The Calgary Flames played one of their first two preseason games against the Edmonton Oilers in Calgary on Sunday. They lost in a 3-0 shutout, with three goals scored by three different Oilers. Here are three takeaways from last night’s game, and how they can affect the Flames’ training camp decisions going forward.
Devin Cooley Has a Long Way To Go
While the Flames have a starting goaltender (2024-25 Calder finalist Dustin Wolf) on lock, they have questions in net regarding their backup – even the best goalies can’t play 82 games a season. As it stands, the competition for the second string is between two goalies signed to two-way NHL deals: Devin Cooley, who started last night’s game in Calgary, and Ivan Prosvetov, who started in Edmonton. While one game apiece is a sample size too small to make a clear judgment on either player, Prosvetov’s performance was a lot better than Cooley’s, especially taking the competition into account.
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In Calgary, the Flames started most of their “A-team,” while the team the Oilers sent was mostly prospects, American Hockey League (AHL) in-betweeners, and tryout players. In Edmonton, the reverse was true – Prosvetov played behind a worse defence, allowing more and more dangerous shots, but he saved 28 out of 30 (.933 save percentage), compared to Cooley’s 26 out of 29 (.896 SV%). Cooley also looked slow to react, and the first goal he allowed was very rough; he failed to seal his glove, and a puck slowed when it hit him but didn’t stop, and trickled through to put Edmonton up 1-0.
Once again, this is both players’ first game of the season, and with goalies especially, we shouldn’t be too hasty to make a snap judgment. If there is a conclusion to draw from their results, though, it’s that Prosvetov has an early step on his competitor.
Flames Need to Shoot More
At times, the Flames looked really good. Often, they had a lot of movement and control, especially in the offensive zone and on the power play, and doubly so when Zayne Parekh was on the ice. All that to say, even the best puck-movement possible doesn’t mean anything when a team won’t shoot.
The Flames only had 20 shots on goal this game, with the majority coming in the first and second periods. Their offence completely dropped off in the third period, when they managed just five shots and were completely outgunned by the Oilers. Furthermore, almost none of their shots all game were particularly dangerous, with the exception of a first-period threat by Nazem Kadri that was saved by the Oilers’ goaltending, and a brief high-danger sequence in the second.
The Flames need to be able to generate offence that gets close to the net and makes serious passes through their opponents’ defence. Perimeter passing and sustained offensive-zone time may be fun to watch, but the only way to score goals is for the puck to go through the goaltender, and that will require someone on the team to be shooting the puck.
Nick Cicek Is a Sleeper Roster Pick
While the right side of the Flames’ defensive group is a logjam, their left side is wide open and full of hopefuls who are all fighting for an NHL roster spot. One such hopeful is Nick Cicek, who signed with the Flames on July 1 to a one-year, two-way contract. Cicek is a 25-year-old undrafted left-handed defenceman who played the 2024-25 season with Adler Mannheim of the Deutsch Eishockey Liga (DEL), the German professional league. He had previously played in the NHL for the San Jose Sharks, but was sent down to their AHL affiliate after 16 games.
While a player who couldn’t crack the Sharks recently might not seem like an inspiring option, Cicek certainly demonstrated in this game that he wants a chance to prove his growth. He was all over the play during the game, easily keeping up with (and occasionally surpassing) his partner Rasmus Andersson, drawing a penalty, and even getting into a fight with Oilers player Connor Clattenburg (from ‘Most controversial Edmonton Oilers prospect? Bashing brute of a forward qualifies,‘ Edmonton Journal, August 25, 2025). He managed to play a simple, well-structured game, and while he wasn’t rewarded for it, he didn’t look out of place. It is early, but if he keeps up his play at this level, there’s a chance he could start the season with the Flames.
What’s Next for the Flames?
The Flames’ lacklustre offence and a bad goaltending performance disappointed. Their next game is on Tuesday, against the Seattle Kraken. With the grit they showed, led by Cicek, there’s a chance that they could improve their preseason performance.
