Flames’ Young Stars Fueling Unexpected Success
The Calgary Flames held a fire sale between last season and the summer, moving out multiple top-of-the-lineup pieces – including top forward Elias Lindholm, top defenders Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, and starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom. Calgary moved out more than $24MM in cap space between all of their trades, and yet – as the 2024-25 season prepares to enter December – the Flames sit comfortably in a playoff spot. They’re 12-8-4 so far, ranked third in the Pacific Division and sixth in the Western Conference. Even better, Calgary boasts the third-most cap space in the league – with a projected $25.9MM in current available funds. The hot start and open budget put Calgary in the best spot they’ve been in years, and it’s a direct result of novice general manager Craig Conroy‘s timely reliance on the prospect pool.
Conroy emphasized on Sportsnet’s Flames Talk podcast this summer that the goal of the Flames’ season would be to create opportunity for their in-house prospects. 24 games into the season and it seems every single prospect to receive a chance has seized it in full.
Dustin Wolf is quickly establishing himself as a franchise goaltender, posting eight wins and a .918 save percentage through 13 games in what is his formal rookie season. That kind of performance will command respect in the race for the Calder Trophy, even against Matvei Michkov and Logan Stankoven rivaling point-per-game scoring. Wolf is thriving in what is the first hardy starting experience of his career, continuing to dominate North American pros after taking home the AHL’s Les Cunningham ‘MVP’ award in 2023, and the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Memorial Award for goalie-of-the-year in both 2022 and 2023. He spent just a bit too much time with the NHL roster last season to rival either award, but recorded a cumulative 97 wins and .926 save percentage through 141 games and four seasons in the AHL. That ability is now directly benefiting the Flames. Wolf has posted a save percentage above .900 in 61.5 percent of his starts this year, just 0.4 percent behind Markstrom’s tally in 2021-22 – when he finished the year second in Vezina Trophy voting.
Wolf’s dazzling defense of Calgary’s garrison has given youngsters Connor Zary and Matthew Coronato plenty of space to lead the offensive charge. Zary has become Calgary’s third-most utilized forward at even-strength, with 349 minutes of five-versus-five ice time in 24 games – 13 minutes fewer than Nazem Kadri, two fewer than Mikael Backlund, and 12 more than Jonathan Huberdeau. Zary’s had no trouble keeping up with the studded veterans he’s keeping company with, scoring six points at even strength and 12 points on the year as a whole – tying Huberdeau and one behind Kadri. He’s become a core piece of Calgary’s top-six – a role flirted with when he recorded 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games as a rookie last season. The bulk of his scoring, between this year and last, has come thanks to a nonstop motor and ability to play at top speeds. But while Zary’s outskates his opponents on the top-line, Coronato has taken to outworking them in the middle-six. He’s also jumped up the Flames’ scoring chart, with six goals and 10 points in 19 games this season. That’s one fewer goal than each of Kadri and Huberdeau, and puts Coronato on pace for 26 goals across 82 games – which would mark the highest scoring from a U22 Flame since Matthew Tkachuk and Sean Monahan each surpassed the 25-goal mark three separate times before their 22nd birthday.
The surge of production from Zary and Coronato in the top-nine has helped Calgary’s lineup truly settle into place. Utility winger Blake Coleman has been able to resign to a top-notch supporting role, rather than needing to drive play on his own; while Coronato’s role of gritty scorer opens more space for Martin Pospisil to embrace his bruiser tendencies. It’s created a lineup that’s cohesive, multifaceted, and capable of taking on the NHL’s best lineups – made evident by Calgary’s recent three-game stretch of wins over the New York Islanders, Rangers, and Minnesota Wild.
A year intended for retooling has instead become a year of success for the Flames. They’re on an upward trajectory, fueled almost entirely by the team’s timely leaning into their prospect pool. Wolf’s performance as a formal rookie will have Calgary as a top mention in the Calder Trophy race, while Zary and Coronato’s mix of scoring could push the team into the postseason for the first time since 2022. Even without either accolade, the performance of Calgary’s top youngsters this season sets up plenty of reasons to be excited about their long-term outlook.
Flames Place Ilya Nikolaev On Unconditional Waivers
Nov. 29: The Flames announced Friday that Nikolaev has been released from his contract, confirming that he cleared unconditional waivers. They now have five open contract slots.
