Calgary Flames General Manager Craig Conroy will have a handful of decisions to make in next year’s offseason. There will be multiple key players to extend next offseason, including goaltender Dustin Wolf. The Flames will have multiple restricted and unrestricted free agent players to sign as next offseason approaches. Let’s take an early look at the Flames’ FA class of 2026.

UFAs on the clock

The main UFAs that could be entering the free agent market next offseason include:

Mikael Backlund

Ryan Lomberg

Justin Kirkland

Rasmus Andersson

Jake Bean

Daniil Miromanov

Devin Cooley

Clark Bishop

Ivan Prosvetov

The most significant name on this list is defenceman Rasmus Andersson. There have been plenty of trade rumours going around about him, and it is most likely that he will be traded before this time. It is time to move on from the veteran defenceman who has spent parts of nine seasons with the organization. Signing Andersson to a long-term extension is one of the last things that management should do, as it would take away playing time from Zayne Parekh.

Another key player on this list is the Flames captain, Mikael Backlund. Backlund has spent his entire 17-year career with the Flames organization. He has been a model of consistency with the franchise and is an excellent leader on and off the ice. It will be interesting to see what happens after next season, as Backlund will be 37 years old. Depending on where they are in the standings, should the Flames consider trading Backlund to a contending team at the trade deadline? The captain has a no-movement clause, so it will be up to him whether he wants to stay or leave.

The remaining players on this list include depth players such as Ryan Lomberg, Justin Kirkland, and Jake Bean. Lomberg is the heart and motivation of the current Flames roster. He is overpaid, considering the production he gives on the ice, but he is a great locker room presence to have around. Kirkland was an awesome addition to the Flames’ bottom-six last season. He produced fairly well, considering he mostly played on the fourth line, putting up eight points in 21 games. Kirkland was a crucial piece of the shootout lineup, where he would pull off the “Costco specialty” scoring on the same move almost every time. Jake Bean is a depth defenceman who can be replaced. He had a rough first year in Calgary and will look for a bounce-back season in 2025–26.

A long list of RFAs

The 2026 RFAs on the Flames include:

Dustin Wolf

Martin Pospisil

William Stomgren

Carter King

Parker Bell

Lucas Ciona

Joni Jurmo

Artyom Grushnikov

Nick Cicek

Owen Say

Without a doubt, goaltender Dustin Wolf is the most significant piece of the Flames on this list. Should the Flames sign him long-term? Or should they give him a bridge deal as a “prove it” opportunity? Either way, Wolf will need a pay raise along with an extension. The rookie goalie was the Flames’ best player in the 2024–25 season and finished as the runner-up for the Calder Trophy. The Flames can sign him to an extension this offseason and potentially solve this before next season begins.

Martin Pospisil is a solid depth piece for the Flames. He is coming off a rough season, scoring-wise, and will look to produce more next year. Pospisil was fantastic when he was originally called up the season before, but a huge scoring slump diminished his confidence last season. Conroy may look to sign Pospisil to a short-term extension to keep his tough play in the lineup.

The remaining RFAs are depth players who may bounce around from the AHL to the NHL. The most notable name remaining is prospect William Stromgren, who has made some nice progress at the AHL level. He put up a respectable 49-point campaign in seventy games with the Calgary Wranglers. The 22-year-old is a strong candidate to make his NHL debut next season and could fight his way into the bottom-six. Like Pospisil, the Flames would probably offer Stromgren a short-term deal to keep him in the organization.

What can we expect

Going into the 2026 offseason, the Flames will only have a couple of big moves to make. The number one priority will be to sign Wolf—if it has not already been done. Other than that, the only other semi-big move to make is to choose whether or not to re-sign Backlund. If he does not decide to retire after next season, the Flames could bring the captain back for another year to give him one last run as a Flame. Andersson will already be gone by this time, so the team should focus on Wolf and Backlund as the only two main priorities.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the Flames in the 2025–26 season. Is the team good enough to make the playoffs and do some damage? Or should they trade away some key pieces while they still have value? Many people within the organization seem to feel that the Flames have a great team and should certainly stick together. If that is the case, they better buckle up and get prepared for a playoff run because finishing 16th overall in the standings is not going to cut it anymore.

What do you think the Flames should do next offseason?

Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire

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