The roster looks oh-so-familiar. Almost all of the regulars have returned.
So perhaps it’s no surprise that the outside expectations for these Calgary Flames haven’t changed much either. While the Flames were one of the NHL’s surprise squads in 2024-25, ultimately missing the post-season in historically heart-wrenching fashion, it seems they are once again being left out of most playoff predictions.
“It’s fine,” shrugged Flames captain Mikael Backlund. “We just have to go out there and prove everyone wrong again.”
In defence of everyone, or almost everyone, they were somewhat right last season.
The Flames did miss the playoffs for a third consecutive spring, just not in the fashion that most were anticipating.
In what was supposed to be a woeful winter, they were in the Western Conference wildcard race until the very end. They were ultimately excluded due to a tiebreaker, matching the NHL’s unlucky record for most points by a team that started its vacation immediately after Game 82.
It was, by consensus, an encouraging step.
Except that didn’t shorten the summer any.
“As well as last year went, I don’t think any of us are happy with missing the playoffs,” said Flames sparkplug Ryan Lomberg, ensuring after Thursday’s first training-camp practice that there was no confusion about the aim for this coming campaign. “Last year, we did a lot of good things, didn’t get in. So this year, we have to do more.”
“Last year is last year and I was proud and yadda, yadda,” echoed alternate captain MacKenzie Weegar. “This year, it’s a little different.”
Different how?
That’s the question.
That’s the challenge, really.
Because on paper, these look like the same Flames.
There were no major departures over the off-season. The list of goners was limited to the backup netminder, the fourth-line centre and a winger who had been off injured since early November.
The most significant addition is the much-hyped arrival of blue-line blue-chipper Zayne Parekh, who should jump from junior to the NHL at the age of 19.
To write a different ending in 2025-26, the Flames are counting on some of their emerging core pieces to take another substantial step.
Forward William Stromgren takes a shot on goaltender Dustin Wolf on Thursday.
Rising-star puck-stopper Dustin Wolf won 29 games en route to a Calder Trophy nomination. Can he boost that total closer to 35?
Matt Coronato, who was skating on Day 1 of training camp as Calgary’s first-line right-winger, scored 24 goals in his sophomore campaign. Can he nudge that number to 30?
Connor Zary told reporters at the end of an injury-plagued season that he believes he is capable of a 20/50 stat-line. Can he prove himself right?
And can Flames head coach Ryan Huska, who seemingly squeezed just about every drop from a group that finished 41-27-14, squeeze a little harder?
That seems to be his intention.
“I think Husk set the expectation today,” Weegar said after Thursday’s tempo-setter. “It was a tough practice, and I think he’s getting us geared up for a hard season.”
Even harder than the last one.
That was the crux of Huska’s message as training camp opened at the Saddledome.
“You look at our team last year, we did a lot of great things,” Huska said. “And I don’t want them coming in this year thinking that it just automatically is the same. It doesn’t work that way. I just want them to turn the page and, in doing that, be prepared to chart a new course that is going to get us to where we want to be this year.
“We play hard, and teams now around the NHL know that. So we’re not getting maybe a team’s off-night this year. We’re not, that’s the way it’s going to be. So for us to get to the level we were at, and find another level, we have to be better. Plain and simple, we have to find a way to be better. Getting them to understand that it’s going to be harder this year is an important thing, I felt.
“Last year is in the past. You have to leave it there. And we have an opportunity now to chart a new course. That’s what is the most exciting thing. We have a group of guys that understand. The bulk of the players are all back. And I do feel like there is another step in all of them. There is a little bit more in all of them.”
There needs to be.
Or it could be a similar story, a similar ending.
That seems to be what the outsiders are expecting.
“We knew we were a good team last year, and we kind of proved it to ourselves in that locker room,” Lomberg said. “So now, the playoffs is the only thing we’re eyeing. We don’t want to be where we were last year — a good team, should have got in, blah, blah, blah.
“We want to get in and make some noise.”
Flames head coach Ryan Huska goes over drills with players during training camp on Thursday.