RSS Flames Team Notes

[Calgary Flames]

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

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

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

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

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

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 18, 2026

Here’s Friedman:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...ssion-to-talk-extension-with-rasmus-andersson

 

[Calgary Flames]

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

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

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

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

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

Could it be Calgary Flames captain Mikael Backlund?

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

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

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

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

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

Sponsored by bet365:

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) January 19, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— NHL (@NHL) January 19, 2026

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

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

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/after-rasmus-andersson-trade-to-vegas-the-flames-can-turn-another-page

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames grind out a point against Devils

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

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

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

The rundown​

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

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

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

Dawson Mercer opens the scoring for the Devils.

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

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

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

FLAMES GOAL

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

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

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

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

Jacob Markstrom is losing his mind

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

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

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

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

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

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

New Jersey wins in overtime.

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

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

Why the Flames got a point​

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

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

Red Warrior​

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

Turning point​

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

Devin Cooley stops Nico Hischier on a breakaway!

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

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 20, 2026

This and that​

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

After Burner​

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

Up next​

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

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

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

Theo Stockselius is back!

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

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

College​

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GOAL!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Junior​

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

Are you not entertained?!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

— Flint Firebirds (@FlintFirebirds) January 17, 2026

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

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

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

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

Overseas​

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

---

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

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...us-returns-abram-wiebe-joins-the-organization

 

[Calgary Flames]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sponsored by bet365:

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach nominated for Hobey Baker Award

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

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

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

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

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

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

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-prospect-ethan-wyttenbach-nominated-for-hobey-baker-award

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames found lacking against Penguins

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

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

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

The rundown​

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

Malkin breaks the ice in Calgary

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

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2026

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

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

Tic-tac-GOAL

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

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2026

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

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

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2026

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

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

Sid the Kid restores the Penguins' two-goal lead

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

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 22, 2026

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

TOMMY NOVAK!

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

— NHL (@NHL) January 22, 2026

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

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

Why the Flames lost​

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

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

Red Warrior​

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

Turning point​

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

This and that​

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

This was MacKenzie Weegar’s 600th NHL game.

After Burner​

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

Up next​

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

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sponsored by bet365:

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

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

The demise of the Anaheim Ducks has been greatly exaggerated.

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

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

Anaheim Ducks​

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

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

Calgary Flames​

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

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

Edmonton Oilers​

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

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

Los Angeles Kings​

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

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

San Jose Sharks​

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

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

Seattle Kraken​

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

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

Vancouver Canucks​

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

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

Vegas Golden Knights​

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

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

---

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

Sponsored by bet365:

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

NHL Notebook: Sabres hand Josh Doan seven-year extension

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

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

SEVEN MORE YEARS OF DOANER

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

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

— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) January 21, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wild’s Joel Eriksson Ek returns​

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

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

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

---

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

Sponsored by bet365:

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

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

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

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

The rundown​

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

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

FLAMES GOAL

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

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

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 24, 2026

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

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

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

Washington ties this game.

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

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 24, 2026

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

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

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

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

Aliaksei Protas puts Washington up 2-1

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

— Robert Munnich (@RingOfFireCGY) January 24, 2026

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

The Capitals won 3-1.

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

Why the Flames lost​

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

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

Red Warrior​

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

Turning point​

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

This and that​

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

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

After Burner​

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

Up next​

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

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

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

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

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

The 2026 draft​

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

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

The 2027 draft​

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

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

The 2028 draft​

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

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

The 2029 draft​

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

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

Sponsored by bet365:

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

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames injury news: John Beecher and Blake Coleman getting closer to returning to the lineup

The Calgary Flames are getting healthier. Ahead of Friday night’s game against the Washington Capitals, there was a new face on the ice. Forward John Beecher was spotted among those skating ahead of Friday’s game.

Flames head coach Ryan Huska was asked about if things are heading in the right direction for Beecher.

“”Very much so,” said Huska, via Flames TV. “We won’t see him before the break, though. But everything is progressing nicely with him.”

The Flames claimed Beecher off waivers from Boston back on Nov. 18. He was injured back on Jan. 3 against Nashville during a fight with Nicolas Hague. Friday was his 10th game on the sidelines, between his injury and a one-game suspension he served for punching Michael McCarron during a scrum.

Also back on the ice is forward Blake Coleman, who’s been out for the past seven games with an upper-body injury suffered back on Jan. 8 in Boston. Prior to Wednesday’s game, Huska was asked about Coleman’s status.

“I would say he’s close,” said Huska, via Flames TV. “I don’t think we’ll see him this week, in my opinion, but that could change as it goes. Every day, he’s getting better and better so you never know with Blake. He’s one of those guys that is more than willing to play when’s not quite 100%. So we’ll see as it keeps progressing. He’s getting better every day, which is something we’re happy about.”

