It is late September, and the 2023-24 training camp is officially underway for the Calgary Flames. Fans and media alike are surely ecstatic to see many faces, old and new, step on the ice for the first time. 35 forwards, 22 defensemen, and seven goaltenders have been invited to take part and divided into three teams: Team Iginla, Team Vernon, and Team McDonald. Rookie head coach Ryan Huska and his team will be tasked with getting the most out of this group and using this time to experiment and perhaps create some chemistry. The first preseason contest will come on Sept. 24 at home against the Vancouver Canucks.
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In the meantime, there are still many things up in the air for the organization. There is much nervousness amongst the fanbase after a 2022-23 season that saw the Flames fall short of making the playoffs. As mentioned, a new coaching staff is in town as is a new general manager in the form of ex-Flame player Craig Conroy. At his side as a special advisor is the greatest Flame ever in Jarome Iginla. Together, the hope is that these fresh voices can right the ship and turn the veteran-laden team into one that makes deep playoff trips. However, some things will need to be cleared up beforehand, and there is no better time than right now to do so. Here are some questions still facing the Flames heading into training camp.
Which Youngsters Crack the Roster?
With little to no cap space available, the Flames couldn’t afford to add much to their roster this offseason. Therefore, several roster players such as Nick Ritchie, Milan Lucic, and Trevor Lewis departed the team with no replacement. This leaves some holes and luckily due to solid drafting and prospect management, the Flames have options to fill them. For example, 2019 first-rounder Jakob Pelletier started last year in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Calgary Wranglers but got called up to the big club in January and stayed until the end of the 2022-23 season. He accumulated three goals and seven points in that time and showed flashes of readiness. “Pelts” will likely be a frontrunner to make the team out of camp and play his first full season in the big leagues.
The Flames’ 13th overall selection in 2021, Matthew Coronato, is another name that has a strong chance at cracking the roster this year. He got to make his NHL debut in the last game of the season in 2022-23 and definitely didn’t look out of place as a pro after dominating college hockey for the previous two years. Perhaps most interesting will be promising young goaltender Dustin Wolf, who is the reigning AHL MVP and has been named best goaltender in back-to-back seasons with the Flames’ AHL affiliate teams. He also made his first NHL appearance in the same game as Coronato and stopped all but one shot in a win. In his way are starter Jacob Markstrom and backup Dan Vladar, both of which are signed for at least two more seasons. Will the team roll with three goalies? It is awkward but has been done before. Otherwise, one man will likely find himself the odd one out via trade.
What’s Up with Kylington?
After spending the entire 2022-23 season back home in Sweden away from professional hockey, defenseman Oliver Kylington looked to be turning a corner. Last month, he opened up to a local media outlet about his struggles with mental health and stated that he was looking forward to being back with the team and competing this season. Prior to his year off, he had signed a two-year extension with the Flames worth $5 million. He earned the deal by blossoming into a top-four blue-liner in 2021-22, scoring nine goals and 31 points in 73 games. Kylington paired extremely well with the predominantly defensive-minded Chris Tanev and also solidified a home for himself on the second-unit power play.
Unfortunately for Kylington and Flames fans, it was just announced that he will be missing the start of training camp. The team gave no details as to why in a press release regarding the issue, calling the matter personal. The decision came shortly after the team’s opening medical and fitness testing sessions. Will Kylington be out for the entire training camp? Will he play at all this season? Is his situation difficult enough to warrant an early retirement? We certainly hope not, but everything is essentially back to square one for those concerned with the situation. Coming back to a life of tireless physical competition, training, and travelling away from family would surely be challenging for any individual, let alone one that is in a psychological battle.
Who Will Re-sign with the Team?
One of, if not the hardest tasks for Conroy will be moving or re-signing his 12 current pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs). In addition, there are an even 12 restricted free agents who will need raises, but at least the Flames exclusively hold each of their negotiating rights. The big-name UFAs; Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund, Noah Hanifin, Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov, will likely steal most of the spotlight, and rightfully so. Lindholm has recently stated that discussions about a new contract have cooled, but thankfully he isn’t letting it distract him from the season ahead. If he were to be placed on the trading block, he’d be one of the most valuable available players league-wide, but the Flames would presumably rather have him wearing their uniform. In an interview in his home of Sweden, Backlund has declared his love for Calgary but is choosing to wait and see how the team performs before electing whether or not to re-sign with them.
The longest-tenured Flame is a large locker-room presence and would undeniably be missed if he were to go unsigned or be traded. Hanifin echoed similar sentiments at the Flames’ charity golf tournament on Sep. 13th, saying that the door is open for his return but that he would like to see how the year plays out. Tanev and Zadorov unfortunately haven’t said much of anything as to which direction(s) they may be leaning in terms of new contracts with the Flames. The most lamentable aspect of the NHL is that it is a business, and the Flames will find themselves at a point in the season where they need to decide who they want to invest to keep and who they should move for assets. If the team is in the playoff hunt near the trade deadline, they may determine that they should keep all or most of their UFAs as a sort of “own rental” instead of trading and losing resources for external ones.
As it stands, the 2023-24 season will be one of immense discovery for the Flames. A lot of the future of the team will be decided in this pivotal year; the aforementioned rookies’ development will be crucial for maintaining a competitive squad. Just as important is figuring out which players want to play for the Flames or instead potentially establishing their best return in a trade.
