The Calgary Flames will be a different team once they hit the ice for the 2026-27 season. The question is, how different?
Despite the Flames finishing 29th in league standings this season, there aren’t expected to be a whole lot of changes made. Still in the early stages of a rebuild, they aren’t going to be big players in free agency, though they could look to make some small tweaks to their roster in order to improve the future of the organization.
Though there aren’t expected to be a whole lot of changes, there’s no question that some youth within the system are going to be pushing for roster spots. In order to create a few spots, there are going to be some players from this season’s roster who will likely be wearing a different jersey next fall.
Here’s a look at five players from the 2025-26 Flames roster who are unlikely to return next season:
Ryan Lomberg
Age: 31
Position: LW
2025-26 stats: 57 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 PTS
It didn’t take long for Ryan Lomberg to become a fan favourite in Calgary after signing a two-year deal as a free agent prior to the 2024-25 season. What the 31-year-old lacks in terms of offensive skill, he makes up for with his presence in the locker room alone.
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On top of being a beloved teammate, Lomberg provides great speed and physicality, which make him useful in a fourth-line role. The Flames are unlikely to bring him back in order to open up some roster spots for younger players, but the man known as Lomborghini should be able to find an NHL home elsewhere next season.
Jake Bean
Age: 27
Position: D
2025-26 stats: 16 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS
There may very well be a section of Flames fans who forgot Jake Bean was on the roster this season. The 27-year-old, left-shot defenceman was limited to just 16 games due to undergoing surgery on an undisclosed injury in mid December.
Bean was rather unremarkable for the Flames in 2024-25 and didn’t get much of an opportunity to bounce back this season. The Flames won’t be bringing him back due to the depth on their blue line, and he may struggle to land an NHL deal at all.
Victor Olofsson
Age: 30
Position: LW
2025-26 stats: 18 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 PTS
One of the three new faces the Flames brought in at the trade deadline was Victor Olofsson, who was part of the package received from the Colorado Avalanche in the Nazem Kadri deal. Though his two goals and six points in 18 games with the Flames don’t jump off the page, his offensive skill was noticeable.
Olofsson has never been a gamebreaker throughout his 448-game NHL career, but has hit the 20-goal mark in three separate seasons. There will likely be some interest shown in him from a few teams looking to add some scoring depth this summer.
John Beecher
Age: 25
Position: C
Stats: 35 GP, 2 G, 4 A, 6 PTS
To put it frankly, the Flames’ decision to claim John Beecher off waivers from the Boston Bruins early in the season didn’t work. You could see the vision in the move, as they were adding a former first-rounder who plays down the middle of the ice, a position this team has been lacking in.
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What quickly became apparent, however, was that Beecher simply isn’t an NHL-calibre player. Though he’s set to become an RFA this offseason, it wouldn’t be a surprise whatsoever to see the Flames cut ties.