(Per Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg: Coleman was still in a non-contact jersey on Friday.)

As of Friday’s game, the Flames had a full 23-man active roster, with two goaltenders, eight defencemen and 13 forwards – while he’s with the American League’s Calgary Wranglers on a conditioning stint, Zayne Parekh counts against the active roster. On the injury reserve are Beecher, Coleman, Jake Bean and Sam Honzek. The Flames have had an extra healthy forward and defenceman over the last little while.

For the Flames to activate either Beecher or Coleman from the IR, somebody would need to be assigned to the Wranglers to open up a roster spot. We’ll see how things unfold when one, or both, of those forwards are able to return to game action.

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames...man-getting-closer-to-returning-to-the-lineup

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames Game Day 52: A Sunday visit from the Ducks (6pm MT, SNW)

Four down, one to go. The Calgary Flames (21-25-5, 47 points) will close out a five game homestand on Sunday evening when they host the Anaheim Ducks (27-21-3, 57 points). The Flames opened their homestand with an impressive win over the New York Islanders, but have dropped their past three games and struggled to score. Can they close out their run of five games with a win?

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

The Flames​

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff (and Sportsnet’s Pat Steinberg):

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

Yan Kuznetsov – MacKenzie Weegar
Kevin Bahl – Zach Whitecloud
Joel Hanley – Hunter Brzustewicz

We’re projecting Dustin Wolf to start in net, backed up by Devin Cooley. The projected extra skaters are Brayden Pachal and Ryan Lomberg. And hey, the Flames have some new lines with some familiar pairings involved: Nazem Kadri’s line was used extensively in the past, Huberdeau/Frost and Backlund/Coronato are old classics, while the fourth line is just sort of a hodgepodge of whoever’s left. We’ll see how it works out against the Ducks.

The Flames are 3-7-1 since the calendar has flipped over to 2026. They’ve lost three in a row since the Rasmus Andersson trade, scoring three goals in that span. They know how they need to play to get results; fast, tenacious and structured defensively. But they just haven’t been doing that consistently enough to get wins of late.

Keep an eye on Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau in this game; both have struggled to generate scoring chances lately, and the Flames really need them to find their offensive swagger.

The Ducks​

Projected lines via Daily Faceoff:

Alex Killorn – Mikael Granlund – Beckett Sennecke
Chris Kreider – Jansen Harkins – Ryan Strome
Jeffrey Veil – Ryan Poehling – Cutter Gauthier
Ross Johnston – Tim Washe

Jackson LaCombe – Jacob Trouba
Pavel Mintuykov – Drew Helleson
Olen Zellweger – Radko Gudas
Ian Moore

We’re projecting Lukas Dostal to start in net, backed up by Ville Husso. The projected extra skater is Sam Colangelo.

The Ducks opened 2026 with a five game losing skid. But they’ve also won six in a row since then, so… they’re a bit streaky. But man, they’ve been really strong lately, finding ways to beat a lot of good hockey teams. This is the second game of a western swing; they’ll visit Edmonton on Monday in the back half of a back-to-back set.

Unavailable players​

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

The Ducks are without Frank Vatrano, Troy Terry, Petr Mrazek, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish.

The numbers​

Flames	Ducks
21	Wins	27
47 (.461)	Points (%)	57 (.559)
48.7% (23rd)	xGF%	50.6% (14th)
15.3% (32nd)	PP%	16.9% (24th)
83.4% (7th)	PK%	78.1% (21st)

Head to head​

This is the first of four meetings between the Flames and Ducks this season. They’ll meet again on Mar. 1 in Anaheim, Mar. 26 in Calgary and Apr. 4 again in Anaheim.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

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

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flames-game-day-52-a-sunday-visit-from-the-ducks-6pm-mt-snw

 

[Calgary Flames]

Instant Reaction: Flames earn point in overtime battle with Ducks

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

The Calgary Flames played a pretty good game on Sunday night against the Anaheim Ducks. They had a superb first period and a couple good periods after that. It just was not enough to get two points.

Beckett Sennecke scored a hat trick, including the game-winner in overtime, in a 4-3 Ducks win over the Flames.

The rundown​

The Flames played quite well in the first period, skating well, moving the puck well, and generating a lot.

6:17 into the opening period, the Flames opened the scoring. Mikael Backlund made a nice play, driving the net. The rebound wasn’t controlled by anybody, though, and amidst the chaos, Jonathan Huberdeau jammed at the puck and it deflected into the Anaheim net off Jackson LaCombe’s skate to give the Flames a 1-0 lead.

Huberdeau makes it 1-0!

pic.twitter.com/jOfidSM8V6

— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) January 26, 2026

The Flames made it 2-0 a couple minutes later. Justin Kirkland won an offensive zone draw and the puck was cycled back to Hunter Brzustewicz. Brzustewicz looked like he was trying to throw the puck to Joel Farabee for a back-door play… but the puck ricocheted off LaCombe’s stick and wobbled past Lukas Dostal to make it 2-0.

