Huska May Not Have Much Leash Left with the Flames

The Calgary Flames missed the playoffs for the fourth-straight year this season. That also means that Ryan Huska, who was hired as the team’s head coach prior to the 2023-24 campaign, has yet to coach this team to the postseason in three opportunities. Granted, few, if any, expected any of these recent rosters to get into the playoffs.

Under general manager (GM) Craig Conroy, the Flames have opted for a rebuild approach. In other words, they’ve decided to go with short-term pain in hopes of putting together a roster that will eventually be competing for Stanley Cups year in and year out.

That puts Huska in a tricky position, as he simply hasn’t been provided with the level of skill needed to consistently win games. The good news, for his sake, is that Conroy is very aware of the fact this team isn’t ready to be a playoff contender just yet. The bigger thing for now is that Huska is able to get the most out of all his players, particularly the younger ones, in order to set this team up for a successful future. The issue, though, is that several players actually took steps backward this past season, which may be putting Huska on the hot seat.

Flames Young Players Disappointed This Season

The biggest thing for the coach of a rebuilding team is to make sure he is instilling confidence into young players. After all, they are usually the future building blocks of a franchise, making it imperative that they are developed properly. The easiest way to track that is to check their results in order to see improvements being made.

There was certainly some of that in 2024-25. Dustin Wolf finished second in Calder Trophy voting, Matt Coronato scored 24 goals, and Kevin Bahl, who is still just 25 years old, established himself as a true, dependable top-four defenceman.

The growth from younger players on the Flames roster wasn’t the same in 2025-26. Zayne Parekh struggled to get into the lineup for a long portion of the season, and didn’t look comfortable when in the lineup. The one positive in this regard is that he was much better during the final month of the 2025-26 campaign, but it was still a frustrating rookie season.

Other young players like William Stromgren and Rory Kerins were barely able to get playing time in the few games they suited up. Coronato regressed, as did Wolf. Even Jonathan Huberdeau, who had a resurgence in 2024-25 with 62 points, had just 25 points in 50 games before undergoing season-ending hip surgery.

As for Connor Zary, he struggled once again for the second-straight season. The 24-year-old, who still boasts a ton of potential, managed just 12 goals and 25 points in 2025-26. It didn’t help that Huska juggled him throughout the lineup all season, making it difficult for him to gain any sort of momentum.

The one positive regarding youth was the play of Matvei Gridin. The 20-year-old impressed in the 37 games he played with the Flames, registering six goals and 20 points. That said, aside from himself and a strong rookie season from Yan Kuznetsov, far too many others took steps in the wrong direction.

That reflects in the standings, too. The 2024-25 season saw the Flames surprise many and remain in the playoff hunt right until the end. They wound up missing the postseason by just one point. This past season saw them regress by 19 points in the standings. Granted, they did move out several veterans in Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, and Rasmus Andersson, but there’s no doubt that regression from many others on the roster played a huge part in that decline.

Huska Needs to Get Better Results from Youth

As of now, Huska is by no means on the brink of being fired. This team didn’t have much expectations heading into 2025-26, and finished near the bottom of the standings as expected. That said, if young players such as Coronato, Parekh, Wolf, Zary, and others struggle through the first few months of the 2026-27 season, it may force Conroy’s hand into making a change. After all, it’s imperative that the young talent mentioned starts to make strides as this team slowly looks to morph into a contender.