Over 20 varieties of in store made salads, delicious desserts and of course our famous in store made meat pies. Proud to be Calgary, and Southern Alberta’s Consumers Choice Award Winner for best Meat and Deli for 24 consecutive years! Bon Ton Meat Market, 28 Crowfoot Circle NW.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/eastern-conference-off-season-preview-boston-bruins

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames assign 2025 third-rounder Mace’o Phillips to the USHL

Following Sunday’s pair of split squad exhibition contests, the Calgary Flames have made a roster assignment to trim down their training camp group. On Monday morning, the club announced that they’ve assigned defenceman Mace’o Phillips to the United States Hockey League’s Green Bay Gamblers.

The move is not unexpected. Phillips, committed to attend the University of Minnesota in the fall of 2026, is in his gap year. He had the choice between playing the 2025-26 season with either the Western Hockey League’s Portland Winterhawks or the USHL’s Gamblers, and he opted to suit up in the USHL – he played a good chunk of the 2024-25 season in the USHL as part of the U.S. National Development Program’s under-18 team’s schedule, so he’s familiar with the league. Because he’s not currently attending college, he was allowed to attend Flames training camp since it wouldn’t conflict with school.

A product of Wayzata, Minnesota, Phillips is a 6’6″, 234 pound left shot blueliner. He was selected by the Flames in the third round, 80th overall, in the 2025 NHL Draft. A physical, defence-first shutdown type, Phillips posted six points during his draft year with the National Development Program. That said, the things he brings to the table were on full display in a pair of pretty impressive performances during the two rookie games with the Edmonton Oilers.

In short: man, he made the Oilers absolutely bonkers. Phillips used his size, reach and positioning to do a great job of (a) keeping the Oilers’ attackers to the outside and (b) shoving players around if they got in-between the dots in the Flames’ zone. And while he’s still pretty raw and needs some time to refine his game a bit, you can see the attributes that made the Flames excited about drafting him.

Phillips is expected to suit up this weekend for the Gamblers in the second weekend of the USHL schedule.

With Phillips’ assignment to Green Bay, that trims the Flames’ camp group down to 54 players: six goaltenders, 17 defencemen and 31 forwards. The Flames return to exhibition action on Tuesday night when they host the Seattle Kraken.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-assign-2025-third-rounder-maceo-phillips-to-the-ushl

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames Game Day: Continuing the pre-season against the Kraken (7pm MT, Flames.com)

After an off-day on Monday, the Calgary Flames are back in action! And they continue their eight game exhibition schedule when they welcome the Seattle Kraken, or a reasonable facsimile, to the Scotiabank Saddledome.

In keeping with traditional pre-season protocols, the Flames are dressing a veteran-laden group while Seattle is bringing a group that more closely resembles the hated Coachella Valley Firebirds, their minor league affiliate and perennial thorn in the Wranglers’ side.

Either way, things get going just after 7 p.m. MT, streaming on the Flames website and over the airwaves on Sportsnet 960 The Fan!

The Flames​

The Flames are coming off a split squad, well, split, against Edmonton on Sunday. They lost 3-0 at home but won 3-2 in overtime up in Edmonton. They’ll be seeking to look a little bit more connected and like themselves at home, after engaging in some fairly poor puck management on Sunday in their shutout loss.

Lines, via Sportsnet 960 The Fan’s Pat Steinberg:

Huberdeau – Frost – Coronato
Zary – Kirkland – Klapka
Gridin – Kerins – Sharangovich
Stromgren – Morton – Honzek

Bahl-Parekh
Solovyov-Pachal
Kuznetsov-Brzustewicz

Wolf
Say

Via Steinberg, Parekh looks to be quarterbacking the top power play unit, with Brzustewicz doing so for the second unit. This group, overall, is a nice mix of prospective NHL players with top AHLers that could be pushing for NHL duty this season.

The Kraken​

Seattle beat Vancouver by a 5-3 score at home on Sunday to kick off their six game pre-season schedule.

Here’s Seattle’s group for this evening:

• Forwards: Avon, Catton, Gaudreau, Goyette, Kartye, Marchment, Melanson, Rehkopf, Stephens, Stephenson, Tolvanen and Winterton
• Defencemen: Evans, Fleury, Hammell, Mahura, Ottavainen and Price
• Goalies: Grubauer and Murray

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...e-season-against-the-kraken-7pm-mt-flames-com

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames tame the Kraken in exhibition play

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!

On Sunday, the Calgary Flames played an exhibition game at home against Edmonton. They didn’t look particularly good. On Tuesday, they played a game against the Seattle Kraken and looked much better than they did on Sunday.

The Flames skated well, made some nice plays and managed to out-score their opponents, beating the Kraken by a 4-1 score.

The rundown​

The Flames opened the scoring in the first period, as Yegor Sharangovich deflected a Hunter Brzustewicz point shot past Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

Sharky's hands are in midseason form! He tips home a Hunter Brzustewicz point shot!

: FlamesTV pic.twitter.com/DdPxCIeAXO

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) September 24, 2025

Shortly after that goal, though, Mitchell Stephens received a pass from Mason Marchment in the offensive zone, and beat Dustin Wolf with a backhander to tie the game at 1-1.

In the second period, though, the Flames grabbed the lead again off a pretty nice little play. Rory Kerins carried the puck into the Kraken zone on a power play rush, but lost the handle on it. Connor Zary nudged the puck back to Kerins, and Kerins beat Grubauer to make it 2-1.

Rory Kerins puts the Flames up 2-1! Great finish in tight by Kerins! pic.twitter.com/QZQuZe6tK1

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) September 24, 2025

Early in the third period, the Flames added some insurance. Morgan Frost made a gorgeous cross-zone pass down low to Matt Coronato, who fired the puck over top of Kraken netminder Matt Murray to give the Flames a 3-1 lead.

Morgan Frost makes a ridiculous pass to find an open Matt Coronato and he makes no mistake!

What a goal! pic.twitter.com/9t57eXi4k5

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) September 24, 2025

Sam Morton added an empty-netter to make it a 4-1 victory.

How did it go?​

The Flames looked much closer to the team we expect to see this season, and they seemed to get better as the game went along. They dressed five first-round picks and several NHL regulars, yeah, you’d expect them to look halfway decent. But the players you would hope to stand out did.

Zayne Parekh, in particular, made a lot of really smart little plays in all three zones. He made a couple passes that led to reactions from his teammates that were along the lines of “Hey, I didn’t know you could do that.” He’s still got some yips in his game – he was a bit too much of a spectator on Seattle’s first period goal – but the shape of his game seems to be progressing nicely.