Nov. 28: It appears that the Flames will be parting ways with one of their prospects. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that the team has placed forward Ilya Nikolaev on unconditional waivers, a move that is generally made to pave the way to terminate a player’s contract.
The 23-year-old was a third-round pick by Calgary back in 2019, going 88th overall. Nikolaev spent the next two seasons in Russia before coming to North America for the 2021-22 campaign where he joined USHL Tri-City. A strong showing there that saw him record 23 goals and 49 assists in 58 regular season games helped earn him an entry-level deal soon after.
However, things haven’t gone well for Nikolaev since then. He spent his first two professional seasons split between AHL Calgary and ECHL Rapid City. In 2022-23, he played the bulk of his outings with the latter while last season, it was the other way around. The hope was that he’d at least be able to move up to the AHL level full-time this year but that didn’t happen. Nikolaev got into a pair of games with the Rush plus nine more with the Wranglers where he had four assists but clearly, he hadn’t cemented a full-time spot with them yet.
Nikolaev is in the final season of his entry-level contract and with how things had been going to this point, he was likely heading for a non-tender in June. Assuming that he clears waivers on Friday, he’ll become an unrestricted free agent and will likely look for another opportunity overseas. Once the deal is terminated, he’ll come off Calgary’s contract list which will bring them down to 45 out of the maximum of 50.
Vladar Calgary's Most Logical Trade Candidate?
- Kent Wilson of the Calgary Herald feels that goaltender Daniel Vladar is Calgary’s most logical trade candidate at the moment. The 27-year-old is off to a nice start to his year after recovering from hip surgery and has a 2.65 GAA with a .906 SV% in his first nine starts, numbers that are well above league average. With several teams looking for goalie help and an affordable $2.2MM cap charge, the Flames could get a decent return for his services. Vladar is a pending unrestricted free agent and while it could make sense to try to keep him partnered with Dustin Wolf beyond this season, AHL netminder Devin Cooley is off to a dominant start in the minors (1.63 GAA, .947 SV% in ten games) and is making a push to get a look at the NHL level sooner than later himself.
Flames Recall Adam Klapka
- The Flames announced that winger Adam Klapka was recalled from AHL Calgary. He was sent down on Saturday and got into two games, picking up two goals and an assist. While Klapka is now on a five-game point streak at that level, he hasn’t recorded a point in his first five NHL contests so far this season. He’s likely to serve as the reserve forward tonight versus the Islanders.
Flames Re-Assign Adam Klapka
Saturday: Klapka has been reassigned to the minors, the Flames announced. While he was on the roster for three games, he didn’t suit up in any of them.
Monday: The Flames announced Monday that they’ve recalled forward Adam Klapka from AHL Calgary. He fills the roster spot vacated by Dryden Hunt, whose reassignment to the minors evaded our coverage over the weekend.
Klapka, 24, made the Flames’ opening night roster but was sent to the AHL on Oct. 30 to make room for Samuel Honzek, who was coming off injured reserve at the time. Honzek has since been sent to the minors, as the Flames have done quite a lot of roster shuffling regarding their young players over the past couple of weeks.
During that three-week window, Klapka was rostered for nine games, playing in five of them. The 6’7″, 238-lb center/winger failed to record a point but had a +1 rating, five blocks and 18 hits while averaging 8:27 per game. It was the Prague native’s second NHL trial after appearing in six games for the Flames last season, scoring his first NHL goal in the process.
The Flames acquired the towering forward when they signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Czechia’s Bílí Tygři Liberec early in the 2022 offseason. He’s scored 37 goals, 39 assists and 76 points in 130 AHL games since, including five points through five games this season since being demoted late last month. He was a restricted free agent for over a month last summer before agreeing to a two-way deal ($775K/$100K) to bring him back to Calgary in mid-August.
Despite the recall, Klapka is expected to watch tonight’s game against the Kings from the press box, according to Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet 960. Ryan Lomberg, Kevin Rooney and Justin Kirkland will continue to comprise the Flames’ fourth line.
Hunt was returned to the minors on Saturday night following the team’s shootout loss to the Sabres. He did not play during his brief two-day recall. Now in his third season with the Flames organization, the 28-year-old has two goals and eight assists for 10 points in 12 AHL games this year.
Anthony Mantha Out For Season, Needs ACL Surgery
Flames forward Anthony Mantha‘s season is over after 13 games. The team announced he requires surgery to repair an ACL injury, which he’ll undergo on Thursday.
