Gritty Veterans, Fiery Rookies

When you think of the Calgary Flames, what comes to your mind? I know what folks outside of Calgary are saying—most people view us as a rebuilding team that’s just trying to tank. And honestly, when you look at it on paper, that’s pretty much what it seems like.

What do I see? Yes, we are a rebuilding franchise and not expecting too much for this season. I admit that I will not see the Stanley Cup in the near future. There’s something kind of refreshing about this situation for the Flames that we haven’t seen in years.

I have not heard any complaints about being in the dressing room. These young kids are buying what Mr. Huska is selling. What makes the system work is that the vets are his top salesmen. Guys like Huberdeau, Coleman, Weegar, Kadri, and Backlund, to name a few, believe in this team. I will take this further: Huberdeau is playing his best season with the Calgary Flames. 

Johnathon Huberdeau is teaming up with Mantha, and I’ve got to say, have they found a center in Martin Pospisil? Martin has been very impressive this season; he is using his physical play to his advantage and showing off more offensive skills than I expected.

Finally, how about Mr. Andersson? Rasmus is showing us that he belongs with the big boys. Seeing him perform like this is impressive, especially with all the trade rumors swirling around. I love how he plays—his puck-carrying skills are top-notch, and his passing is seriously underrated. He’s got great vision on the powerplay!

I am not naive enough to think the Flames are Stanley Cup contenders, but I can see that a happy locker room goes a long way to improving the team.

Randy

The Calgary Flames’ Defensive Shake-Up: Meet the Contenders

The Flames are opening the new door to the season; Hanifin, Tanev, Lindholm, and Big Z are all gone. But hey, we still have Andersson, Weeger, Kadri, Backlund, and Coleman hanging around. There are a lot of questions heading into this year. I’m particularly interested in seeing the defense sorted out.  

Mackenzie Weeger and Rasmus Andersson are locked up. After that, who knows? Here are my thoughts on those fighting for the next spots up for grabs.

Daniil Miromanov

Most experts have Miromanov locked up one of the top 4 d spots. I love his offensive skills. He has a terrific shot. He could really boost the powerplay with that kind of firepower. He still needs to work on his defensive game, but I am with most of you in thinking he will be on the roster.

Kevin Bahl

A big and nasty stay-at-home dman, Kevin will be the anchor on the penalty kill. He won’t contribute much to the offense; that is not in his game. He’s a solid stay-at-home guy who’s all about strengthening the defense. He will probably become the goalie’s best friend.

Jake Bean

I have watched this kid since his Calgary Hitmen days. Jake is your typical fifth/sixth defenseman who is capable of helping out again on the powerplay. He hasn’t fully reached his potential yet, so he’s a bit of a wild card for the Flames to consider. The Flames have nothing to lose in taking a stab at him. He might even be able to step up and fill a top 4 spot if injuries require it.

Brayden Pachal

I had a lot of options to consider, but after some thought, I went with Brayden, the incumbent. I think he’s done enough to earn the spot. I also like that he does not shy away from the rough stuff. Pachal is good enough defensively. He is good enough to fill in at number six. Pachal is decent defensively and could hold down the fort as a number six. But honestly, most teams would probably see him as more of a number 7 or 8 forward.

Randy

Calgary Flames Draft Predictions

It’s that time of year when I get to make a fool of myself and make my picks for the Calgary Flames draft. I had a pretty good idea that Iginla would be going to Montreal, but I’m a homer, so I went with Iginla. So sue me.

First Round

9 Tij Iginla Centre/Left Wing

Tij, like his father, is a sniper/power forward, a centre/left-winger with an explosive shot. He’s got an explosive shot, isn’t afraid to mix it up in the corners, and fights hard for the puck. Let’s say this: he scores and scores often. He knows when to dish the puck because his puck control is so strong. This, combined with his quick release, makes him a deadly power forward.

28 Nikita Artamonov Right Wing

Nikita is your classic Russian forward—he’s all about offense. His strength is his playmaking ability. He is an excellent passer, a big and lean forward who works hard with the puck. 