This and that​

Flames lineup:

Huberdeau – Frost – Coronato
Zary – Kirkland – Klapka
Gridin – Kerins – Sharangovich
Stromgren – Morton – Honzek

Bahl – Parekh
Solovyov – Pachal
Kuznetsov – Brzustewicz

Dustin Wolf started in net, backed up by Owen Say. Say came in to relieve Wolf to begin the third period.

Seattle lineup via Deep Sea Hockey:

Tolvanen – Stephenson – Marchment
Kartye – Gaudreau – Melanson
Winterton – Catton – Rehkopf
Goyette – Avon – Stephens

Evans – Fleury
Ottavainen – Mahura
Price – Hammell

Philipp Grubauer started in net, backed up by Matt Murray. Murray came into the game midway through.

Up next​

The Flames are headed to Abbotsford on Wednesday to visit the Vancouver Canucks.

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-tame-the-kraken-in-exhibition-play

 

[Calgary Flames]

Scotia Place advances to RFP stage to co-host 2028 World Cup of Hockey

It’s not even finished yet, but the Calgary Flames’ new arena has advanced to the second stage of bidding to co-host the 2028 edition of the World Cup of Hockey. Sportsnet’s Eric Francis reported on social media on Wednesday morning that Calgary’s bid, featuring Scotia Place, is one of 25 to advance to the RFP stage of bidding.

The Calgary Flames are in the running to be one of the host cities for the World Cup of hockey in Feb 2028.
Scotia Place will be ready in the summer of 2027 and is one of 25 venues across North America and Europe being considered by the NHL/NHLPA to house part of the 8-team…

— Eric Francis (@EricFrancis) September 24, 2025

Located 150 meters north of the Scotiabank Saddledome, Scotia Place is expected to be completed by Fall 2027 – last we asked, we were told that means September 2027 at the latest – and will be the home of the Flames beginning with the 2027-28 NHL season.

The Saddledome hasn’t hosted a major international hockey event in awhile, likely not since the 2012 World Junior Championship, but in the years after it opened it hosted, among other things, the 1984 and 1987 Canada Cup, the 1985 NHL All-Star Game and a little event called the 1988 Winter Olympics. When you’ve gone through the hoops of getting a new building up and running, you want an opportunity – or a few of them – to show it off.

The World Cup of Hockey, itself, is the NHL and NHLPA getting back to their shared roots by putting together a regularized international event that alternates with the Olympic cycle: there’s an Olympics in 2026, a World Cup in 20028, an Olympics in 2030, and so on…

The 2028 World Cup of Hockey is set for February 2028, featuring eight countries. They’re looking for two host cities, with round robin play split between those two cities and the elimination round taking place in one of them. Per the league: “The tournament is expected to be 12 days in duration and include 17 games, along with extensive ancillary programming such as unique fan events.”

The host cities for the 2028 World Cup are expected to be announced in the first quarter of 2026. We’ll see if Scotia Place makes the cut.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/scotia-place-advances-to-rfp-stage-to-co-host-2028-world-cup-of-hockey

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Disjointed Flames lose in Abbotsford to Canucks

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!

Well, that wasn’t all that good, was it?

On Wednesday evening, the Calgary Flames sent a group of players to Abbotsford, B.C. to face the Vancouver Canucks. The Flames didn’t send their aces. Neither did the Canucks. It was more akin to AHL lineups for both groups, with some NHLers sprinkled in.

The youthful Canucks looked pretty solid. The Flames? Much less so. After a pretty disjointed opening period that left them chasing, the Flames just couldn’t muster much offensively en route to a 3-1 pre-season road loss.

The rundown​

The Flames gave up a pair of goals in the first period.

With Jeremie Poirier in the box of punishment for roughing, Tom Willander’s initial shot hit the post behind Ivan Prosvetov, and then Nils Hoglander jammed in the rebound to give the Canucks a 1-0 lead.

A little later, the Canucks took advantage of some bunched-up Flames in their own zone to score again. That time, the Canucks moved the puck well along the wall, which drew additional Flames over and created some gaps in their coverage. That created space for some passing, as Linus Karlsson fed the puck to a wide-open Victor Mancini, and he walked in and beat Prosvetov to make it 2-0.

The two teams exchanged power play goals in the second period.

With Joel Hanley in the box, Filip Chytil fired a puck past Prosvetov to make it 3-0. A little later on, the Flames got on the board on a power play, as Connor Zary batted in a loose puck off an initial chance.

But that’s all she wrote, as the saying goes, and the Canucks were content to play smart structural hockey once they got their lead and cruised to victory.

How did it go?​

The Flames were not all that good in the first period. They were struggling to connect on breakouts, their defensive zone coverage was spotty, and consequently, they couldn’t get much going at all through the neutral or offensive zones. It was a bad period.

From there, it was just a boring stretch of hockey. The young Canucks seemed happy with a two goal lead and they just avoided mistakes that fed into the Flames’ attack. And so in the last 40 minutes we saw occasional offensive flurries from the Flames, but nothing really of consequence at even strength.

Prosvetov was easily the best player in red. Among the skaters in front of him, Dryden Hunt’s line (with Andrew Basha and Clark Bishop) was rock solid and Sam Morton had some nice stretches, but aside from Prosvetov this was a tough game to glean a lot of positives from.

This and that​

The Flames’ lineup, via Derek Wills:

Zary-Kerins-Pospisil
Farabee-Morton-Honzek
Basha-Bishop-Hunt
Suniev-King-Laing

Hanley-Brzustewicz
Bean-Poirier
Morin-Miromanov

Ivan Prosvetov started in net, backed up by Devin Cooley. Prosvetov played the full 60.

Vancouver lineup via Jeff Paterson:

Bains – Sasson – Karlsson
Höglander – Chytil – MacEachern.
Kravtsov – Räty – Stillman.
Alriksson – Åman – LaBate.

M.Pettersson – Willander
Kudryavtsev – Myers.
Knyzhov – Mancini.

Thatcher Demko started in net, backed up by Nikita Tolopilo. Demko played the first two periods and then Tolopilo played the third.

Up next​

The Flames have a bit of a gap between games, so we’ll likely see some trimming down of the camp roster. They’re back in game action on Saturday night when they visit the Winnipeg Jets.

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-disjointed-flames-lose-in-abbotsford-to-canucks

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames assign prospect Hunter Laing to the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades

In the aftermath of their flurry of pre-season games since the weekend, the Calgary Flames made a single roster move on Thursday. On Thursday morning, they announced that they’ve assigned unsigned prospect Hunter Laing to the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades.

The roster move reduces the Flames’ training camp roster to 51 players: six goaltenders, 16 defencemen and 29 forwards.