Hunter Brzustewicz first NHL Goal

pic.twitter.com/M1CcAHNu0W

— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) January 26, 2026

First period shots were 17-3 Flames. Via Natural Stat Trick, 5v5 scoring chances were 14-8 Flames and high-danger scoring chances were 7-6 Flames.

The Ducks cut into the Flames’ lead 3:22 into the second period off a nice bit of passing. Mikael Granlund deked around Nazem Kadri and threw a pass out front to Alex Killorn. Killorn deftly fed the puck over to Beckett Sennecke and he fired it past Dustin Wolf to make it a 2-1 hockey game.

Sennecke

Killer finds him and he slams it home! #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/dW3PmOZjQk

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) January 26, 2026

The Ducks tied it up a little while later. Morgan Frost’s line had an offensive rush that was broken up at the Ducks blueline, and play headed the other way. The Flames had defenders back, but they were frozen by some nice Ducks passing, allowing Sennecke to fire another puck past Wolf to tie the game at 2-2.

Beckett Sennecke double dips and we're tied in Calgary! pic.twitter.com/stnPF7X73J

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 26, 2026

The Ducks had a goal disallowed later in the second period, after Killorn whacked a puck out of the air with a high stick and it deflected off Sennecke into the Flames net.

Second period shots were 10-8 Flames. 5v5 scoring chances were 12-7 Ducks and high-danger scoring chances were 4-1 Ducks.

The Flames retook the lead on a third period power play. Matt Coronato received a slick pass from Matvei Gridin, standing at the side of the net to Dostal’s right. Coronato settled the puck and roofed it past Dostal to give Calgary a 3-2 lead.

Matt Coronato gives the flames the lead!

pic.twitter.com/l6fh6w4aR1

— FlamesNation (@FlamesNation) January 26, 2026

But as the minutes wound down, the Ducks tied things up. A turnover up ice left Brzustewicz defending an odd-man rush, and Chris Kreider fired a pass from Ryan Poehling past Wolf to tie the game at 3-3.

Chris Kreider finishes on the two-on-one to tie the game pic.twitter.com/mzKelhbosm

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 26, 2026

Third period shots were 8-6 Flames.

Overtime went back and forth, with Coronato have a couple cracks at getting the game-winner. But play went the other way, and Sennecke beat Wolf off the rush to give the Ducks a 4-3 victory.

HAVE A NIGHT, ROOK pic.twitter.com/I95mfbpUJX

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 26, 2026

Why the Flames got a point​

Man, the Flames were fantastic in the first period (and the Ducks were slow). But much Friday night’s game with Washington, the Flames got a little worse after the first 20 minutes and the opponents seemed to wake up. The Flames were great in the first 20 minutes and they were perfectly fine for the last 40 minutes. They were just leaky enough defensively to let this game get to overtime.

Red Warrior​

Mikael Backlund had an assist, won two-thirds of his face-offs, and was generally quite good throughout this game.

Turning point​

Depending on your rooting interests, seeing the Flames give up a one goal lead in the waning minutes of the third period had to hurt. (Or not, again, depending on your rooting interests.)

This and that​

The Flames rolled out new lines for this game. (Yes, again):

• Zary – Kadri – Pospisil
• Huberdeau – Frost – Gridin
• Sharangovich – Backlund – Coronato
• Farabee – Kirkland – Klapka

It was announced during this game that the practice rink at Scotia Place will be sponsored by Esso and be named Esso Community Arena.

Brzustewicz’s first career goal was the fourth such goal for a Flames player this season, following Matvei Gridin (Oct. 8 at Edmonton), Sam Honzek (Oct. 28 at Toronto) and Yan Kuznetsov (Nov. 28 at Tampa Bay).

After Burner​

Join Mike and Jordan from the In The Dome podcast right after the game for After Burner!

Up next​

The Flames (21-25-6) are headed on the road. They’ll face the Minnesota Wild on Thursday night.

This article is brought to you by Platinum Mitsubishi​

This article is a Presentation of Platinum Mitsubishi, family owned and operated by lifelong Calgarians. Home of the best warranty in the business with ten year warranties available. Check out the showroom at 2720 Barlow Trail NE or online at www.mitsu.ca

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/instant-reaction-flames-earn-point-in-overtime-battle-with-ducks

 

[Calgary Flames]

FlamesNation Mailbag: The Olympic break is nearly upon us

Gang, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy begin on Feb. 5. We’ll get two awesome hockey tournaments featuring the top women’s (Feb. 5-19) and men’s (Feb. 11-22) national teams in the world.