Second Round

41 Julius Miettinen

Julius is a skilled center who can make things happen. He is a solid passer who drives to the net. Julius will be a solid dman using his speed in breakouts. He will need help on the defensive end. He is rough around the edges.

The Flames could go two ways here: another forward or a defenseman.

My defense choice would be:

62 Spencer Gill

Spencer is an offensive dman with a booming shot. While his defensive game needs some improvement, it’s been on the rise, and scouts are confident it will continue to develop. He is a solid passer and an offensive weapon on the powerplay.

My forward choice would be:

62 Luke Misa Centre/Left-wing

Luke is a fast, smooth-skating offensive player. He is a great playmaker and exceptional passer with a high hockey IQ. He has a fabulous dangle with the puck and is known for his steady performance on the ice.

For the rest, I will pick the players without the details.

Third Round

74 Lukas Matecha Goalie

84 Gabriel Eliasson

Fourth Round

106 Lucas Van Vilet

107 James Reeder

Sixth Round

170 Artemi Nizameez  

Dearen’s picks

My friend Dearen has given his thoughts:

Here we are again, draft day. Going into the draft, the Flames seem to have an opportunity to stock the prospect cupboards with high-quality players.

Let’s get into it.  

9. 

The number nine in soccer refers to your striker, your goal scorer. That is exactly what the Flames need. The Calgary Flames lack goal-scoring prospects, and at number nine, they have the opportunity to draft their next sniper. However, Tij Iginla is no longer on the board, and the Flames have to go to their list, and they select Konsta Helenius. The right-handed two-way center that brings speed, skill and a compete level that the Flames surely welcome in a high-end prospect. Some scouts question if he is a true center or if he will end up as a right-winger. With scouting reports referencing Konsta’s strong face-off abilities and hockey intelligence, his developing into a second-line center is more likely than not. Scouts also reference how he is not afraid of the boards or to engage in the hard areas of the ice, so if he does turn into a feisty right winger, Helenius will be a very responsible point-producing NHLer. 

Arguably the most well-rounded prospect in this draft and one of the best skaters. The Calgary Flames select Konsta Helenius at number nine and get a player who has been compared to Sebastian Aho and Nico Hischier. Feels like the potential is here where in five, you look back and wonder how Helenius was available at nine and was not selected in the top five. To add a player like Helenius a year after drafting Samuel Honzek, the Flames are filling gaps in behind Zary and Pelletier in terms of young players that can potentially fill top six roles ahead of those two. As the Flames transition into this rebuild, I mean retool, having young players like Zary, Honzek and Helenius learn from the likes of Backlund and Kadri will only help their development to eventually replace both. 

28. 

At 28, the Flames should take the best player available regardless of position and not trade down. In a draft like this one, the urge to trade down and collect an additional pick will be appetizing. Teams’ draft lists are said to vary drastically from team to team, and a team may come calling for #28 if they see a player available that is high up on their list. You can argue that the Flames should, in that case, make that trade and collect another asset, but instead, the Flames should keep the pick, come to a consensus, and draft the best potential NHLer here.

With this selection, the Flames turn to the City of Lethbridge and draft Lethbridge-born Terik Parascak from the Prince George Cougars. This right-wing forward can do both the goal-scoring and the setting up of goals. A player who finds open space and has a terrific shot. The reason he likely doesn’t make it into the top 20 picks of this draft is because he needs to work on his skating and his defensive awareness. But a player with this type of offensive skill and hockey IQ is surely worth a selection, if available at 28.  

Parascak caught the eye of many this past season before being a bit of an unknown. A player that needs some time with proper development, and the payoff could be a top-six forward that plays on your number one powerplay unit. The Flames see a lot of the Western Hockey League and will be familiar with Parascak. There are questions, no doubt, but we often focus more on the question marks than the exclamation points. This kid is creative and can score. With all of the player development roles, specialty coaches, and resources available in a club, there is no reason why you can’t take the offensive abilities and help create an all-around game.

Parascak’s ceiling is Jordan Eberle and has been compared to Dawson Mercer, with his floor being Jason Jaffray. 

Hypothetical

What is that, Randy? The Flames acquired pick #10? Oh...