The 19-year-old Laing is a right shot forward who plays centre and the wing, but primarily lined up on the right side for the Flames during prospects camp and training camp. He was a sixth-round pick by the Flames in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Laing was the last unsigned junior player standing at Flames camp and dressed in Tuesday’s game in Abbotsford – we’re guessing he stuck around so that he could get a game in, likely as a reward from management and the coaching staff for a good camp.

The son of former Abbotsford Heat captain Quintin Laing, Laing is a Kelowna kid and worked with Flames special assistant Jarome Iginla when he was younger – Iginla coached at the Rink Academy in Kelowna, where Laing played – and spent time in the Western League with the Prince George Cougars before being traded to Saskatoon midway through the 2024-25 season.

As far as draft choices go you can easily get why the Flames liked him. Aside from the Iginla connection, there’s the physical attributes: Laing’s listed at 6’6″ and 209 pounds, and as a right shot forward that can play centre, he ticks a lot of boxes for what teams want.

He’s also progressed fairly well after a quiet offensive start to his career in the Dub. He had 11 goals and 25 points in 2023-24 as a 17-year-old, then 25 goals and 48 points in 2024-25 as an 18-year-old. He’s expected to be leaned on heavily by a pretty young Blades team, but that’s the rub: he’ll be given the opportunity to play a ton. And that means he has the opportunity to potentially improve upon last season’s offensive numbers.

The Flames have until June 1, 2026 to sign Laing to an entry-level NHL contract or lose his rights, so it’s going to be an important year for him. We’ll see how he does in the Dub.

This article is presented by Bon Ton Meat Market​

A Tradition of quality products and personalized service for 104 years.

Proud to feature only the finest premium AAA Alberta Beef, Locally raised fresh pork, locally raised fresh free range chicken and turkey, fresh Alberta lamb and milk fed veal.

Over 20 varieties of in store made salads, delicious desserts and of course our famous in store made meat pies. Proud to be Calgary, and Southern Alberta’s Consumers Choice Award Winner for best Meat and Deli for 24 consecutive years! Bon Ton Meat Market, 28 Crowfoot Circle NW.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-assign-prospect-hunter-laing-to-the-whls-saskatoon-blades

 

[Calgary Flames]

Expectations are high for Wranglers forward Parker Bell in contract year

Calgary Wranglers forward Parker Bell enters the last season of his entry-level contract with the Calgary Flames this year and is going to want to play in a way to earn his next one. The Flames’ draft pick has taken some time to find his legs in pro hockey, but he has proved his capabilities in previous years in the WHL.

Already, Parker Bell got a good look at the prospect showcase and pre-season and is expected to play with the Wranglers this season. While he may not be knocking on the door for an NHL opportunity right off the bat, he could be a player who surprises everyone this year.

Meets expectations​

Bell has not put up insane numbers in the AHL but still brings size and a newly found physical game night in and night out. He played 61 games with the Wranglers last season and recorded 12 points. He was typically a third or fourth line winger last season and that part of the lineup seemed to change the most. He struggled to find consistency with linemates and the consistency in his game that he was looking for.

The expectations of him are to improve on his production from last season. He has a good shot and when he is given the chance to use it, he has success. Now, he isn’t the new guy in the locker room anymore and after playing nearly a full season, the comfort level is going to be even higher.

Exceeds expectations​

To exceed expectations, Bell will have to have a Rory Kerins type breakout right from the start of the season. He will have to outwork and outplay the other guys in the lineup to put himself higher in the line combinations to get more opportunities. Bell stands at 6’5” and, as one of the tallest players on the team, can learn to use his stature to his benefit.

If he is able to prove doubters wrong, he may slot into a second line or top line role that puts him on Calgary’s radar for another big bodied forward. He got into a few fights in the last half of last season and the more that part of his game emerges as well, the more his value rises when it comes time to play the tough hitting teams in the AHL or NHL. Even just making his NHL debut this season will exceed his expectations and put him on a path to reach that next level of his career.

Below expectations​

If Bell has a similar season to last year or is passed by other prospects in the system, he will fall below expectations. He has the potential to be leveraged more in bigger game scenarios, but he has to prove it. If his production is slow to start again or his skating falls behind the other players on the ice, he will be hard to keep in the lineup if everyone is healthy.

He’s shown what he can do as a baseline. Can he raise the bar for himself and prove what stood out to Flames scouts when they drafted him in the first place? It’s in Bell’s hands with a season of opportunity ahead of him.

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/expect...ranglers-forward-parker-bell-in-contract-year

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames trim training camp roster: 13 players assigned to Wranglers

For much of the working world, Friday is a time to be happy and excited: to Fri-yay, if you will. But for 13 players at Calgary Flames training camp, it was the end of the road for their hopes to start the 2025-26 regular season with the big club.

The Flames announced on Friday afternoon that 13 players have been assigned to the Wranglers from main camp:

• Goaltenders Arsenii Sergeev and Connor Murphy
• Defencemen Simon Mack, Etienne Morin and Jeremie Poirier
• Forwards Andrew Basha, Parker Bell, Lucas Ciona, Martin Frk, Alex Gallant, Carter King, David Silye and Carter Wilkie

Some procedural notes: Murphy, Mack, Frk, Gallant, Silye and Wilkie are all on AHL contracts with the Wranglers, while the other seven players are on NHL deals. Poirier requires waivers to be assigned to the AHL, so we’re assuming he’ll be placed on waivers on Saturday.

For a lot of these players, this wasn’t a wholly unexpected outcome:

• Basha’s a first-year pro working off some rust after an injury.
• Bell is a second-year pro, but projects as an energy forward.
• Ciona is a third-year pro, but, like Bell, projects as an energy forward.
• Sergeev is a first-year pro who didn’t get any pre-season action as the team figures out their NHL backup situation.
• Morin is a first-year pro that’s learning about the pro game.
• Kng is a first-year pro that couldn’t quite work his way into the NHL roster conversation.
• Poirier is a fourth-year pro that was also seemingly lost in the shuffle, as he worked in the third practice group and played one pre-season game, but couldn’t quite do enough to stick around longer.

The cuts get the Flames’ camp roster down to 38 players: four goaltenders, 13 defencemen and 21 forwards. They have to get their roster down to a cap-compliant 23 players by 3 p.m. next Monday, Oct. 6. The Flames play a pre-season game in Winnipeg on Saturday night, while the Wranglers prepare to begin their training camp on Monday at Winsport.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-trim-training-camp-roster-13-players-assigned-to-wranglers

 

[Calgary Flames]

Can Wranglers captain Clark Bishop find another level in his game?

