The Calgary Flames haven’t made many changes to their roster this offseason. While a few depth players left, including backup goalie Dan Vladar, only one free agent, goaltender Ivan Prosvetov, was brought in.
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The familiarity will make life relatively easy for head coach Ryan Huska in training camp, as he already knows which players work well together when he’s forming line combinations. While he may have a trick or two up his sleeve to begin the 2025-26 campaign, here’s what the Flames’ lines are likely to look like for their season opener versus the Edmonton Oilers on Oct. 8.
The Flames’ Forward Line Combinations
Jonathan Huberdeau – Nazem Kadri – Connor Zary
The Flames seemed to find magic when they put Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri on a line together last season. The two had great chemistry and became the Flames’ most dangerous duo by far.
Giving Zary a run with them will, hopefully, help him regain some confidence, while he can also be relied upon as the best defensive forward of the group.
Blake Coleman – Mikael Backlund – Matt Coronato
Blake Coleman and Mikael Backlund have worked well together for some time. They won’t provide the biggest offensive numbers, but they provide depth scoring and can also shut things down defensively. Adding the young and talented Matt Coronato to their line worked very well late in the 2024-25 campaign.
Joel Farabee – Morgan Frost – Yegor Sharangovich
The two former Philadelphia Flyers – Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost – struggled in 2024-25, as did Yegor Sharangovich. This is a redemption line of sorts, and also gives Farabee and Frost some familiarity and comfort as they still navigate being two of the newest faces on the team.
Ryan Lomberg – Martin Pospisil – Adam Klapka
Given how well Adam Klapka closed out the 2024-25 season, he likely has a good shot at being in the opening-night lineup. Martin Pospisil’s ability to play down the middle allows for that, while Ryan Lomberg will undoubtedly begin the season on the left side of the fourth line.
Leftover Forward
The extra forward going into the season is Justin Kirkland, who impressed in a limited stretch last season but remains very inexperienced. He will get his opportunity, though it may not come in the season opener.
The Flames’ Defensive Pairings
Top Defensive Pair: Kevin Bahl – Rasmus Andersson
Here is where things get confusing. There are tons of trade rumours surrounding Rasmus Andersson. Should Andersson begin the 2025-26 season in Calgary, however, expect to see him spend the majority of his 5v5 time with Kevin Bahl – the two played together plenty and often in 2024-25.
Second Defensive Pair: MacKenzie Weegar – Zayne Parekh
It also isn’t a guarantee that Zayne Parekh makes the Flames roster this season. That said, it’s hard to envision him going back to the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) given his strong performances in the last two seasons. Should he crack the lineup, pairing him with the Flames’ best overall defenceman in MacKenzie Weegar (who can play both sides) seems to be the ideal fit.
Third Defensive Pair: Joel Hanley – Brayden Pachal
Many would like to see Joel Hanley back alongside Weegar. While that could happen, it seems safer to put him with Brayden Pachal than with Parekh. This will likely change as the season progresses, of course, but fans should expect to see Hanley and Pachal manning the third line to begin the 2025-26 campaign.
Leftover Defencemen
The Flames have some good prospects on the back end, including Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov, who can push for spots, though, more likely, Jake Bean and Daniil Miromanov will open the season as the seventh and eighth defencemen. Bean’s spot on the roster for the entirety of the season feels relatively safe, but Miromanov is a complete wildcard following his struggles in 2024-25.
The Flames’ Goaltending
Vladar chose to join the Philadelphia Flyers on a two-year deal this offseason, which meant that general manager (GM) Craig Conroy had to find a backup. He appears to have done so in Prosvetov. Of course, we can’t forget about the 28-year-old Devin Cooley, who looked like he would be named the American Hockey League (AHL) MVP at points last season.
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What isn’t up for debate is who will be the starter. That spot belongs to Dustin Wolf. The 24-year-old quickly made a name for himself with an outstanding rookie season in 2024-25, and has all the makings of becoming one of the best in the business.
The only question that remains is whether the Flames will be better this season. The team missed the playoffs by a single point in 2024-25, but failed to make any significant changes this summer. They could be in store for some regression, and it’s tough to suggest that the current roster has a good shot at making the playoffs.
