We are smack dab in the middle of the NHL’s offseason, and thus not much is happening in the world of hockey. The free agency frenzy of early July is over and focus is shifting towards the upcoming 2024-25 season. The Calgary Flames finished last season outside of the playoff picture with a record of 38-39-5, the first under new general manager Craig Conroy as well as new head coach Ryan Huska. The team is in full rebuild mode, having made a litany of trades during the past season in an effort to get younger and build through the draft. The Flames also haven’t spent irresponsibly in free agency this offseason, instead electing to give out a few affordable, short-term deals.
Related: Flames’ 2024 Free Agent Additions & Subtractions
The Flames enjoyed plenty of success from youngsters such as Yegor Sharangovich, Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil in 2023-24, and have other prospects like Matt Coronato, Jakob Pelletier, Sam Honzek, and recent ninth-overall draft pick Zayne Parekh, among others, to look forward to. Many veterans also achieved highly; MacKenzie Weegar led the blue line with a career-high 20 goals and 52 points, Blake Coleman also set career-highs in goals, assists, and points at age 32, and 33-year-old Nazem Kadri led all Flames skaters with 75 points. Some players unfortunately did not have their best season in 2023-24, or maybe the past few campaigns, but certainly have the talent to get back on track. Here are the Flames’ top bounce-back candidates for 2024-25.
Rasmus Andersson, Right Defence
Our first candidate is the second-longest tenured Flame, Rasmus Andersson. The 27-year-old Swede was drafted by the franchise in the second round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. The only active Flame to have played more games than Andersson’s 455 is team captain, Mikael Backlund. “Ras” is a soft-spoken veteran who is well-respected by his teammates, leading by example instead of being boisterous on the ice or in the room. The team awarded him the role of alternate captain in 2022 as a result. Andersson scored nine goals and finished with 39 points in 78 games in 2023-24, primarily skating on the top defensive pairing alongside Weegar or Noah Hanifin. Those numbers seem quite respectable at face value, and in most cases, they would be. However, Andersson had just come off of the best statistical season of his career in 2022-23; he scored a career-high 11 goals and had 49 points in 79 games, further building upon his 50-point 2021-22 season.
Andersson definitely still had lingering effects from a near-death experience in Detroit last season, and was also suspended for four games in October 2023 for a late-game hit on Columbus Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine. Both circumstances certainly dampened his on-ice performance as he posted a career-worst minus-11 plus/minus rating and 60 giveaways in 2023-24, and looked out of sorts defensively. He also lost his number-one power play spot to Weegar, and Hanifin was traded midseason, leaving him with inconsistent partners for the remainder of the year. With a thinner, more inexperienced blue line this campaign, Andersson will get more steady deployment and should see his numbers rise again. Trade rumours have also been circling around the rearguard as his contract ends in two seasons. If he wants to quell them and/or earn a big-ticket contract as he nears his prime, he should put forth an excellent 2024-25. We think Andersson will get back to 45 points this season.
Anthony Mantha, Right Wing/Left Wing
Next is someone brand new to the Flames, Anthony Mantha. The 29-year-old was just signed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract, thereby joining the fourth NHL franchise of his eight-year career. He was originally a 2013 first-round selection of the Detroit Red Wings, playing parts of five seasons there before being shipped to the Washington Capitals in 2021. Last season, he split the year between the Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights where he finished with an impressive 23 goals and 21 assists in 74 games. The 6-foot-5, 234-pound power forward has never quite stood up to the expectations of a first-round pick, but he has also struggled with injuries and has never played all 82 games in a season.
Mantha will essentially be a replacement for the recently departed Andrew Mangiapane, and is highly likely to be dealt at the NHL’s trade deadline. Before last season, he hadn’t scored more than 16 goals in a season since 2018-19, and missed more than 80 games in that same timeframe. If he can maintain his most recent level of play and stay healthy, he should see relative success and net the Flames a nice return or possibly re-up with the team. The forward core is going to be a decent mix of veterans and youth, but Mantha should play in the top six. He also has a solid relationship with Flames forward Jonathan Huberdeau that could potentially translate to on-ice prosperity (from ‘‘I was all for it’: Flames see Mantha as potential Huberdeau sidekick,’ Calgary Herald, July 1, 2024). Look for Huska to utilize his big frame on the power play to help boost his numbers as well. This could be the season Mantha breaks the 30-goal and/or 50-point mark.
Jonathan Huberdeau, Left Wing
Last but not least is what seems to now be an annual hope of Flames fans, the revival of Huberdeau’s career. The 31-year-old is of course locked into what many NHL fans and media view as the worst contract in the league; an eight-year, $84 million deal that still has seven seasons remaining until its expiry. The pact would carry fantastic value if Huberdeau was scoring 115 points like he did in his final season as a Florida Panther, but so far he hasn’t come anywhere close in his two seasons as a Flame. In 2022-23, he recorded the NHL’s biggest point drop-off between seasons as he recorded just 55 after the aforementioned 115. Last season, he went down further to 52 points and a whopping minus-29 plus/minus rating. There is very heightened concern over how Huberdeau and his immovable $10.5 million annual cap hit could affect the franchise moving forward.
However, while Huberdeau may never regain his Panthers form, he certainly isn’t destined to become an overpaid 50-point forward. When looking closer, his 2023-24 season was one of two tales; in the first half he was cold, scoring just six goals and 15 assists in 41 games, but in the second he had six goals and 25 assists in 40 matches. If he had begun the season with this pace, he would have ended it with 64 points. Still not worth $10.5 million, but much better bang for the buck. Huberdeau looked a lot more like himself at many times, developing great chemistry with centres Zary and Sharangovich and gelling on the power play, which the Flames struggled immensely on as a team. “Huby” should also see a bit more puck luck in 2024-25, as his 8.4% shooting percentage this past season was the second-lowest of his career. Look for Huberdeau to reach the 60-point mark in 2024-25.
To end off, all three of these players are immensely talented and have all of the tools necessary to flourish in the NHL. Each individual has demonstrated at points in their careers that they can be difference-makers, and we think each of them can get back there in 2024-25. As a rebuilding team, the Flames will be all about growth and resilience. These qualities shouldn’t be limited to the youth on the roster. With a new season comes new opportunities, and 2024-25 will be no exception to this.