Last season was quite the impressive year for Calgary Wranglers captain Clark Bishop. He put up career numbers and made his first NHL appearance in three seasons. On top of that, he also scored his first NHL goal in over six years. As we approach a new season, is it possible we’ve seen the best we’re going to get out of him? If so, is that such a bad thing?

Meets expectations​

The expectations for Bishop are similar to what they were last year. Most of his value is tied to his leadership capabilities, experiences winning a Calder Cup and playing over 50 games in the NHL. He will be a guy to motivate the team in the highs and lows they face over the course of a season and won’t be afraid to be the difference maker if given the opportunity. Bishop finished last season with 38 points in 66 games, split between 19 goals and 19 assists.

He has the potential to do similar numbers as last year but that’s not necessarily what is expected of him. If he is able to lift up players like Sam Honzek and provide opportunities for young guys, the production numbers are a secondary priority.

Exceeds expectations​

If Bishop is to exceed expectations, he would either match his 2024-25 production or improve it. Clark Bishop is on a two-way deal so the realm of possibility of playing in the NHL is not impossible. He might be able to play some more games with the Flames again.

The chances of him being an everyday NHLer are very slim at this point but he could be sent for stretches of time if the Flames are running low on centres. He could be useful for them to be a fourth line grinder or a penalty killer. Last season, he played in six games with the Flames, generated one point and finished with a -2 rating.

Another way he could overachieve would be to be an impact point producer at the AHL level. He proved in the first half of last season that he can be the guy when the game is on the line. He scored three game-winning goals in a row in the last week of October and finished the year with seven game-winning goals. If some of the regular top liners make the Flames, go down with injuries or if the new guys have shaky starts, all of a sudden your captain could be one of the guys on the ice the most. With more ice time comes more opportunities to score.

Below expectations​

To underperform this year, Bishop would have to pretty much fall off the radar on the team. I can’t see him neglecting his leadership role at any point so that isn’t a consideration but being passed over by prospects is something that could happen on the ice. Bishop will get playing time regardless of his output, but maybe he sits some games out or falls to the fourth line if he is not able to help the team as much as some of his other teammates.

Overall, the Clark Bishop extension from the summer was the right move and a good signing for both Calgary and Bishop. He wants to win and knows how to motivate his group and will certainly be ready to do that again in his fourth year with the team and second year as captain.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/can-wranglers-captain-clark-bishop-find-another-level-in-his-game

 

[Calgary Flames]

Pike chats the Flames’ quiet summer and training camp on OilersNation Everyday

Friends, we’re headed towards the start of the regular season and some of our friends across the hockey media landscape are inviting us to chat about the Calgary Flames.

On Friday, FlamesNation managing editor Ryan Pike joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Liam Horrobin on OilersNation Everyday to help preview the Pacific Division by discussing the Flames.

Among the topics touched on including Craig Conroy’s busy summer of re-signing players like Dustin Wolf, Kevin Bahl and Matt Coronato, the future of Rasmus Andersson, the potential of Zayne Parekh, whether the Flames will make the playoffs in 2025-26, and whether or not Pike will be sleeping at the OilersNation studio when he visits in Edmonton for the season-opener.

Check out the full discussion over at the OilersNation YouTube feed. Or head over to the FlamesNation channel for, y’know, significantly more Flames-related content!

PRESENTED BY THE DAILY FACEOFF SURVIVOR POOL​

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/pike-c...er-and-training-camp-on-oilersnation-everyday

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames will expect more from Yegor Sharangovich after a disappointing season

Coming off a career year in 2023-24 in which Yegor Sharangovich scored 31 goals and 59 points, he was rewarded with a new five-year contract that carried hopes he would continue developing into one of the Calgary Flames’ top forwards for years to come.

After getting off to a late start last season due to an injury in a pre-season game, Sharangovich never really seemed to catch up. Consistency was the issue all year. He’d put together strong two- or three-game stretches where he contributed offensively and all over the ice, only to disappear for several games and look more like a burden than an asset.

Surely Sharangovich wants to prove to the Flames that he’s deserving of the hefty contract and capable of being the consistent producer we saw a couple of seasons ago. That’s why expectations heading into this season are high and hopes of a bounce back are almost expected. So what should we expect of him?

Meets expectations​

Sharangovich is going to get opportunities to play from the coaching staff. He’ll likely bounce around the top nine until he finds some chemistry different line mates.

After being demoted from the top power-play unit a year ago, he’ll probably start this season on the second unit while trying to earn his way back. He had 17 power-play points two years ago — if he can replicate anything close to that, it would be a welcome boost to a struggling Flames power play.

He’ll also see plenty of time on the penalty kill. Remember, he finished just one point shy of the league lead in shorthanded points two seasons ago (seven). Providing solid defence on the PK along with chipping in a few extra short handed points can make the difference to winning or losing some games.

Production-wise, it would be encouraging to see him flirt with the 50-point mark, ideally split fairly evenly between goals and assists. He has the shot to fool goaltenders, but he needs to use it more. Last year he had just 128 shots, his lowest total aside from his 54-game rookie season (114).

A consistent approach in all areas should help Sharangovich re-establish himself as a reliable forward for Calgary. That means steady linemates and contributions on both sides of the puck. A healthy, productive pre-season could help him get off to the strong start he needs.

Below expectations​

Anything short of his first season in Calgary will likely fall into this category. That year, he played well and earned his contract. Last season, he didn’t back it up.

If Sharangovich once again fails to make a consistent impact, he risks losing his place in the lineup — and potentially his spot in Calgary altogether.

You could call his first season an anomaly, as he had averaged only about 30 points otherwise. But that isn’t what he was brought in to do. The Flames need top-six forwards who can score 30-plus goals, not depth players producing third-line numbers. If he looks invisible again, it will be a major disappointment.

Above expectations​

The talent and potential are there. Sharangovich has a lethal shot — he just needs to use it more. Best-case scenario, he comes out of the gate firing, looking confident with the puck and earning the trust of his coaches and teammates. In that case, he could even challenge Matt Coronato for top-line minutes and a role on the first power-play unit.

If he plays his best hockey, could he push 40 goals? Even 30 would be huge for this team. Add 30 assists to that, and the Flames suddenly have another 60- to 70-point player, something only Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri achieved last season.

Sharangovich is a key piece. With his involvement on both special teams, he plays a huge role in the Flames’ success. A healthy, confident Sharangovich deepens the lineup and helps turn close games into wins.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/calgary-flames-expect-more-yegor-sharangovich

 

[Calgary Flames]

How should the Flames divide up their final three pre-season games?

Friends, the Calgary Flames have eight days to get down to their Game 1 roster of 23 players.

Right now, they have 38 players in camp and three remaining pre-season games at their disposal to make their final decisions on roster spots… and to prepare their NHL roster for the opening stretch of the season, which features three games in less than four days in three different cities.