And between now and then, the Calgary Flames have four games left on the docket before we break for the Olympics. As we prepare for the homestretch before the Olympics, let’s dive into the mailbag!

What happened to the wranglers? They have now lost 6 in a row. What happened to there special teams? This wranglers team isn’t even close to the 2022-23 2023-24 or the 2024-25 team. It feels like a very fragile hockey team right now

— Zach Nelson (@ZachNel94375526) January 25, 2026

Honestly, a few things happened that have piled up on them a bit.

• On Nov. 4, Yan Kuznetsov was called up to the Flames. Kuznetsov is a superb two-way defender and he’s so good at calming down games in the defensive zone and killing penalties. Games tend to get a little more shaky defensively without his stabilizing presence on the back end.
• On Dec. 2, Ivan Prosvetov got injured. Prosvetov is an experienced pro goaltender with a bunch of NHL games under his belt and, like Kuznetsov, having him in net is a big calming presence. In Prosvetov’s absence, the Wranglers have leaned on Owen Say (until he got injured) and Arsenii Sergeev, a pair of rookies. There’s a drop-off in terms of how well they can manage games.
• On Dec. 8, Hunter Brzustewicz got called up to the Flames. Brzustewicz is more of an offensive specialist than Kuznetsov, but he’s also a guy that can play a lot against top players and generate more chances than he’ll give up.

Take away your top two blueliners and your starting goaltender and your team will be a bit shaky for awhile.

What do you think the development plan will be on Zayne Parehk post trade deadline?

— Finn Carrière (@FinnCarr42) January 25, 2026

Let’s assume that Zayne Parekh maxes out his two weeks in the AHL and returns to the Flames starting around the start of February. That’ll leave 28 games on the docket. I would aim to play Parekh in at least half of those games and basically give him a steady dose of power play time. (The only reason I’d say not to play him in every game is so he has a bit of physical recovery and development built into things.)

He’s not a complete player and he’ll need some time to bulk up in the gym. But man, the tools are there, and it’s just about helping him catch his body and his on-ice execution up to his hockey mind. The kid is flat-out brilliant and once the tools and the toolbox are aligned, the sky may be the limit.

Probably a pipe dream but…

If Kadri wanted to and Carolina is interested, what kind of framework would you see for a trade of Kadri for Nikishin?

Feel like a solid young LHD would be the kind of return the Flames want for Kadri, and the Hurricanes have the cap space and need.

— Devin Loucks (@Gilaeth) January 25, 2026

Alexander Nikishin is a 24-year-old left shot blueliner who has 21 points this season with Carolina and will be a restricted free agent after this season. He’s gonna get paid. Nazem Kadri is older, yeah, but he’s cost-controlled and could help Carolina out.

I really want to suggest a one-for-one trade. It saves Carolina from having to figure out Nikishin’s next contract. It gives them a centre. (Would the Flames need to throw in a mid-to-late round pick to avoid retaining salary?)

I like this idea, but I’m not sure how the balance value and risk between the two sides properly.

Who’s on an expiring deal and who could get dealt next from Calgary?

— Ed Helinski (@MrEd315) January 25, 2026

Hardly anyone is on an expiring deal, except for Ryan Lomberg, Jake Bean and Justin Kirkland.

I would not be shocked if Blake Coleman is moved. Maybe even Nazem Kadri, given all the chatter all the insiders seem to be hearing.

Hi Ryan, Mark Giordano was a Flame I always admired for his play and his character. His retirement announcement seemed very quiet/under the radar last fall, and I was disappointed that it really didn't seem to be acknowledged by the Flames,

— KM (@KMo21) January 25, 2026

Honestly, it may just be as simple as Mark Giordano was working for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the time and if you’re going to make a big hubbub about his retirement, you’d want to find a way to be involved in it in some way. He was a heck of a player and one of the better captains in club history.

Ryan, if you had to take a guess now after the Rasmus trade where do you think the flames will finish in the league standings? Thanks!

— Big Daddy (@bigdaddybustard) January 25, 2026

The smart people at The Athletic do forecasting of standings based on their statistical modelling, and they are projecting the Flames to finish 31st overall in their most recent projections.

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!)

The FlamesNation Monday Mailbag is presented to you by Village Honda​

Looking to sell your vehicle? Village Honda wants to buy it. We offer complimentary, no obligation appraisals, payment in 24 hours, top value trade in values and best of all, no stress. Skip selling your vehicle privately and stop in Village Honda today. No appointment necessary.

Village Honda is proud to be your dealership for life in Calgary since 1987. We are located in the Northwest Auto Mall under the giant Canadian flag or online at www.villagehonda.com.

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/flamesnation-mailbag-the-olympic-break-is-nearly-upon-us

 

[Calgary Flames]

NHL Notebook: Hurricanes and Sabres make a trade involving two AHL players

Another trade was made ahead of the upcoming roster freeze.

