3 Options for the Flames to Replace Kevin Bahl

The Calgary Flames announced on Sunday, Nov. 8, that defenceman Kevin Bahl will be out for the remainder of the season following a torn Achilles he suffered prior to warm-ups Friday night vs. the Anaheim Ducks. 

Head coach Ryan Huska noted the significance of the injury, citing how crucial a player he has been to the team this season. “A terrible break for a guy that I would consider our best player up to this point in the season.” 

Bahl’s play this season has been by far the best on the Flames, and he was really showing the potential to be a true number one defenceman on the team for a long time. He has been playing alongside Simon Nemec all season, averaging 21:56 time on ice per game, while recording one goal and two points. 

With such a devastating loss to the defensive core, the Flames have a few options to fill the void left by their number one defenceman. 

The Simple Solution

Following the injury, the Flames called up Brayden Pachal, who was originally placed on waivers at the beginning of the season with Connor Zary. Pachal has played in 148 games for the Flames since joining the team during the 2023-24 season. This season with the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League (AHL), he has played in 11 games, recording three assists. 

In Friday’s game, Joel Hanley stepped into the place of Bahl’s, playing alongside Nemec and playing well on such short notice, recording 16:56 time on ice. He even scored a goal, but still the defensive hole left by Bahl’s injury is by far going to be the toughest loss. 

Both Pachal and Hanley are good in the roles they are meant for, which is depth pieces, so asking them to step up to play against the toughest matchups every game simply won’t be sustainable for their skill sets for the rest of the season. This isn’t a knock on them, but rather a nod to the big step Bahl has taken this season, leading the defensive core every game. 

For now, this option provides immediate support to the defensive core, which, beyond the first pair of Bahl and Nemec, hasn’t looked great, but there are other options. 

The Trade Route

The trade option, as reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, is on the table, but one the team isn’t exactly going to jump on just to get a solution as soon as possible. 

As the Flames are in a rebuild, it wouldn’t make sense to trade assets for a temporary fix, as Bahl will simply return to his role once he has recovered from injury next season. The only reason why this could be on the table for the team is the immense amount of cap space. The team currently has the fourth-lowest payroll in the NHL. 

Besides the opportunity of getting a young defenceman, this option should be the least likely for the remainder of the season. Dreger reported that maybe the idea of a defenceman on a short-term contract, but even that could mean giving up too much just for a rental on a team that isn’t expected to make the playoffs.

A Complete Re-Model

This last option provides a big opportunity for a lot of Flames who have been waiting for their turn to step into some bigger roles, and in a season of low expectations, it should be a realistic option looked at by management. 

Firstly, Yan Kuznetsov has provided Zayne Parekh with good defensive stability since being paired together after the breakup of Jake Middleton and Parekh. For this, placing Kuznetsov on the first pair with Nemec, although risky, provides Nemec with stability but also more growth, as he can be the driver of that top pair now. 

Then moving Parekh to his offside and having him play with Zach Whitecloud gives Parekh stability, in a reliable shutdown defenceman and allows him to play in a new area for the first time this season. Parekh loves to carry the puck to anywhere he can find space, and is already often on the left side, so in a season where the team should be testing out new plans, there isn’t a downside to moving him to the left. 

Finally, for the last pair, bumping Middleton down and calling up Hunter Brzustewicz to play on the right side. Brzustewicz has shown he can handle playing at the NHL level, playing 34 games last season. With Bahl out for the season, the window is open for management to allow him to step into this role for the remainder of the season. 

Although this option definitely comes with the most risk, it is a rebuilding season after all, and even despite the recent success of the team, the sustainability of this success will be hard with an offence that struggles at five-on-five. For that, it’s a risk management should seriously consider, not just to help fill the void now, but for the long-term development of the team. 

Nonetheless, the injury to Bahl is a devastating loss to the team that will be felt immediately and for the rest of the season. Now Huska and management have a huge task on their hands in deciding how they want to go about finding the solution, and any option they pick certainly won’t be enough to fill the absence.