Here’s a quick rundown of which players have played how many games, and what the thought process may be for the Flames in dividing up their three remaining games: Monday in Seattle, Wednesday at home against Vancouver, and Friday at home against Winnipeg. (Games played so far by each player in brackets.)

Goaltenders​

Four left in camp: Dustin Wolf [1], Ivan Prosvetov [2], Devin Cooley [2] and Owen Say [1]

Wolf is the undisputed top guy and will most likely get the last game. Say is undoubtedly headed to the AHL and probably doesn’t get another game. The question for the Seattle and Vancouver games is this: have the Flames seen enough to decide on their backup goaltender, or do they give Prosvetov and Cooley one more game apiece to finalize that decision?

If you’re asking us to predict, we would suspect Wolf gets each of the last two games and Prosvetov gets the Seattle game for his last pre-season tune-up.

Defencemen​

13 left in camp: MacKenzie Weegar [1], Rasmus Andersson [1], Kevin Bahl [3], Joel Hanley [3], Zayne Parekh [3], Brayden Pachal [3], Jake Bean [2], Daniil Miromanov [2], Yan Kuznetsov [3], Ilya Solovyov [2], Hunter Brzustewicz [2], Nick Cicek [1] and Artem Grushnikov [1]

We’re presuming that the final game will have the opening night starting six defenders – Weegar, Andersson, Bahl, Hanley, Parekh and either Bean or Pachal – so the question is how many games the rest of these guys get. We would imagine some of the depth defenders get the Seattle game to make a last case for themselves for the first call-ups (or as the eighth defender, if they go in that direction), but it definitely feels like the starting group is almost set.

Forwards​

21 left in camp: Jonathan Huberdeau [1], Nazem Kadri [1], Matt Coronato [3], Connor Zary [4], Morgan Frost [3], Martin Pospisil [3], Joel Farabee [2], Mikael Backlund [1], Blake Coleman [1], Yegor Sharangovich [1], Ryan Lomberg [2], Adam Klapka [3], Justin Kirkland [3], Sam Morton [3], Rory Kerins [4], Dryden Hunt [3], Clark Bishop [3], Sam Honzek [4], Matvei Gridin [3], Aydar Suniev [2] and William Stromgren [2]

Up front, again, there appear to be some obvious Game 1 players – and a few that probably need a couple games to get the rust off. It’s probably reasonable to expect the veterans who’ve gotten in just one game – Huberdeau, Kadri, Backlund, Coleman, Sharangovich – to get both remaining home games to get up to speed. Beyond them, I suspect we’ll see more of the likes of Kirkland, Morton, Kerins, Honzek and Gridin, as they (a) jostle for the final roster spots and (b) jostle for the first call-up spots.

It certainly feels like we’re getting close to roster decisions being made, but determinations may still be being made on which player on the cusp is best suited for, say, fourth line centre and penalty-killing duty. We’re getting down to brass tacks and the details could be the thing that matters most in figuring out the final spots.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/how-should-the-flames-divide-up-their-final-three-pre-season-games

 

[Calgary Flames]

Eastern Conference off-season recap: New York Islanders

The New York Islanders were the luckiest team of the off-season.

After back-to-back first-round losses in the 2023 and 2024 post-season, the New York Islanders missed the 2025 post-season outright. Is this the start of a rebuild or just a quick retool?

Let’s take a look at how the Islanders’ 2024-25 season went, what they did over the off-season, and how the team shapes up heading into 2025-26.

How the season went​

In the pandemic-affected 2021 season, the Islanders took the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning, to seven games. It was the second consecutive season the Islanders lost to the Lightning in the conference finals, and it was the peak of their window of contention.

The Islanders missed the post-season in 2021-22 with a 37-35-10 record, but returned to the playoffs in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, just to lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Last season, the Islanders finished with a 35-35-12 record, giving them 82 points, the 10th fewest points in the league.

Before the trade deadline, they traded their assistant captain, Brock Nelson, to the Colorado Avalanche for picks, former Calgary Flame Oliver Kylington, and prospect Calum Ritchie.

Although the Islanders finished 10th, they beat the odds (3.5%) to land the first overall pick.

Drafted players​

With the first overall pick of the 2025 draft, the Islanders drafted left-shot defenceman Matthew Schaefer. The 18-year-old missed most of the 2024-25 season due to a shoulder injury sustained in the 2025 World Junior Championship.

After a trade that we’ll get to in the next section, the Islanders also had the 16th and 17th overall pick, using those two picks to select Victor Eklund and Kashawn Aitcheson. In the second round, the Islanders drafted Russian winger Daniil Prokhorov.

Luca Romano was the Islanders’ third-round pick, followed by Tomas Poletin in the fourth round, Sam Lurila in the fifth round, Burke Hood in the sixth round, and Jacob Kvasnicka in the seventh round.

Trades​

The question is, how did the Islanders acquire the 16th and 17th overall picks? Well, the Islanders’ lone trade this off-season saw them trade right-shot defenceman Noah Dobson to the Montréal Canadiens for those two picks, as well as former Flames’ prospect Emil Heineman.

Free agent signings​

The Islanders were busier in the free agent market. When it opened on July 1, they agreed to terms with Tony DeAngelo, Ethan Bear, former Flame David Rittich, and Jonathan Drouin. The latter signed the largest contract of the bunch, agreeing to a two-year deal worth $4 million annually.

Moreover, the Islanders re-signed Kyle Palmieri to a two-year deal on May 30th with an annual average of $4.75 million. On Jun. 30, the Islanders re-signed Alexander Romanov to an eight-year deal worth $6.25 million, as well as Heineman to a two-year deal with a $1.1 million AAV.

Schaefer, Prokhorov, and Eklund signed their entry-level contracts. The Islanders also hired Mathieu Darche as their newest general manager.

Departures​

The most notable departure from the Islanders was Dobson. Last season, the right-shot defenceman finished with 10 goals and 39 points, down from the 10 goals and 70 points in 2023-24.

Long-time Islander Matt Martin called it a career, while defenceman Mike Reilly signed a one-year deal with the Hurricanes. Moreover, they didn’t offer Lou Lamoriello another contract.

What the team look like heading into 2025-26​

Down the middle, the Islanders feature Bo Horvat, Mathew Barzal, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, and Casey Cizikas. Drouin, Palmeiri, Anders Lee, and Simon Holmström make up their top-six wingers. In the bottom six, they have Anthony Duclair, Maxim Shabanov, Maxim Tsyplakov, and Heineman.

Their forward core is okay, but their defence is a little questionable. Romanov spearheads the defence, with DeAngelo, Adam Pelech, Ryan Pulock, Schaefer, and Scott Mayfield factoring into their blue line plans.

