A year ago, Daniil Miromanov started the 2024-25 season playing alongside MacKenzie Weegar and with ambitions of a top-four role for the Calgary Flames.
As the year progressed, though, that role was reduced. His playing time dropped and he regularly watched games from the press box as his teammates fought for their playoff lives.
When injuries limited him in training camp this fall, it felt like the 28-year-old had fallen even further down the depth chart. Calling him an afterthought would be too harsh, but it wasn’t entirely clear where he fit in on the Flames’ blueline.
On Tuesday, though, Miromanov was set for a triumphant return to the lineup and was even partnered up with Weegar again in advance of the Flames’ matchup with the Russian’s former team, the Vegas Golden Knights.
“They played quite a bit together initially, this is looking back a while ago, and I think Daniil, when he’s on his game he does have a big body and a good stick,” said Flames head coach Ryan Huska. “Very similar to what Kevin Bahl has, and we used (Miromanov and Weegar) against some top players when they were first put together.
“Together, they had some chemistry before and we’re hopeful they can find that again.”
The challenge for Miromanov is going to be finding a way to stay in the lineup.
The Flames are currently carrying eight blueliners on their roster, so there will be two guys sitting out every night. They’re being careful with how they manage 19-year-old Zayne Parekh, but Miromanov, Jake Bean and Brayden Pachal will all be fighting for ice time.
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The challenge for Miromanov is that when they’re paired together, it forces Weegar to play on the left side instead of the right, his more natural position. Weegar is more than capable on the left, but it’s understandable if the coaching staff would prefer to keep the team’s best blueliner in the position where he feels more comfortable.
If Miromanov can find ways to impact games, though, it could be a move they’re willing to make.
The question is how he’s going to do that, and it’s one he’s been working on answering.
“It’s kind of getting on the same page with the coaching staff,” Miromanov explained. “I had a lot of conversations with the head coach here in training camp and the summer. It’s ‘What can I do to help the team win?’ and ‘What do you want to see me do?’ and ‘What can I do best?’
“It’s going out there and executing and bringing your best effort every single game and playing to my strengths, being hard in front of the net. We need box-outs, we need to be good in the corners and get good, quick transitions. The conversation I had with the coach, as well, I’d like to shoot more this year than I did last year because it’s kind of one of my strengths, putting pucks on net. We need more volume and more goals, so that’s what I’ve been trying to focus on.”
Calgary Flames defenceman Daniil Miromanov lines up a shot on the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third period at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.
Miromanov’s skating and offensive instincts could be what sets him apart from the other defencemen he’s competing with for playing time. While he only played in 44 games last year, he had the same number of goals as Jake Bean, who played in 64 games, and Joel Hanley, who played in 53.
He’s also a good skater who is crafty with the puck, which could be useful for an offensively-challenged team like the Flames.
“I just like that he’s ambitious,” Weegar said. “He wants to make a lot of plays, wants to get up in the rush, he wants to help this team win. He’s always positive, he’s always smiling, I can talk to him about anything out there. He wants to make that first pass, wants to make a nice play, get it to the forwards and it gives me a little leeway to jump up in the rush here and there and we can kind of work off each other.
“For me, it’s just him making a good first breakout pass and we don’t have to play much D, we can get up and play some offence.”
Goals alone obviously don’t tell the whole story, and Miromanov is going to need to prove that he can be solid in his own end and play the tight-checking, physical brand of hockey the Flames require of him.
On Tuesday, he’ll finally get another shot at showing he should be a part of the Flames’ plan this season.