The quarter mark of the 2025-26 season is mercifully here, and boy was it a rough one for the Calgary Flames. In fact it was the worst first quarter in Flames franchise history, as the team hit the 20 game mark with a record of 5-13-2 and sitting last in the NHL. With that said, it’s time to hand out some Calgary Flames report card grades.

First up, the blueline. We’ll only consider players who have logged at least 100 minutes at 5v5 so far this season. Sorry Yan Kuznetsov.

All numbers are courtesy of naturalstattrick.com.

B

Joel Hanley

No this isn’t a typo, Joel Hanley grades out as one of the best Flames defencemen of the first quarter. Bear with me for a second. Hanley finished the quarter with the highest CF% among Flames blueliners at 59.59% in his 259 minutes, while also logging the third-best xGF% at 56.78. His xGA/60 of 1.86 is also tops among Flames blueliners. To this day, his pairing with Zayne Parekh holds the fourth-best xGF% among any pairings in the entire NHL this season with 50 minutes.

While Hanley has been far from perfect this season, the veteran has provided a steady presence on a struggling team. You can’t ask for much more out of a player like Hanley.

B-

Rasmus Andersson

After a nightmare 2024-25 season, Rasmus Andersson has been slightly better this year. With that said, he’s still far from the player we know he can be. Andersson ranks sixth among Flames blueliners for CF% and xGF%, ahead of only his partner Kevin Bahl. He does play the heaviest minutes on the team, so he deserves a little bit of a leeway there at least.

His offence looks okay compared to the rest of the Flames woeful blueline though. His two goals and four points at 5v5 are tied with Kevin Bahl for tops on the blueline. As well his 40 shots and 1.88 ixG are both pacing Flames defenders right now. His seven overall points are also three better than any other Flames defender.

Brayden Pachal

Brayden Pachal has been surprisingly effective this season given his role. He currently ranks second on the team in xGF% and first for HDCF%. His xGA/60 rate of 1.87 is also second on the blueline behind only Hanley.

Offensively, Pachal has even chipped in with three points at 5v5, tied for the second most on the Flames’ blueline this season. With that said he’s somehow managed just nine shots at 5v5 across 13 games. Much like Hanley, Pachal is what he is and when you consider his role on the tea,m he’s been fine this year.

C+

Zayne Parekh

Those hoping for Zayne Parekh to become a producer in the NHL immediately have been disappointed this year. The 2024 ninth overall pick failed to register a single point at 5v5 through his 11 games before injury. With that said, a peek under the hood suggests Parekh has been quietly playing some solid hockey even if the points aren’t there.

He ranks fourth among regular Flames blueliners for CF%, xGF%, and HDCF%, ahead of veterans like MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson. He also hasn’t been a defensive liability either, sitting fourth for CA/60 and xGA.60. While he has been far from great, he’s been much better than the Flames coaching staff will have you believe.

Kevin Bahl

Kevin Bahl is the poster boy for eye-test versus results. When you watch him play, he seems incredibly effective at shutting down the opposing team; however, his underlying results this season are among the worst on the blueline. He ranks last for CF%, xGF%, and HDCF%. While he deserves some leeway for playing tough minutes on the worst team in the NHL, he needs to be better.

Strangely enough, the defensive specialist currently leads the blueline with two goals and four points at 5v5 despite posting just 14 shots at 5v5 this year. Regardless, the Flames need a lot more out of Bahl right now.

Jake Bean

Jake Bean is like the reverse Bahl. When you watch him play, he looks terrible. He regularly gives up the puck in the most horrific and crushing ways, often leading to chances and goals against. However, his underlying numbers are among the very best on the Flames’ blueline. He currently leads all Flames defenders in xGF% at 61.82%, and is second for both CF% and HDCF%. His xGF/60 of 3.07 is also tops on the blueline.

Offensively, though, he has just two points at 5v5, and only 15 shots in 12 games, so it’s not like his strong underlying numbers are leading to any production. While Bean’s underlying numbers are strong, the eye-test and his glaring mistakes are hard to ignore.

D

MacKenzie Weegar

It pains me to say it, but MacKenzie Weegar has been one of the Flames’ worst defenders so far this season, especially when you consider expectations. In a season in which he should’ve been pushing for a spot on Team Canada, Weegar is posting some of his worst results as a Flame. He ranks fifth for xGF% and sixth for HDCF% among Flames blueliners. Even worse, he has the worst xGA/60 on the team at 2.3.

Offensively, it’s been a real struggle for Weegar as well. He currently has just two single points at 5v5, and no goals. Overall, he only has four points in 20 games this year. His current full-season pace would be the worst season of his career.

Related