In net, the Islanders will roll with Ilya Sorokin and Rittich.

---

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/eastern-conference-off-season-recap-new-york-islanders

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Dustin Wolf and Matvei Gridin shine in shootout win over Seattle

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 sent a fairly youthful group to Seattle on Monday evening for their final road pre-season contest of 2025-26 against the Kraken. The game featured some big swings in momentum and some very good netminding from 2019 seventh-rounder Dustin Wolf.

The Flames overcame a slow start to beat the Kraken by a 2-1 score in a shootout.

The rundown​

Seattle out-shot the Flames 17-5 in the first period. Dustin Wolf made 17 saves.

The rest of the game was much more even.

Berkly Catton opened the scoring for the Kraken 2:02 into the second period, as a Matty Beniers shot ricocheted off a Flames player in the slot and bounced to the bottom of the circles, where Catton was there to swat the loose puck in before Wolf could get across the open net. That gave the Kraken a 1-0 lead.

But the Flames answered back midway through the period, with Ilya Solovyov making a smart outlet pass to spring Matvei Gridin into the Kraken zone. Gridin beat Philipp Grubauer to tie the game at 1-1.

Ilya Solovyov springs Matvei Gridin in on a breakaway and he buries it! What a shot! pic.twitter.com/1Y6yHoEir7

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) September 30, 2025

Neither team scored in the third period or overtime, despite a Kraken scoring chance clanging off the inside crossbar and the inside far post before staying out the net.

This is wild. Seattle hits both posts. The puck never crosses the goal line. The Flames catch a break in overtime. pic.twitter.com/Vut6NgSxlD

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) September 30, 2025

In the shootout, Morgan Frost and Gridin scored for the Flames, while Frederik Gaudreau scored for Seattle.

Gridin’s incredible patient approach (and wicked quick shot) decided the game.

Matvei Gridin scores a beauty in the shootout! Flames win 2-1! pic.twitter.com/A2N7g2yfGT

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) September 30, 2025

How did it go?​

The Flames were on their heels in the first period but, as has happened many times with #32 in net, their netminder was rock-solid and allowed them to build their game. Heck, the lone goal against in regulation was a really weird ricochet that he didn’t have any chance on.

In terms of skaters, a lot of players in red and white had good outings. Jake Bean played over 25 minutes. Morgan Frost won 84.6% of his face-offs. (Rory Kerins? 61.5%. Justin Kirkland? 58.8%.) Ilya Solovyov was really solid and played a smart game. Sam Honzek and Sam Morton were strong on the penalty kill.

And it’s hard to understate how good Matvei Gridin was in this game. He made two very good offensive plays on a Stanley Cup-winning goaltender. It’s tough to say what that means in the pre-season, but it’s not nothing.

This and that​

The Flames’ lineup, via Pat Steinberg:

Gridin-Frost-Coronato
Farabee-Kerins-Klapka
Lomberg-Kirkland-Pospisil
Honzek-Morton-Suniev

Bean-Pachal
Cicek-Solovyov
Kuznetsov-Brzustewicz

Dustin Wolf started in net and played the full game, backed up by Owen Say.

Seattle’s lineup via Joe Pohoryles:

Catton-Beniers-Nyman
Marchment-Wright-Tolvanen
Kartye-Gaudreau-Hayden
Stephens-Molgaard-Winterton

Dunn-Larsson
Lindgren-Fleury
Evans-Oleksiak

Philipp Grubauer started in net and played the full game, backed up by Matt Murray.

Up next​

The Flames are back in action on Wednesday evening when they host the Vancouver Canucks in pre-season action.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instan...vei-gridin-shine-in-shootout-win-over-seattle

 

[Calgary Flames]

Eastern Conference off-season recap: Philadelphia Flyers

The Philadelphia Flyers have been mired in mediocrity for some time now.

After sitting most of the 2023-24 season in a playoff spot, the Flyers struggled down the stretch and missed out. This past season, they took another step back.

Let’s take a look at how the Flyers’ 2024-25 season went, what they did over the off-season, and how the team shapes up heading into 2025-26.

How the season went​

There were levels of being bad in 2024-25. Take the San Jose Sharks, who finished at the bottom of the standings thanks to a 20-50-12 record. The second level is the Chicago Blackhawks and Nashville Predators, who finished with 61 and 68 points, respectively.

The third tier was headlined by the Flyers, also containing the Boston Bruins, Seattle Kraken and a handful of other teams. By the early March trade deadline, the Flyers were just four points out of a playoff spot, but with a whole bunch of teams around them.

They decided to sell, moving Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to the Calgary Flames for Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier. Kuzmenko was flipped just over a month later, as the Flyers sent him to the Los Angeles Kings for a 2027 third-round pick. They also sent Erik Johnson to the Colorado Avalanche for Givani Smith.

The Flyers’ biggest move before the trade deadline saw them send Scott Laughton and two picks to the Toronto Maple Leafs for prospect Nikita Grebenkin and the Leafs’ conditional 2027 first-round pick.

By the end of the season, the Flyers finished with a 33-39-10 record, with their 76 points being the fewest in the Eastern Conference.

Drafted players​

Thanks to a rough regular season, the Flyers ended up with the sixth overall pick, using it to select Porter Martone. After trading up for the 12th overall pick, the Flyers used it to select Jack Nesbitt.

The Flyers had four second-round picks, using them to select defenceman Carter Amico, winger Jack Murtagh, winger Shane Vansaghi, and centre Matthew Gard. In the fifth round, the Flyers selected Max Westergard and Luke Vlooswyk, followed by Nathan Quinn in the sixth round.

Trades​

The Flyers made one of the biggest trades of the off-season a few days before the draft, sending Ryan Poehling, a 2026 fourth-round pick, and a 2025 second-round pick (yes, they had five second-round picks) to the Anaheim Ducks for Trevor Zegras.

On the first day of the draft, the Flyers sent the 22nd overall pick and the 31st overall pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for the 12th overall pick. Not quite sure what the Penguins were doing here. They acquired two of their four seconds on the second day of the draft, sending the 36th and 68th overall picks to the Kraken for the 38th and 57th overall picks.

The Flyers made another trade with the Kraken; they acquired Robertson Tucker for Jon-Randall Avon. On Sep. 14, the Flyers sent Ivan Fedotov to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 2026 sixth-round pick.

Free agent signings​

It was a quiet off-season on the free agent side of things. Christian Dvorak signed a one-year deal worth $5.4 million. The Flyers also brought in former Flame Daniel Vladař, as well as Noah Juulsen. On Jul. 7, Cam York signed a five-year extension with an annual cap hit of $5.15 million.