On Saturday, the Carolina Hurricanes traded defenceman Gavin Bayreuther to the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Russian forward Viktor Neuchev.

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Gavin Bayreuther from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forward Viktor Neuchev and assigned Bayreuther to the Rochester Americans (AHL). pic.twitter.com/Y9bJVBKgmB

— Buffalo Sabres PR (@SabresPR) January 24, 2026

Neuchev, born in Chelyabinsk, Russia (yes, where the meteor hit in 2013) was drafted in the third round of the 2022 draft. After spending his first season after being drafted in Russia, the left winger came stateside, playing 57 games with the American Hockey League’s Rochester Americans in 2023-24. He potted 11 goals and 28 points in 57 games.

Last season, the 22-year-old scored seven goals and 22 points in 39 games, and through 34 AHL games this season, he has six goals and 16 points.

Bayreuther has National Hockey League experience, as the undrafted defenceman has played 122 NHL games, 19 with the Dallas Stars where he scored two goals and five points in 2018-19, and the rest with the Columbus Blue Jackets. His best season was in 2022-23, as the 31-year-old scored two goals and 14 points in 51 games.

He hasn’t played in the NHL since 2022-23, instead playing the 2023-24 and 2025-26 seasons in the AHL, as well as the 2024-25 season in Switzerland.

Filip Chytil returns after lengthy absence for Canucks​

On Saturday, Vancouver Canucks forward Filip Chytil dressed for the team for the first time since their sixth game of the season, a 44-game absence.

Chytil was held pointless in both games since his return, as he now has three goals in eight games. Drafted by the New York Rangers with the 21st overall pick in the 2017 draft, Chytil consistently put up 22 or 23 points in his first four full seasons, before exploding for 22 goals and 45 points during the 2022-23 season.

Unfortunately, he played in just 10 games with the Rangers in 2023-24 before an injury, and played an additional six games in the post-season. In 2024-25, Chytil played 41 games with the Rangers, scoring 11 goals and 20 points before being traded to the Canucks for J.T. Miller. After the trade, the left-shot centre scored two goals and six points in 15 games.

Although Chytil’s return does make the Canucks stronger, the 2025-26 season has quickly spiralled into one to forget for the British Columbia-based team. Through 52 games in, their 39 points are the fewest in the league, with the next closest team being the St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets with 47. The Rangers aren’t doing much better, as they have 48 points this season.

Malkin wants to play in 2026-27​

Evgeni Malkin wants to play one more year in the NHL, according to the Russian centre after the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 6-2 defeat over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday.

Evgeni Malkin had a lot to say after the Penguins' win in Edmonton.

"I want one more year. I want to show I’m still a good player. I want everybody to see I can play next year. It’s my goal right now.” pic.twitter.com/3vT8NNCqDQ

— King Jemison (@king_jemison) January 23, 2026

The Magnitogorsk, Russian forward has proved to be one of, if not the most, underrated players of the last generation. Now 39 years old, Malkin was drafted second overall by the Penguins in 2004, one pick behind fellow Russian Alexander Ovechkin. Over his 20 NHL seasons, Malkin has 527 goals and 1,386 points in 1,249 games.

He’s a two-time Art Ross Trophy winner, a Conn Smythe Trophy winner, and a Hart Trophy winner, as well as winning three Stanley Cups with the Penguins. To prove how underrated Malkin is, he wasn’t named as a top 100 player of all time in 2017 to celebrate the league’s 100th birthday.

After scoring 16 goals and 50 points in 68 games last season, the veteran is back to being over a point-per-game in 2025-26, scoring 13 goals and 40 points in 36 games.

---

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

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS​

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code FLAMESNATION (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/nhl-no...sabres-make-a-trade-involving-two-ahl-players

 

[Calgary Flames]

Flames prospect round: Andrew Basha continues to dominate since being assigned to the WHL

Andrew Basha’s return has been huge for the Medicine Hat Tigers.

This is the Jan. 20-26 edition of the Flames prospect round-up, where we look at how Calgary Flames prospects have done every week. Specifically, we’ll look at players playing overseas, in junior hockey, or at the college level, as the American Hockey League prospects will have an article of their own in the Wranglers Recaps.

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

College​

The Flames have 11 prospects playing in college in four different conferences. Two of those prospects, Arizona State’s Cullen Potter and Michigan’s Henry Mews, are out with season-ending injuries.

Here’s how the college players did, what games are coming up this week, and what the standings look like.

NCHC ​

With Cullen Potter’s season-ending injury, there are only four prospects in action in the NCHC conference for the rest of the season. Three of those prospects play for North Dakota, who defeated Potter’s Arizona State in two games this past week, winning 7-4 and 5-3.