With the number 10 overall selection in the 2024 NHL Draft, the Calgary Flames select Carter Yakemchuk from the Calgary Hitmen. Probably a little bit of a reach here, but a big mobile defenseman that the Flames have had daily access to since Conroy has been GM. With multiple defensemen projected in the top 15, Yakemchuk at 10 could very well mean you forego drafting a more complete defenseman in favor of the potential with Yakemchuk. Every time I read up on Carter or watch him play, I immediately feel like he is a defenseman, and I envision him playing for the Philadelphia Flyers. Carter will be an NHL defenseman. The question will be whether he is a top-pairing guy or whether his defensive lapses stay with him. Do you love his physicality and sporadic offensive burst, kind of like Zadorov’s tenure as a Flame?

Yakemchuk does forego his defensive play in favor of making more offensive risky plays, and that gets him into some trouble. For being a force on the ice, he was not always reliable in his own zone to close out a game. What there is to like is everything else: size, shot, physicality, an edge, and his creative passing abilities, all while he skates quite well for a bigger frame. 

The Flames organization knows Carter better than any other NHL club and has been able to see his day-to-day work. If Calgary gets an additional pick at or around #10 and does not select Carter Yakemchuk, I would be shocked, and there would be a strong reason for this.

Carter Yakemchuk gets compared to Damon Severson and Brent Burns.

Flames' Defense Down, But Not Out

The Calgary Flames are now just playing out the season. Some players are playing for their jobs, while others are simply going through the motions as the season winds down. The Calgary Flames are now just playing out the season. Some players are playing for their jobs, and others are just playing out the stretch. 

In reality, Kadri and Huberdeau have checked out. Connor, Zary, and Martin Pospisil continue to play their hearts out. It's as if they are two kids who are thrilled to be in a candy store. We could use more players like Martin and Connor in our lineup.

The team is making too many mistakes as a whole, but let's face facts: the defense has been decimated. Without Tanev and Hanifin, the Flames are finding it difficult to recover. It will take time to plug those holes. In the meantime, the Flames acquired from the Sharks Nikita Okhotyuk, a solid stay-at-home defenseman who can step in as the number 5 defenseman for now.  

In the trade for Hanifin, the Flames also acquired Daniil Mirmanov. He has some offensive skills and could develop into a second-line pairing. He has a powerful shot from the blue line. We might be able to use his talent on the powerplay. Mirmanov just signed a two-year extension with the team. 

What do we have in the prospects in the trades? In the Lindholm trade, the Flames acquired high-end prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo.  In Hunter, the Flames have a solid dman with some offensive skills. He is an excellent puck-moving dman. He has great speed, getting himself out of danger.  Joni is a no-nonsense dman with a chip on his shoulder.  

In the Tanev trade, the Flames received prospect Artem Grushnikov. Artem is a reliable defenseman who often breaks up rushes, is very good in the defensive zone, and is a solid skater. He has the potential to become a solid second-pairing defenseman. What do we have in the prospects in the trades? 

In the Lindholm trade, the Flames acquired high-end prospects Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo.  In Hunter, the Flames have a solid dman with some offensive skills. He is an excellent puck-moving dman. He has great speed to escape danger.  Joni is a no-nonsense dman with a chip on his shoulder.  

In the Tanev trade, the Flames received prospect Artem Grushnikov. Artem is a reliable defenseman who excels at breaking up rushes and is strong in the defensive zone. He is a solid skater with the potential to become a second-pairing defenseman.

Randy

Conroy: Just Call My Bluff

Craig Conway took his first step towards a rebuild or retool yesterday. We all knew Lindholm wasn't staying, so Conroy had to get what he could. The Flames wanted a roster player, a top prospect, and a first-round pick.

The Roster Player

They got Andrei Kuzmenko, who scored 39 goals last year. This season, not so much. Andréi is a player trying to find his niche. Kuzmenko is a third-line player who will help with the powerplay. He is better than he has been this year, but he's not the 39-goal scorer he used to be. I will say this much: if Andrei can mesh with Huberdeau, the Flames could hit a home run, but it's a big if.