Their most notable signing saw the Flyers hire Rick Tocchet, as he replaced John Tortorella. Tocchet’s most notable achievement with the Vancouver Canucks was getting them to Game 7 of the second round in 2024.

Departures​

There isn’t a lot of turnover from the 2024-25 to the 2025-26 season for the Flyers. Poehling was traded to the Ducks, while Pelletier departed in free agency, signing a three-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

What the team looks like heading into 2025-26​

So, how do the Flyers shape up in 2025-26? Down the middle, they’ll run Sean Couturier, Noah Cates, Zegras, and Dvorak, missing a true superstar. Matvei Michkov could be that superstar, and he headlines a wing core that features Travis Konecny, Tyson Foerster, Bobby Brink, Alex Bump, Owen Tippett, Nicolas Deslauriers, and Garnet Hathaway.

York headlines the Flyers’ defence core, also featuring Travis Sanheim, Nick Seeler, Jamie Drysdale, Dennis Gilbert, and Noah Juulsen. In net, the Flyers will run Samuel Ersson and Vladař.

---

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/eastern-conference-off-season-recap-philadelphia-flyers

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames down to one practice group on Tuesday at training camp

A couple weeks back, the Calgary Flames began training camp juggling three on-ice groups and 58 players.

On Tuesday, they were down to just one.

Here’s what we learned on Tuesday afternoon at the Saddledome.

Lines and pairings​

Via Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg:

Joel Farabee – Nazem Kadri – Yegor Sharangovich
Jonathan Huberdeau – Morgan Frost – Matt Coronato
Matvei Gridin – Mikael Backlund – Blake Coleman
Connor Zary – Rory Kerins – Martin Pospisil
Ryan Lomberg – Justin Kirkland – Adam Klapka

Joel Hanley – MacKenzie Weegar
Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Zayne Parekh – Brayden Pachal
Jake Bean – Ilya Solovyov

(Daniil Miromanov is “day to day with an upper body injury,” per head coach Ryan Huska.)

Devin Cooley
Ivan Prosvetov

(After making oodles of saves on Monday, Dustin Wolf was likely given a day off.)

The Flames have 27 active players in camp, with four other players (Clark Bishop, Dryden Hunt, Yan Kuznetsov and Sam Morton) currently on waivers. We’ll find out if they clear waivers at 12 p.m. MT on Wednesday.

So what’s next?​

The Flames have to make four roster cuts to have a 23-man roster by 3 p.m. MT on Monday, the NHL’s roster deadline. In-between now and then, they have home pre-season games on Wednesday (vs. Vancouver) and Friday (vs. Winnipeg).

Per head coach Ryan Huska, Cooley and Prosvetov will split Wednesday’s game, while Wolf will start on Friday. Huska cited Backlund, Coleman, Kadri, Huberdeau, Andersson and Weegar as players that will dress for both games. But he’s also giving chances to the players who are pushing for spots to see if they can perform as well as they have so far against established NHLers – so if you’re wondering if we’ll see Rory Kerins, Matvei Gridin or Zayne Parekh in the next couple games, it sure sounds like it.

“First impressions are important. But I also think your last impression is pretty critical,” said Huska

If the Flames go with two goalies, seven defenders and 14 forwards, they need to cut a goaltender, two defenders and one forward by Monday. Anybody who is going to be re-assigned and requires waivers needs to be waived by Sunday.

It’s going to be a busy few days.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-down-to-one-practice-group-on-tuesday-at-training-camp

 

[Calgary Flames]

Four Flames clear waivers, headed to the Wranglers

A bit of Calgary Flames training camp news in advance of their Wednesday night pre-season clash with the Vancouver Canucks.

Per several reports, four Flames players have cleared waivers on Wednesday after being placed on waivers on Tuesday: forwards Sam Morton, Dryden Hunt and Clark Bishop, and defenceman Yan Kuznetsov. They’ll all be assigned to the Wranglers at some point in the next day or so.

Morton, 26, is headed into his second pro season after signing as a free agent out of college. He had a strong year in 2024-25 with the Wranglers and made his NHL debut in Game 82, scoring his first NHL goal.

Hunt, 29, is a veteran pro who’s entering his 10th season. He’s bounced between the Flames and Wranglers since joining the organization at the 2023 trade deadline, and he’ll be a really valuable veteran for the Wranglers this season.

Bishop, 29, is entering his second season as the Wranglers captain and his 10th season of pro overall. He split last season between the Flames and the Wranglers and, like Hunt, will be leaned upon for leadership and mentorship of the Wranglers’ youngsters this season.

Kuznetsov, 23, is entering his fourth pro season. He had a superb season in 2024-25, providing Hunter Brzustewicz with a strong defensive partner as the American blueliner navigated his first pro season. Kuznetsov might not be a high-end offensive producer, but he’s a really versatile, valuable AHL defender.

These moves drop the Flames to 27 players on their training camp roster.

Here’s how the Flames and Wranglers stack up as of midday on Wednesday.

Flames camp roster​

The Flames have 27 players in camp:

• Goaltenders Devin Cooley, Ivan Prosvetov and Dustin Wolf
• Defencemen Rasmus Andersson, Kevin Bahl, Jake Bean, Joel Hanley, Daniil Miromanov, Brayden Pachal, Zayne Parekh, Ilya Solovyov and MacKenzie Weegar
• Forwards Mikael Backlund, Blake Coleman, Matt Coronato, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Matvei Gridin, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, Rory Kerins, Justin Kirkland, Adam Klapka, Ryan Lomberg, Martin Pospisil, Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary

The Flames have to be compliant with the NHL’s roster limit (23 players) and salary cap ($95.5 million) by 3 p.m. MT on Monday.

Wranglers camp roster​

The Wranglers just started camp, so their roster has a mix of NHL-contracted players, AHL-contracted players, and individuals on try-out deals with the Wranglers (but are likely destined for the ECHL):

• Goaltenders Noah Giesbrecht (try-out), Connor Murphy (AHL), Owen Say and Arsenii Sergeev
• Defencemen Arvils Bergmanis (try-out), Xavier Bernard (AHL), Hunter Brzustewicz, Nick Cicek, Billy Constantinou (try-out), Artem Grushnikov, Yan Kuznetsov, Simon Mack (AHL), Etienne Morin, Turner Ottenbreit (try-out), Chase Pauls, Jeremie Poirier and Alexander Stensson (try-out)
• Forwards Andrew Basha, Parker Bell, Blake Bennett (AHL), Clark Bishop, Parker Bowman (try-out), Ryan Chyzowski (AHL), Lucas Ciona, Brett Davis (AHL), Rasmus Ekstrom (try-out), Martin Frk (AHL), Alex Gallant (AHL), Sam Honzek, Dryden Hunt, Carter King, Sam Morton, Quinn Olson (AHL), David Silye (AHL), Chaz Smedsrud (try-out), William Stromgren, Aydar Suniev, Carter Wilkie and Briley Wood (AHL)

There is no formal roster limit in the AHL, though most teams tend to carry somewhere around 25 players.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/four-flames-clear-waivers-headed-to-the-wranglers

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames’ dress rehearsal goes poorly against Canucks

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!