Despite the 12 goals between the two games, Flames prospects combined for just two points, as Abram Wiebe had an assist in the 7-4 win and Cole Reschny had an assist in the other win, while Cade Littler was held pointless. This season, Reschny has four goals and 25 points in 22 games, Littler has four goals and 11 points in 24 games, and Wiebe (a defenceman) has three goals and 15 points in 26 games.

Eric Jamieson’s Denver played St. Cloud twice this past weekend, falling 4-2 in the first game but getting their revenge with a 6-0 victory. Jamieson picked up an assist in their win, giving him six goals and 14 points in 27 games.

This week, North Dakota is off, but returns the following weekend with two games against Minnesota Duluth on February 6 and February 7. Denver is in action, as they host Minnesota Duluth for two games on the typical schedule of Friday and Saturday.

Looking at the standings, North Dakota has 38 points in 16 in-conference games, posting a 12-4-0 record. Second in the conference is Denver, who have a 10-6-0 record and 30 points in 16 games. Although it doesn’t matter now that Potter is out, Arizona State is sixth in the conference. The top eight teams in the nine-team conference make the end-of-season tournament.

Hockey East​

In Hockey East action, Trevor Hoskin’s Merrimack played two games against Northeastern, winning Thursday’s game by a score of 4-1, followed by a 3-1 win on Friday. Hoskin only picked up an assist in Thursday’s win, dropping him to below point-per-game this season. Overall, he has six goals and 22 points in 23 games.

Jaden Lipinski’s Maine was in action this week, playing two games against UMass Lowell. They won both games, winning 2-0 on Friday and 6-5 in overtime on Saturday. Unfortunately, Lipinski has been out of action since January 10, as he remains on three goals and eight points in 21 games this season.

Merrimack played a home-and-home against New Hampshire this weekend, hosting them for the first game on Friday, before heading to Durham on Saturday. It’s unclear when Lipinski will return to the lineup, but Maine hosts Providence on Saturday in Hockey East action.

All 11 teams in Hockey East make the end-of-season tournament, with the five-best teams earning a bye. Maine sits sixth with 21 points in 15 games, while Merrimack has 19 points in 15 games.

ECAC Hockey​

In ECAC Hockey action, Quinnipiac played in the Connecticut Ice tournament, defeating Sacred Heart 5-1, but falling 4-2 to UConn. To the surprise of no one, Flames prospect Ethan Wyttenbach had a strong week, scoring a goal and picking up an assist in the win, and picking up an assist in the loss. The fifth-rounder has 14 goals and 36 points in 26 games this season, just incredible.

Snipe City #BobcatNation x #NCAAHockey pic.twitter.com/qLgsDxq7fG

— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) January 23, 2026

Harvard’s Aidan Lane was also in action, as they defeated Colgate 3-1, but fell 4-1 to Cornell. The Flames’ sixth-rounder in 2025 was held pointless in both games, giving him five goals and seven points in 20 games this season.

Quinnipiac hits the road this weekend, taking on St. Lawrence on Friday and Clarkson on Saturday, both games have a 5:00 PM MT start time. Lane and Harvard take on RPI on Friday and Boston College on Monday.

After 12 games this season, Quinnipiac are at the top of ECAC Hockey’s standings with 28 points thanks to a 10-2-0 record. Harvard is second in the conference, with 27 points in 14 games and a 9-5-0 record. All 12 teams make the end-of-season tournament, with teams 1-4 earning a bye.

Big Ten​

Lastly, Luke Misa’s Penn State was in action this week, defeating Wisconsin twice. On Friday, they won 7-2, then picked up a 3-1 win on Saturday to extend their winning streak to seven games. Misa was held pointless, as the fifth-rounder in the 2024 draft has four goals and 11 points in 24 games.

This week, Penn State hosts Michigan State for two games. Friday’s game has a 4:00 PM MT start time and Saturday’s game has a 11:00 AM MT start time. Penn State currently has 31 points, tied for the top of the conference with Henry Mews’ Michigan. All seven teams in the conference make the end-of-season tournament.

Junior​

The Flames have five players in junior hockey, three in the Western Hockey League’s Eastern Conference, one in the Ontario Hockey League, and one in the United States Hockey League.

Let’s take a look at how their weeks went, their next opponents, and how the standings shape up as of Tuesday.

WHL​

Andrew Basha and the Medicine Hat Tigers played three games this past week, defeating Axel Hurtig and the Calgary Hitmen 4-3, losing 3-2 in a shootout to Hunter Laing and the Saskatoon Blades, and falling 5-1 to the Prince Albert Raiders. Basha had a point in all three games, scoring a goal and an assist in the win, and scoring a game in each of their losses. Since he was sent down from the American Hockey League, Basha has five goals and 16 points in 10 games.