Two Prospects

Hunter Brzustewicz 

Hunter is an offensive defenseman with excellent puck skills. He is great on the powerplay because he can distribute the puck with the best of them. He is a great skater, but he needs to develop better in the physical and defensive parts of the game. He has excellent potential, but he's a grade B prospect right now.

Joni Jurmo 

Joni is a big, steady, stay-at-home defenseman who excels in the physical part of the game but won't contribute much offensively. He is a sturdy number-six defenseman and is considered a C+ prospect.

I think Conroy did very well in the trade. He has expiring contracts, controllable pieces, and draft picks. If Kuzmenko doesn't work out, he can always trade him. I completely agree with that concept and want to see how Andrei does with Huberdeau.

Conroy's guts and fortitude were evident in this trade. He knows what he wants and how to get it.

My source says: "Conroy just showed the entire league that he will not wait around. He just showed that it's his price, or he will go elsewhere."

NYR, Colorado, and Boston all thought Conroy was bluffing when he told them he had a better offer elsewhere. All three teams were shocked last night.

The bottom line is: don't mess with Conroy.

Randy 

The All-Star Break, It's Game On for Managers

Going into the All-Star break, the only people who will have the luxury of taking a break from hockey are the players themselves. The All-Star break is the busy season for managers and team officials; this is what they thrive on. While the players may be taking a break from the physical demands of the sport, Conroy ensures that their paycheques continue to roll in. 

The legwork is probably already done. This week, Conroy will check in on the progress of what teams need. He will discuss the compatibility of Calgary Flames players, such as Lindholm, Tanev, and the player I consider their most crucial asset, Hanifin, with other teams. 

Noah Hanifin

Noah is the best dman on the market. He is a terrific all-around defender. He is very good at pinching in the offensive zone and capitalizing on scoring chances for his team. Teams that could be looking to bolster their defensive lineup with Hanifin's presence include the Isles, Bruins, Leafs, and possibly Canucks. 

Elias Lindholm

In all honesty, Elias has been struggling all season, and the Flames will try to sell him in his previous history. However, Lindholm is a valuable asset for any team needing a solid second-line center. The teams I see as being interested are Sens, Oilers, Canucks, Avs, and Bruins.

Chris Tanev 

Chris is a rock in the defensive zone. He is the picture-perfect stay-at-home defenceman. He is a diehard shot blocker. He is fearless in his performance. Tanev's leadership qualities make him a valuable asset in any dressing room. Teams that might be interested in bringing Tanev's strengths to their defensive lineups are the Leafs, Canucks, and Isles.

Interesting tidbit: The Calgary Flames will be trying to clean up the dressing room, potentially resulting in a few surprise trades. I have no idea what will happen, but there could be a few players traded who will surprise us.

Randy

Kylington — Welcome Back

Watching this story break yesterday brought tears to my eyes. The Calgary Flames announced that Oliver Kylington from the Calgary Wranglers is heading out on a conditioning assignment. 

Firstly, I want to offer my sincere congratulations to Oliver. The road he had to travel and barriers he had to overcome are beyond belief. It is a miracle. As Flames fans—no, I should say, as fellow hockey lovers—we should applaud him and give him all the support we can.

Secondly, what does this mean for the Calgary Flames roster?

So, let’s talk hockey for a second. If Kylington’s conditioning assignment doesn’t last too long, it could make things easier for us to trade Hanifin. If Oliver can step up quickly, we could consider a futures trade for Hanifin, and Kylington could fill his spot.

It will take time for Oliver to get in game shape, but having Kylington on the team gives the Flames another option. Can Oliver regain his skills enough to make the Flames a playoff contender? I am not saying this move makes them a contender, but it’s definitely a possibility!

Then, you open up a whole bunch of opportunities. Let’s say the Flames are within two to four points away from making the playoffs. In that scenario, what would be your thoughts on Hanifin, Tanev, and, of course, Lindholm?

If the Flames are in a good position, this is what I was told: “I believe the Flames will fight for that playoff spot.” While they may make some player trades, they would be hockey trades, not future trades. 

In plain English, the Flames will bring in players who can contribute effectively to stay competitive in the playoff races. Only time will tell whether they will succeed.

Randy