Flames
A preview of the 2025-26 NHL season for the Calgary Flames, including predictions from VSiN NHL Expert Jonathan Davis. For all other NHL team previews, check out our NHL page.
Key Additions: Ivan Prosvetov
Key Departures: Dan Vladar, Anthony Mantha, Kevin Rooney
Overview
The Flames were one of the league’s biggest surprises last season, but still fell short of making the playoffs. Calgary’s 96 points would have been enough to make the Eastern Conference playoffs, but with fewer regulation wins than the Wild, who captured the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, Calgary found themselves on the outside looking in.
Offense
The Flames finished 29th in offense and had a -13 goal differential. Calgary had only two players with more than 60 points and did not have another player with more than 47 points.
Nazem Kadri led the team with 35 goals, 67 points and his 279 shots on goal (3.4/game) were 83 more than Blake Coleman, who was second on the team (179). Jonathan Huberdeau’s 28 goals last season were more than his first two seasons combined (27) in Calgary. His 19:33 average time on ice was a career-high and his three shorthanded goals led the team.
It was also a breakout year for Matt Coronato. Coronato, who scored 38 goals in 68 games at Harvard, scored 24 goals and 47 points in his first full season with the Flames. Calgary is going to need more from Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, who they acquired just prior to the Trade Deadline from Philadelphia. The two combined for six goals in 63 games with the Flames. Frost has reached the 19-goal mark once in his career, while Farabee is a two-time 20-goal scorer.
Defense
The big question heading into the season is not if, but when will the Flames move Rasmus Andersson. Andersson is in the final year of his contract. The Flames have not been able to find a trading partner that they feel can offer the necessary return and/or a team that the impending UFA would agree to signing a contract extension.
But, there is a great deal of excitement surrounding Zayne Parekh, the ninth overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The question surrounding Parekh is whether the defensive part of his game is good enough for him to stick around for the full season. MacKenzie Weegar has led Flames defensemen in scoring the past two seasons, though his goal total did drop from 20 to eight last season. Kevin Bahl has been reliable playing on the top pair. Joel Hanley, Jake Bean and Brayden Paschal are all solid bottom-pairing defensemen.
Goaltending
Dustin Wolf’s 29 wins in his first season earned him recognition as one of the finalists for Rookie of the Year. Wolf was Calgary’s best player on most nights. He earned more wins, had a better GAA, SV% and more shutouts than Jacob Markstrom had the year prior. With the emergence of Wolf, who was just signed to a seven-year, $52 million deal, the Flames feel they have their goalie of the future. Backup Dan Vladar left after four seasons in Calgary and signed with Philadelphia. The Flames agreed to terms with Ivan Prosvetov, who spent last season in the KHL. Prosvetov has 24 NHL games on his resume, most recently with the Colorado Avalanche in 2023-24.
Player to Watch
Impending UFA Rasmus Andersson has the potential to return a decent-sized package of players and/or prospects in a trade. Until he is moved, it will be a daily topic for Flames fans and the media covering the team.
Outlook
Sportsbooks are not buying the Flames’ success from last season and see them taking a big step backwards. Their projected point total of 82.5 is a far cry from the 96 they finished with last season. They are -350 to miss the playoffs and I think that is a safe bet for them to miss. I hope I won’t have to wait till the final regular season game this year to cash this bet like I did last year.
Team Futures
Regular Season Points: 82.5
To Make the Playoffs: +270
To Miss the Playoffs: -350
To Win the Pacific Division: +4500
To Win the Western Conference: +5000
To Win the Stanley Cup: +10000
2024-25 Recap
Record: 41-27-14, 96 points (4th Pacific Division)
Over/Under: 35-45-2
Home Favorite: 16-5 // Home Dog: 7-13
Road Favorite: 5-2 // Road Dog: 13-19
Win Score 4 or more: 20 of 41 // Lose Give Up 4 or more: 24 of 41
Puck Line Wins: 22 of 41 // Puck Line Losses: 25 of 41
Front End Back-to-Back: 5-5 // Back End Back-to-Back: 3-7
Points Leader: Nazem Kadri – 67
Goal Leader: Nazem Kadri – 35
Assist Leader: MacKenzie Weegar – 39
Shots on Goal Leader: Nazem Kadri – 279
Blocked Shots Leader: Rasmus Andersson – 196
Depth Chart
Forwards
Jonathan Huberdeau / Nazem Kadri / Matt Coronato
Connor Zary / Morgan Frost / Yegor Sharongovich
Joel Farabee / Mikael Backlund / Blake Coleman
Ryan Lomberg / Martin Pospisil / Adam Klapka
Defense
Kevin Bahl / Rasmus Andersson
Joel Hanley / MacKenzie Weegar
Jake Bean / Brayden Pachal
Goalies
Dustin Wolf / Ivan Prosvetov
Power Play Unit 1
Jonathan Huberdeau, Morgan Frost, Nazem Kadri, Matt Cornato, MacKenzie Weegar