ANDREW BASHA!!! Sneaks one in and gives the lead right back to the Tabbies! @tigershockey | @NHLFlames | #Flames pic.twitter.com/x2bFF2gdkR

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 24, 2026

Along with their 3-2 shootout victory over the Tigers, the Blades defeated the Victoria Royals 3-1, but fell 5-1 to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Sunday. Laing returned to the lineup, picking up a goal in the 3-2 shootout win to give him 18 goals and 36 points in 39 games this season.

HUNTER LAING!!! FROM AN IMPOSSIBLE ANGLE!!! @BladesHockey | @NHLFlames | #Flames pic.twitter.com/ShHKnavqMB

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) January 24, 2026

As for the Hitmen, Hurtig’s team lost 4-3 to the Tigers, but responded with a 5-1 victory over the Red Deer Rebels, followed by a 6-3 victory over the Regina Pats. Hurtig picked up an assist in the loss and the 5-1 win, along with a fight in their 6-3 victory over the Pats. This season, the seventh-rounder in the 2023 draft has three goals and 12 points in 40 games.

This week, the Tigers host the Blades on Tuesday, then the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Saturday. On top of that road game against the Tigers, the Blades hit the road to play the Hurricanes on Wednesday, before a home-and-home against the Raiders on Saturday and Sunday. The Hitmen play the Oil Kings on Wednesday, followed by a game against the Hurricanes on Friday.

With a 1-1-1 week, the Tigers are now second in the WHL’s Eastern Conference with 70 points, four fewer than the Raiders. Sitting in fourth are the Hitmen with 55 points, meaning they’d get home ice in the first round if the post-season were to start today. The Blades are in reach of the Hitmen though, as they have 52 points and are sixth in the conference. Eight of the 12 teams make it in a traditional 1-8 format.

OHL​

Jacob Battaglia and the Flint Firebirds played two games against the Windsor Spitfires this past week. They won the away game 4-2, but dropped the home game 4-1, with Battaglia being held off the scoresheet in both games, including a -3 in the loss. It’s been a tough season for the Flames’ second-rounder in 2024, as he has 17 goals and 31 points in 44 games this season. Since joining the Firebirds, he has three goals and four points. For context, Battaglia scored 40 goals and 90 points in 68 games last season.

The Firebirds and Spitfires exchanged points, meaning they both have 66 points for a tie at the top of the OHL’s Western Conference. However, the Spitfires have a hire point percentage of .717 percent. Like the WHL, the top eight teams in each of the two conferences make the post-season. This week, the Firebirds host the Barrie Colts on Friday and the Sarina Sting on Saturday.

USHL​

Mace’o Phillips and the Green Bay Gamblers played two games against the Muskegon Lumberjacks this past week, losing a game 3-2 and winning the other one 3-1. The Flames defence prospect picked up an assist in their win, giving him a goal and seven points in 25 games this season.

The Gamblers sit second in the USHL’s Eastern Conference with 56 points in 40 games. That’s good news for the Gamblers, as the top two teams earn a bye, with six of the eight teams in each conference making the playoffs. On Saturday, the Gamblers face off against the Dubuque Fighting Saints.

Overseas​

And finally, we have overseas. The Flames have five prospects playing in two different leagues, three in Russia’s junior league and two in Sweden’s U20 league.

Let’s take a look at how the prospects did, their upcoming games, and how the standings shape up.

Sweden​

Theo Stockselius was in action with Djurgårdens IF U20 this week, as they defeated AIK U20 by a score of 4-3 in overtime. The Swedish prospect was held off the scoresheet, giving him three goals and 14 points in 10 games this season, after missing a large chunk of it due to injury. He also played a game with their SHL game, where he was held pointless in six minutes of action.

Jakob Leander and HV71 U20 were in action this week, falling 4-3 to Örebro HK U20 and 5-4 in overtime to Färjestad BK U20. The Flames defence prospect was held pointless in both games, giving him two goals and eight points on the season.

It’s unclear how long Stockselius will remain with Djurgårdens IF, but their U20 team takes on Skellefteå AIK U20 on Saturday and Luleå HF U20 on Sunday. HV71 U20 take on Linköping HC U20 on Friday.

The 27-game limit has been reached, meaning that the standings split up now. Djurgårdens IF U20 finished in the winners’ stage (also known as the top 10), while HV71 U20 finished in the losers’ stage (also known as the continuation stage).

Djurgårdens IF U20 will play in the playoffs, but they’ll be jockeying for position, while HV71 U20 is currently fighting to avoid relegation, needing to make up six points to make the playoffs. Four teams miss the playoffs, with the bottom two teams playing a relegation season with the two teams from the second tier.

Russia​

This past week, Kirill Zarubin and Mikhailov Academy played just one game, a 6-1 victory over AKM-Yunior. Due to their light schedule, Zarubin played the second half of the game, stopping all 15 shots he faced. This season, the 20-year-old has a .930 save percentage and 2.06 goals against average in 31 games.

