The Calgary Flames currently sit 32nd in the NHL—dead last heading into their sixth game of the season. There’s still plenty of hockey to be played, but the playoffs can certainly slip out of reach well before game 82. Craig Conroy and Flames management made minimal changes to the roster this offseason. Running it back with a veteran-heavy team that finished 29th in scoring does not seem like the right approach for ending your playoff drought. 

Starting on the wrong foot

For a team that went into this season with the expectations of making the playoffs, the 1–4–0 start has to be a bit discouraging. It’s not about how you start, but how you finish. Last season’s stellar 5–0–0 start set the tone for the season ahead. It’s a little more difficult to rally when there’s not much excitement.

Times like these are why management emphasized culture, right?

The limited roster turnover allowed a logjam with the wingers and blueline to get even worse. The Flames lost Ilya Solovyov on waivers. They are still carrying Jake Bean and Daniil Miromanov as extras while Justin Kirkland joins them. Is it possible the Flames make some adjustments should the season continue to go downhill?

Down in the defensive dumps

The entire defensive core has been less than spectacular. Five games are a small sample size, but this group is somehow worse than last year’s. 

One thing that has stayed the same is that Head Coach Ryan Huska insists on keeping Rasmus Andersson and Kevin Bahl together. The pair just aren’t good, and I believe last year’s performance with a franchise-worst -38 for Andersson sets the precedent.

Regardless of who he’s paired with, Andersson being out on the ice is a liability. The pending unrestricted free agent is one bad hit or collision with the board away from missing considerable time and ruining any chance of a trade.

The Bahl is in his court

In Bahl’s defence, he had the challenge of adjusting to a top-pairing role from a sheltered role with the New Jersey Devils. Huska should consider exploring playing Bahl with MacKenzie Weegar. Both have earned that top pairing role, and there isn’t a good reason for a worse defenceman being out there over Weegar. Huska needs to explore and experiment if he wants more out of his roster.

The most anticipated addition to the Flames group has been Zayne Parekh. Parekh was drafted ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft. He made his season debut in the home opener against the St. Louis Blues and has been paired with Brayden Pachal on the third pair. Slow and steady wins the race, or so they say. 

It’s far too soon to be worried about Parekh’s transition to the NHL. 

Another trade on the horizon?

The Flames have too many defencemen. They could work on integrating players like Hunter Brzustewicz or Jeremie Porier when the time comes. That’s not possible when you have players like Bean and Miromanov in the wings. It’s great for those younger players to get consistent reps with the Calgary Wranglers. That’s exactly what you want, but when the time comes, don’t you think there are better options?

Bean and Miromanov’s struggles from last season have carried over. They’re in the press box more than they are not. Is there a world where Conroy can clear their spots, whether it be with a trade or waivers?

Sounds like the #flames    are looking for a young, left shot defenseman with size. They have too many bodies on 1-way deals on defense and want to move some out; Bean and Miromanov being two, I’m told.

PHI’s Zamula, who played JR in CGY, I’ve heard CGY likes.@DailyFaceoff

— Anthony Di Marco (@ADiMarco25) October 17, 2025

Early injury woes

Jonathan Huberdeau is returning to the lineup after missing the first five games. He collided head-on with Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen in the final preseason game and hasn’t played since. He will return to the lineup Saturday night against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Huberdeau is coming off a 28-goal season, his best since joining the Flames. The Flames could certainly benefit from his offence to get back on the right track.

Martin Pospisil has also been on IR with an upper-body injury. He has yet to resume skating. Pospisil hit the sophomore slump hard and hopes to rebound after signing a two-year extension.

Pospisil has yet to resume skating.

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Pour a little gas on the fire

What is it going to take to get some wins under their belts? Is moving Connor Zary off the fourth line part of the solution? His skill set could be utilized elsewhere. The Flames could scratch Yegor Sharangovich and allow Zary to play a slightly more elevated role.

On the bright side, Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost look like brand-new players. Farabee’s ice time has also increased. Breathing confidence back into Farabee might be just what he needs. Frost also struggled after being traded from the Philadelphia Flyers. So far this season, he has looked stronger and faster. He is currently 57% at the dot, which will be of tremendous help should the Flames get their offence together.

Maybe luck will be on their side and they’ll turn things around tonight against the Golden Knights. The Flames need to make a statement, not for their opponents but for themselves.

We know this management group has made morale and culture a core value. Is that what gets the season on the right track?

Are we headed toward a fire sale?

This team is playing exactly how most people expected them to—low scoring, poor defence, and of course, Dustin Wolf being their saving grace. This isn’t what the people who make decisions wanted. Should the season continue, it may force Craig Conroy, who is in the final year of his contract, to make some decisions by the trade deadline. Would it be the worst thing in the world if the Flames traded Blake Coleman and acquired some draft capital and free up a roster spot? Probably not. It’d be a step in the right direction.

There is a lot of hockey left, but you know the saying: 85% of the teams in playoff position at American Thanksgiving make the playoffs. That should be the first benchmark of the season to evaluate just how badly they want that first season at Scotia Place to be.

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