The Calgary Flames have had a very unexpected player help them turn their season around. After struggling immensely through October, the Flames chose to recall defenceman Yan Kuznetsov from the American Hockey League. It wasn’t clear what sort if impact he would provide, but just over one month later, many are questioning what took so long for him to get a real opportunity.
Kuznetsov has been incredible for the Flames, as his average of 20:13 minutes per game is second among all NHL rookie skaters. He’s playing top-four minutes at even strength on a pairing with MacKenzie Weegar, and has also had a big role on the penalty kill. All of a sudden, a player who most felt would develop into a depth defenceman at best is looking like a legitimate second-pairing option.
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It’s not just fans who are surprised by the impact Kuznetsov has had, either. The Flames organization didn’t seem to have a whole lot of faith in him, as they chose to cut bait with him before training camp had concluded. That wound up not mattering, though it could have been a catastrophic mistake.
Flames Risked Losing Kuznetsov for Nothing
As mentioned, it didn’t seem like the coaching staff or management of the Flames was all too high on Kuznetsov entering this season. Before the 2025-26 season got underway, the 23-year-old defenceman was placed on waivers, allowing for all 31 other NHL teams to put in a claim for him.
Luckily for the Flames, no teams bit on the Russian rearguard. Had any done so, the Flames would have lost what suddenly appears to be a big piece of their team, and future, for absolutely nothing in return. It’s a move that management hasn’t taken heat for since it worked out in their favour, but you can’t help but wonder what they were thinking keeping a player like Daniil Miromanov over him. Miromanov, of course, wound up being placed on waivers early into the regular season.
Calgary Flames defenseman Yan Kuznetsov celebrates after scoring against the Florida Panthers (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)
Kuznetsov wasn’t the only defenceman placed on waivers by the Flames in training camp, either. They also elected to try and send down Ilya Solovyov, who wound up being claimed by the Colorado Avalanche. Solovyov has suited up for nine games with the Avs, averaging less than 12 minutes in ice time per game. At the age of 25, it’s fair to say Solovyov is in fact a depth defenceman, which is why you haven’t heard much, if any stink from Flames fans about losing him.
Again, though, Kuznetsov is not Solovyov. He’s younger, is better on the penalty kill, and is a far better skater, which allows for him to be successful at even strength. Of course, he’s logged just 17 NHL games this season meaning that his play could dip, but even if so, he’s given plenty of reason to believe that at worst he’s a capable third-pairing defenceman.
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With the Flames continuing to be in a rebuilding phase, keeping young players like Kuznetsov in the fold is imperative in order for them to turn into a more competitive group in the years to come. Had they lost him, any other team would likely be using him in a similar role, which would have caused massive frustration amongst the fan base.
Flames Need to Give Youth a Shot
The situation involving Kuznetsov is something that the Flames need to remember moving forward. Rather than risk losing young players on waivers right away, it’s best to give them a shot to see what they can provide first. You just never know. One could turn out to be a diamond in the rough like Kuznetsov appears to be right now. The worst-case scenario is that they don’t wind up being NHL quality, but, at the very least, they got a true shot to prove their worth.
