Flames Roster Outlook
Calgary Flames Search for Wing Scoring Solutions, Highlight Promising Prospects
Anonymous
The Calgary Flames finished the 2025–26 season 29th overall with a 34-39-9 record and just 2.10 goals per game — the worst offensive output in the NHL, according to The Win Column. Their top scorer, Matt Coronato, managed only 45 points in 80 games, a number that would rank outside the top 100 forwards league-wide.
With veterans traded away and prospects still developing, GM Craig Conroy faces a clear problem: the Flames have no true top-line scorer on the wing. The search for one will define Calgary's off-season, according to Postmedia.
Coronato and Farabee Carry a Thin Roster
Coronato led Calgary with 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) but posted a brutal minus-29 rating. Head coach Ryan Huska believes the 22-year-old can become a "25 to 40-goal guy," according to Edmonton Journal. Coronato signed a seven-year, $45.5 million extension last May — a bet the Flames are now locked into.
Joel Farabee, acquired from Philadelphia in January 2025 alongside Morgan Frost, added 38 points (20 goals, 18 assists) and was the team's top penalty-killer. Frost finished second in team scoring with 43 points. Both players gave the Flames something, but neither is a true first-line driver, according to Ottawa Citizen.
Huberdeau's Hip Issue and a $10M Problem
Jonathan Huberdeau is the Flames' highest-paid winger. A hip injury dragged down his production and made him nearly invisible offensively, according to The Whig. His massive contract continues to hang over the roster, limiting what Calgary can do in free agency.
The team ranked 31st in max skating speed and 32nd in high-speed bursts above 22 mph, per The Hockey Writers. Analysts say that lack of pace hurt everyone — including Huberdeau. Players like Connor Zary, who slipped to just 25 points, struggled to find space in a slow, neutral-zone-heavy system.
Blake Coleman's Future and the Youth Wave Behind Him
Veteran Blake Coleman posted 35 points (20 goals) and a plus-12 rating — one of the few bright signs on a struggling team. But he enters the final year of his $4.9 million deal and is widely seen as a trade candidate, according to Leader-Post. Moving him would open a roster spot for younger players.
Sam Honzek (21) and Aydar Suniev (21) are expected to push for full-time NHL jobs next season. Suniev was called the "most improved player" at the AHL level this past year, per Postmedia. Matvei Gridin, Calgary's 2024 28th-overall pick, could also jump directly to the NHL if Coleman is dealt.
Wyttenbach's Rookie Season Gives Flames a Reason to Wait
The best wing news of Calgary's year came from a college campus. Ethan Wyttenbach, a fifth-round pick (144th overall) from the 2025 draft, exploded for 59 points in 40 games at Quinnipiac University. On April 10, he won the Tim Taylor Award as the NCAA Division I National Rookie of the Year, according to Quinnipiac Athletics.
Oddsmakers still put Calgary at +35,000 odds to win the 2027 Stanley Cup — second-worst in the league — per The Hockey News. But with 11 picks in the 2026 draft (including the No. 6 overall selection) and emerging prospects like Wyttenbach, Conroy is betting the scoring will come. It just won't be this year.
Sentiment
NeutralNEGATIVENEUTRALPOSITIVE
Publishers
20
Articles
19
Reach
20
Topics
A
AnonymousAuthor