Fellow Russian netminder Yegor Yegorov was incredibly busy with JHC Spartak-MAX this week. They fell 3-1 and 1-0 to Amurskie Tigry, then 2-1 in a shootout to Sakhalinskie Akuly, before avenging their loss with a 4-2 victory the following day. Yegorov appeared in three of those games, posting a .938 save percentage in the 1-0 loss, a .969 save percentage in the 2-1 shootout loss, and a .933 save percentage in the 4-2 win. This season, the 20-year-old netminder has a .927 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average in 24 games played.

Yan Matveiko’s Red Army played two games against Dinamo-Shinnik, winning one game 6-5 in overtime, before dropping the other game 5-1. The Flames prospect picked up an assist in the win and was a -1 for the week, as the 19-year-old now has 13 goals and 30 points in 34 games, and is a +20.

This week, Mikhailov Academy plays SKA-1946 for two games, one on Thursday and the other on Friday. They also play JHC Dynamo SPB on Monday and Tuesday. Yegorov’s JHC Spartak-MAX plays HC Kapitan on Thursday, Almaz on Sunday, and Loko on Tuesday. Matveiko’s Red Army plays JHC Atlant on Wednesday, Tolpar on Friday, and Loko on both Sunday and Monday.

I spent a good 30 minutes attempting to figure out what was going on in Sweden’s standings, but Russia is far easier, albeit still complicated. The top five teams from the Gold Division earn a bye, while teams six through eight play the top three teams from the Silver Division. Right now, Red Army is third in the Gold Division, Mikhailov Academy is sixth in the Gold Division, and JHC Spartak-MAX is fourth in the Silver Division, eight points back of a playoff spot with five games in hand.

---

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/flames...s-to-dominate-since-being-assigned-to-the-whl

 

[Calgary Flames]

NHL Notebook: Rangers trade Carson Soucy to Islanders

The New York Islanders have acquired a defenceman from the New York Rangers.

On Monday, the Rangers began their sell off, trading defenceman Carson Soucy to the Islanders for a 2026 third-round pick. It’s just the fourth time the two rivals have traded since the Islanders entered the league during the 1972-73 season.

The teams are heading in opposite directions. After making the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024, the Rangers began trading core players like Jacob Trouba and Chris Kreider, ironically both to the Anaheim Ducks. Their star, Artemi Panarin will likely be traded as well.

On the other hand, the Islanders got incredibly lucky in the draft lottery, landing the first overall pick. With that pick, they selected Matthew Schaefer, who has turned their fortunes around immediately. As it stands, the Islanders are third in the Metropolitan division, with a 28-19-5 record, while the Rangers sit at the bottom of the conference with 50 points.

Soucy, 31, was having a decent season with the Rangers, scoring three goals and eight points in 46 games. While it was well below his career-best of 10 goals and 21 points set in 2021-22, he’s a solid depth addition for the Islanders.

Oilers defencemen score a hat trick in back-to-back games​

On Monday in a game against the Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers defenceman Mattias Ekholm scored his first career hat trick thanks to an empty netter in a 7-4 win. Two nights before, Evan Bouchard scored a hat trick in a six point game. This was the first time in National Hockey League history that two defencemen on the same team have scored a hat trick in back-to-back games.

The funny thing is, the Oilers most recent hat trick before Bouchard’s on Saturday was over 20 years ago, when Marc-André Bergeron scored all three of the Oilers goals in a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators.

Not just that, but the Oilers also set a different record in Monday’s game, scoring the four quickest goals by defenceman, as Ekholm scored twice, Darnell Nurse scored once, and Spencer Stastney scored his first goal as an Oiler in a span of three minutes and 49 seconds. It’s just the sixth time in league history that a team has gotten four goals from defencemen, and the first time since November, 2000.

Still, the Oilers don’t look like the team they have been the past two seasons, as they are the lone team in the league who hasn’t managed a three-game winning streak.

Kings and Blue Jackets postpone Monday’s game​

On Monday afternoon, the NHL announced that the game between the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets will be postponed to Mar. 9.

Game Update pic.twitter.com/maZWbHCxKe

— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 26, 2026

The game was postponed due to a major storm that hit a large part of North America, ranging from North Mexico to Eastern Canada, hitting many states in the east along the way. It’s the first postponement of the season, after two postponements in 2024-25. One of those games included both the Calgary Flames and Kings, as that was postponed to the end of the season due to the South Carolina wildfires.

With the game postponed to Mar. 9, it will extend a home stand to four games for the Blue Jackets, and also be the first game of a back-to-back. On the Kings’ end, it’ll kick start what is now a five-game Eastern Conference road trip.

---

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

Sponsored by bet365:

Source: https://flamesnation.ca/news/nhl-notebook-rangers-trade-carson-soucy-to-islanders