Mantha sustained the injury nearly a week ago, but the team had been silent about a potential timeline for his return. He suffered the ACL tear, likely a complete tear given the return timeline, after falling on his right knee following a hit from Canadiens forward Emil Heineman last Tuesday. He landed on injured reserve Thursday, at which point Flames head coach Ryan Huska said Mantha was still being evaluated.
It’s devastating for Mantha, a veteran looking to prove that last season’s resurgence was no fluke. Various injuries have plagued Mantha for much of his career, but never costing him as much time as this ACL tear will. After breaking the 20-goal plateau twice in his career early on with the Red Wings, Mantha seemed to rediscover his form last year, potting 20 goals in only 56 games with the Capitals before they were able to get a pair of draft picks from the Golden Knights at the trade deadline for his services. He finished the campaign with three goals and seven assists in 18 games for Vegas before hitting unrestricted free agency, where he landed a one-year, $3.5MM prove-it deal from the Flames.
This year, Mantha had four goals and three assists, although he also recorded a career-low 1.15 shots per game. He averaged 13:54 per game, his lowest as a full-time NHLer, and recorded eight blocks and 16 hits.
Mantha, 30, will now have plenty of time to recover before testing the UFA market again next summer. He’ll be on injured reserve for at least 100 days this season, meaning he’ll be eligible to sign a contract with performance bonuses.
Meanwhile, the Flames lose a veteran presence who they hoped would help add some punch to their depth scoring. Calgary, which has dropped to 7-5-3 following their early-season tear, are clicking at a 20th-place 2.80 goals per game, and even with Mantha not shooting the puck as much as they’d hoped, they’ll need to get more out of their young players to replace his production.
2021 first-round pick Matthew Coronato, who was assigned to the AHL for a brief period earlier this season, seems to be the one who stands to benefit most from the increased opportunity. He’s quickly heating up with five goals and an assist through 10 games, recording 18 shots on goal while averaging 14:12 per game.
Thanks to his earlier IR placement, Mantha is already off the active roster, but his $3.5MM cap hit is still in full effect. Given their $23.5MM in current space, it’s unlikely, but if the Flames need increased financial flexibility, they can move Mantha to long-term injured reserve at any time.
Flames Place Anthony Mantha On Injured Reserve, Recall Dryden Hunt
Flames winger Anthony Mantha has landed on injured reserve, per Wes Gilbertson of Postmedia. Head coach Ryan Huska told reporters earlier in the day, including Sportsnet 960’s Pat Steinberg, that Mantha was still undergoing evaluation for a lower-body injury and would miss tonight’s game against the Bruins. The open roster spot is going to forward Dryden Hunt, who the team announced has been recalled from AHL Calgary.
Given his IR placement is retroactive to his last game (Nov. 5), Mantha will miss Calgary’s next three games and can return as soon as next Tuesday against the Canucks. The organization has yet to give him an official injury designation, so it’s unclear how much time, if any, he’ll miss past the mandatory minimum.
Mantha suffered the injury on Tuesday versus Montreal after falling awkwardly on his right knee after a hit from Emil Heineman. He got up under his own power and skated off the ice, albeit slowly, without the assistance of a trainer. He didn’t return to the game.
It’s been an inconsistent start in Calgary for Mantha, who inked a one-year, $3.5MM contract in free agency. The 6’5″ winger had two goals and two assists in his first three games but has gone cold since then, limited to three points in his last 10 appearances.
He’s averaging only 1.15 shots on goal per game, something Huska recently said has to change. “You saw tonight, there were multiple times he was standing right in front of the net,” Huska told reporters (including Gilbertson) after Sunday’s loss to the Oilers. “That’s how he scored his goal. And for a guy that is his size and has his ability with the puck, that’s what we need out of him.”
Kevin Rooney will enter the lineup in Mantha’s place after sitting as a healthy scratch three times in the last seven games, per Derek Willis of Sportsnet 960. Hunt comes up to serve as an extra body in case the Flames sustain any more injuries up front and need a last-minute fill-in. The 28-year-old had eight points in 28 games for Calgary last year and has 10 points in 12 AHL games so far this season.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Flames Recall Matt Coronato, Reassign Samuel Honzek
Forward Samuel Honzek‘s return to the NHL will be shortlived despite playing in the Calgary Flames’ loss to the Utah Hockey Club last night. The organization announced Honzek has been reassigned to their AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers, while forward Matthew Coronato has been recalled in his stead.
