The Calgary Flames were one of the NHL’s biggest surprise teams last season. Though they missed the playoffs, it wasn’t for a lack of effort. Despite being projected as one of the league’s worst teams heading into the 2024-25 campaign, they wound up finishing just one point shy of passing the St. Louis Blues for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
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This Flames team proved in 2024-25 that they are a relentless group. They were in nearly every game they played, and made every outing a difficult one for their opponents. Fans should expect a similar effort level in 2025-26, as this group seems to love playing for head coach Ryan Huska. Fans should also expect an even better team on display, much in part due to these five reasons.
Wolf on a Path to Stardom
It would be naïve to suggest that there was any player who had a bigger role in the Flames’ success than Dustin Wolf last season. It was no hidden secret that this team struggled to put the puck in the net, but they were able to stay in nearly every game they played thanks to the brilliance of Wolf.
The 24-year-old finished second in Calder Trophy voting, and is just getting started when it comes to league-wide recognition. He’s now being viewed as this team’s undisputed number-one goaltender moving forward, and should continue to progress as he has at every other level throughout his playing career.
Coronato’s Extension a Sign of Confidence
The Flames have been very high on Matt Coronato since selecting him 13th overall in 2021, and didn’t have any worries when they were forced to send him to the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2023-24. After all, he was just 21 years old. Coronato himself likely wasn’t all too thrilled, however, and made it abundantly clear in 2024-25 that his time in the AHL is over with.
Despite once again being sent to the AHL early in 2024-25, Coronato was quickly recalled, and immediately went to work. The young winger wound up scoring 24 goals and 47 points in 77 games, and was rewarded recently with a seven-year, $45.5 million deal. Any slight doubt he may have had in regards to the organization’s confidence in him is gone now, which should help him take another step in the right direction this coming season.
Zary Has Something to Prove
Connor Zary is the only restricted free agent (RFA) that remains for the Flames. They’ve been able to work out extensions with Coronato, Adam Klapka, Morgan Frost, Rory Kerins, Kevin Bahl, Yan Kuznetsov, and Jeremie Poirier, but haven’t been able to put pen to paper yet for Zary.
The presumed issue is that Zary wants a long-term deal, while the Flames would prefer to bridge him. You can understand the Flames’ hesitancy, as it’s still unclear what Zary’s ceiling is. Given how long this has taken, however, you can expect a very motivated player heading into the 2025-26 season, assuming his deal does indeed get done beforehand.
Parekh Has Potential to Make Real Difference
The one thing to be clear about when discussing Zayne Parekh is that it is important not to put too much pressure on him. After all, we are talking about a 19-year-old kid who has played just one NHL game to date. That said, that one NHL game gave fans plenty to be excited about moving forward.
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Parekh will be a part of the Flames roster this season and will be given plenty of opportunity to show what he can do. His even strength minutes may be sheltered, in part by giving him plenty of offensive zone draws. That, along with his power-play abilities, could provide a huge boost offensively for the Flames this coming season.
Farabee & Frost More Comfortable
Though the entire Flames fan base was quite excited by the acquisitions of Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost in late January, that excitement waned rather quickly given how much each player, particularly Farabee, struggled. Frost wound up recording three goals and 12 points through 32 games, while Farabee had just three goals and six points through 31 outings.
Both players have far more to give, and Farabee even went as far as referring to his season as an embarrassment. In the defence of both, they are young players who went through the first trade of their NHL career. Now more settled into Calgary, fans should expect them to help provide plenty more offence in 2025-26.
Easy Team to Root For
While it remains to be seen how the 2025-26 season will fare for the Flames, anybody cheering for this team can’t help but love them. They are an underdog in every sense, as they have no superstar on their team, and very few players that would even be classified as stars. That said, they work cohesively together better than almost any other team in the NHL, which was quite a sight to see last season. Let’s hope for more of the same, albeit with a playoff berth, in 2025-26.