Yeesh, thank goodness that’s over, eh?

On Wednesday night, the Calgary Flames welcomed the Vancouver Canucks to town for their second-last pre-season contest of this fall. And the game went very poorly for the home side, with Vancouver scoring early and often.

The Flames lost by a 8-1 score. The main positives for the Flames were that they likely learned some tough lessons, and that this game didn’t count in the standings.

The rundown​

The first few minutes were fairly even, but the Canucks broke the game open just shy of seven minutes into the first period after Brock Boeser snuck behind the Flames defence in the neutral zone, received a pass from Quinn Hughes, and then beat Ivan Prosvetov with a breakaway shot to go up 1-0.

PERFECT PASS, PERFECT GOAL
Quinn Hughes finds Brock Boeser wiiiide open for a breakaway, and Boeser makes no mistake. 1-0 Canucks!!#Canucks
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/iyFsqakAhO

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 2, 2025

Jonathan Huberdeau had a breakaway chance that was stopped by Kevin Lankinen.

Then three goals in a span of less than 90 seconds blew the game open entirely.

With Kevin Bahl in the penalty box, Elias Pettersson cranked a one-timer past Prosvetov to make it 2-0 Canucks.

CANUCKS SCORRRRRE

Elias Pettersson has never been more back, baby. #Canucks lead 2-0!!
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/BZQvG8S9Ra

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 2, 2025

Off a face-off win in the Flames zone, a Tyler Myers point shot wobbled in off a Flames player (Nazem Kadri) in front of the net to make it 3-0 Canucks.

CANUCKS SCORE AGAIN

Tyler Myers steps into a rocket that beats Prosvetov clean and the Canucks lead 3-0!

: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/v61IepNRK5

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 2, 2025

The Flames drew a penalty, but on the ensuing power play they couldn’t hold onto the puck and the Canucks had an odd-man rush. Derek Forbort, notable former Flame, finished off the rush by beating Prosvetov to makes it 4-0 Canucks.

SHORTHANDED GOAL

Derek Forbort off a feed from Garland puts the #Canucks up 4-0 in the first!!
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/V0Dg8uGmlx

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 2, 2025

30 seconds into the second period, the Flames broke Lankinen’s shutout bid. Yegor Sharangovich fired a bad angle shot on net. Lankinen made the initial stop, but seemed to lose his balance and he fell down. Joel Farabee jumped on the loose rebound and put it into the net past the sprawling Lankinen to make it 4-1.

(The Flames were also quite off-side on the prior zone entry, but there are no coach’s challenges during pre-season.)

Flames score a weird one where they're a mile offside and Lankinen catches an edge at the wrong time. 4-1 Canucks lead now.#Canucks
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/3RMpFminmO

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 2, 2025

But the Canucks scored again soon after, with a nice give-and-go passing play between Jake DeBrusk and Max Sasson finished by a Sasson shot that beat Prosvetov inside the far post to make it 5-1 Canucks.

CANUCKS SCORRRE

Jake DeBrusk and Max Sasson link up for a gorgeous give-and-go play to put the #Canucks back up by four!

: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/rTqBOLRyh3

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 2, 2025

Devin Cooley came into the game midway through the second period and immediately faced a Vancouver power play. Aatu Räty beat him short-side, low stick-side, to make it a 6-1 Canucks lead.

Canucks score again!
Aatu Räty hits the post on his first shot attempt, then manages to stuff the puck between Devin Cooley and the post. 6-1 Canucks!#Canucks
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/qC2D5b26Pw

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 2, 2025

Cooley made a nice stop on (Elias) Pettersson on a penalty shot later in the period.

EP40 gets slashed by Joel Hanley and is awarded a penalty shot, but he's unable to lift the puck over Cooley's pad. #Canucks
: Sportsnet | NHL pic.twitter.com/9pFus8AwBw

— CanucksArmy (@CanucksArmy) October 2, 2025

Midway through the third period, Vancouver generated an odd-man rush and Hughes, jumping into the rush, finished off the passing sequence with a back-hander past Cooley to give the Canucks a 7-1 lead.

Sasson scored a short-handed goal on an odd-man shorthanded rush with Arshdeep Bains to give Vancouver an 8-1 lead.

That’s how it ended.

How did it go?​

Uh, poorly.

The Flames were pretty sloppy early and their details weren’t there. That led to Boeser’s breakaway goal, Pettersson’s power play one-timer, and Forbort’s shorthanded goal. The third goal was a weird deflection off a point shot from a Flame. It’s hard to really fault the goaltenders on three or four oft those early Vancouver goals. The fifth and sixth ones weren’t great.

But the Flames really didn’t make life all that easy on their netminders. They looked disconnected and sloppy, and the result was a lot of high-quality chances on the sticks of some of Vancouver’s best players against prospective backup goaltenders. That’s rarely a recipe for success.

Neither goalie was great. But essentially zero parts of the Flames game looked all that good either.

This and that​

Calgary’s lines, via Pat Steinberg:

Farabee-Kadri-Sharangovich
Huberdeau-Frost-Coronato
Gridin-Backlund-Coleman
Zary-Kerins-Pospisil

Hanley-Weegar
Bahl-Andersson
Parekh-Pachal

Ivan Prosvetov started in net, backed up by Devin Cooley. Cooley entered the game midway through the second period.

Pospisil looked to be hurt late in the second period and didn’t play in the third period.

Huberdeau collided hard with Lankinen late in the third period and left the game.

Huberdeau had a head on head collision with Kevin Lankinen. Looks like he got his bell rung. pic.twitter.com/qeynTWeg92

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) October 2, 2025

Vancouver’s lines via Brandon Batchelor:

DeBrusk – E.Pettersson (40) – Boeser
O’Connor – Blueger – Garland
LaBate – Räty – Sherwood
Bains – Sasson – Karlsson

Hughes – Hronzek
M.Pettersson – Myers
Forbort – Mancini

Kevin Lankinen started in net, backed up by Nikita Tolopilo. Lankinen played the whole game.

Up next​

The Flames close out their exhibition calendar on Friday night when they host the Winnipeg Jets.

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Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-dress-rehearsal-goes-poorly-against-canucks