Honzek skated in 10:52 of yesterday’s action registering one block, two hits, one giveaway, and one takeaway. It was his first game back from an upper-body injury since October 15th after cracking Calgary’s roster out of training camp. It will be Honzek’s first time with the AHL Wranglers since registering two games last season after concluding his time with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants.
The former 16th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft could likely use an extended look in the AHL especially with the Flames regressing toward the mean. He was productive during his tenure in the WHL with 33 goals and 87 points in 76 games. Still, he only has seven professional games under his belt.
Calgary drafted Coronato 13th overall two years before Honzek and he’s a more established talent at the AHL level. He spent much of last year in AHL Calgary maintaining a point-per-game output with 15 goals and 42 points in 41 contests. His season was not as positive in the NHL with three goals and nine points in 34 games with a -15 rating.
He got off to a solid start this season scoring two goals in five games but was reassigned on October 25th in response to the activation of Yegor Sharangovich. As one of the top blossoming offensive talents in the Flames organization, it’ll be imperative for the coaching staff to find Coronato middle-six minutes throughout his time on the NHL roster.
Flames Activate Samuel Honzek From Injured Reserve
The Flames announced yesterday before their 5-1 loss to Utah that they’ve activated rookie Samuel Honzek from injured reserve. Adam Klapka was reassigned to AHL Calgary to open an active roster spot.
Honzek had been out of the lineup since sustaining an upper-body injury against the Blackhawks on Oct. 15, which occurred on a brutal hit from Chicago defenseman Connor Murphy late in the game. He was ruled week-to-week two days later before he landed on IR. The specific injury he sustained on the play remains unclear, but it cost him five games. He re-entered the lineup last night against Utah, posting a -1 rating in 10:52 of ice time.
Selected 16th overall in 2023, Honzek had an excellent preseason and truly earned a spot on the Flames’ opening night roster. That hasn’t yet translated to regular-season success, though, as he’s been held without a point and has six shots on goal in five appearances. That’s despite seeing a small bit of power play time and spending most of his time at even strength in first-line duties alongside Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko. He returned to the lineup yesterday in a slightly diminished even-strength role alongside Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman.
Nonetheless, his return gives the Flames a fully healthy NHL lineup that’s lost four straight in regulation after starting the season 5-0-1. It’s not an unexpected regression for the Flames, who many expected to be closer to lottery contenders than playoff ones after finishing 24th in the league last season and proceeding to trade away Andrew Mangiapane and Jacob Markström. Jake Bean and Anthony Mantha have been strong albeit inconsistent reinforcements acquired through free agency, though, and top goaltending prospect Dustin Wolf is holding his own with a .907 SV% and 1.8 GSAA through five starts.
Meanwhile, Klapka heads to the minors after cracking the Flames’ opening night roster. He’s been passed on the depth chart by veteran call-up Justin Kirkland, who’s notched five points in nine games and already leads Calgary forwards in blocks with 11. The 6’8″ right-winger was a healthy scratch in two out of their three games and scoreless in five appearances. The 24-year-old is still waiver-exempt, and his demotion was the most convenient and logical one to get Honzek back on the roster.
Calgary Flames Activate Yegor Sharangovich From IR
The red-hot Calgary Flames are getting a major offensive jolt off the injured reserve. The team announced they’ve activated Yegor Sharangovich from the injured reserve shortly before tonight’s matchup against the Winnipeg Jets.
Calgary didn’t need to make a corresponding roster move before the game tonight thanks to yesterday’s demotion of youngster Matthew Coronato. There are big expectations for Sharangovich in southern Alberta this year after a solid 31-goal, 59-point performance in the 2023-24 season.
Contractual expectations were added as well. The Flames signed Sharangovich to a five-year, $28.75MM extension this past offseason which begins at the end of his current deal marking a large commitment from an organization that was previously thought to be heavily retooling.
He hasn’t been able to build on any of those expectations yet this season. Sharangovich fell awkwardly into the boards of the Flames’ final preseason game, necessitating a move to the team’s injured reserve with a lower-body injury to start the year. Calgary’s offensive has been more than fine without Sharangovich up to this point. They’re off to a 5-1-1 record through seven games and sit ninth in the league in GF/G with 3.57.
He’s already reassumed his role on the team’s top line next to Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko. He’s been left off the scoresheet tonight so far after two periods against the Jets but has registered two hits on the night.