2023 has been quite the year for the Calgary Flames, and as negative as it may sound, little of it has been good. In terms of team performance, the word inconsistent has been used plenty, but with how long it’s gone on perhaps it’s just what they are. When playing their best, they can compete with top teams in the league, but they are every bit as capable of losing to a lottery team. Put that together, and you get exactly what they have been; a team hovering right around the .500 mark that isn’t good enough to make the playoffs but isn’t bad enough to get a high draft pick.
The Fall Out of Missing Playoffs
As maddening as the Flames were last season, they missed the playoffs by just two points. Given their struggles, it is hard to imagine they would have gone on any sort of run, but as everyone knows, anything can happen in the postseason. Had they made it and perhaps gone on a bit of a run, things could be looking far different right now.
Instead, then-general manager (GM) Brad Treliving departed the organization just days after the season ended. Though he has never said so himself, numerous reports have stated he chose to do so due to a deteriorating relationship when head coach Darryl Sutter. He has since become the general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Speaking of Sutter, it seemed as though the Flames organization wanted to keep him around given that he had two additional seasons on his contract with a salary of $4 million. However, it became clear that the relationship between him and his players had gotten too toxic to repair from, and he was relieved of his duties on May 1st. One can’t help but wonder whether Treliving would have stuck around had Sutter been shown the door earlier.
With Treliving and Sutter out, former Arizona Coyotes GM and the current president of hockey operations for the Flames, Don Maloney, was tasked with finding some replacements. He did so by choosing to hire Craig Conroy as the GM and gave him the reigns to find a new head coach. Conroy also chose to hire internally, giving then-assistant coach Ryan Huska the head coaching title.
Offseason Roster Moves
Conroy’s first transaction as GM of the Flames came just a day before the 2023 Draft, as he chose to send Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick. Toffoli had reportedly been frustrated by the fact that he wasn’t offered an extension, and as a result, requested a trade a short time after Conroy’s hiring. This was a move that was highly criticized at the time, though the narrative has changed drastically in recent months thanks to the great play of Sharangovich.
Related: Flames Should Be Gauging Trade Interest for Markstrom
Shortly after the trade, Conroy re-signed Sharangovich to a two-year, $6.2 million deal, before focusing on the draft and free agency. The Flames didn’t make many moves in free agency, other than adding some depth in Jordan Oesterle, while also working on new deals with Martin Pospisil and Dryden Hunt.
Conroy’s next and latest trade to date came very recently, as he moved Nikita Zadorov to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a third and fifth-round draft picks. Fans weren’t thrilled with the return on this deal, but with the 28-year-old defenceman having recently requested a trade, Conroy was in a tough position.
Youth Making an Impact
Near the end of the 2022-23 season, Jakob Pelletier joined the Flames roster much to the excitement of the fanbase. He wound up playing 24 NHL games, scoring three goals and seven points. The organization expected big things from him in 2023-24, but a shoulder injury sustained in exhibition play has him sidelined for the time being. That said, other youth have stepped up in his absence.
Leading the way is Connor Zary, who was called up early into the season and won’t be heading back to the AHL anytime soon. The 22-year-old has been arguably the best surprise for the Flames this season, with seven goals and 17 points in 23 games.
Another youthful talent, who was called up early into the season was Martin Pospisil, a name not many seemed all too excited about heading into training camp. Though his offensive game hasn’t been as dominant as Zary’s, he is contributing in that regard while also doing an excellent job at getting under the skin of opposing teams.
Last but not least is Dustin Wolf, who made his NHL debut in the final game of the Flames season in 2022-23. Due to injury troubles with the Flames this season, Wolf has been able to play in five NHL games. His numbers aren’t as good as fans were hoping for, but experience is more important than all else right now for the 22-year-old netminder.
Star Players Slumping
While the Flames youth is showing plenty of promise, their top-paid players are doing the exact opposite. The leader in that regard is, of course, Jonathan Huberdeau. Hopes of a bounce-back season were quickly thrown away after a poor start, and things have gotten no better since. Through 33 games, he has 15 points, causing many to believe he has the worst contract in the entire NHL.
Related: Treliving Set Flames Back Years by Not Acquiring Eichel
Elias Lindholm hasn’t been nearly as good as he is capable of, either. The 29-year-old ended last season with only 64 points and has just 23 through 33 outings this season. The Flames will be hoping he can pick up his play quickly in 2024 to ensure they can get a big return for him should they choose to move him by the trade deadline.
Another player who is paid to be a top-end goal scorer is Andrew Mangiapane, who had just 17 last season. After starting the 2023-24 campaign out hot, he now finds himself with just six tallies through 32 games, which isn’t good enough for a player being paid $5.8 million annually.
Looking for Answers in 2024
At this time, it is hard to predict what 2024 will look like for the Flames, but we should have a better idea in the coming months. If they choose to move on from their pending UFAs in Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev, they will likely struggle in the immediate future. That said, doing so may very well be better for them in the long term. If they instead decide to go the route of re-signing two or perhaps all three of the players mentioned above, 2024 could be another year of mediocrity.
