The Calgary Flames have built a strong team this season and have also started the season well. After a big shift in star personnel, they are off and running looking to compete for the Stanley Cup. Many of the contracts on the team are set to expire in two years, so even though the Cup window may stay open for longer, the team likely won’t get a better chance to win than this season and next.
Flames’ Best Window for Stanley Cup is Now
The Flames have a number of core pieces including Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, Jacob Markstrom, and Blake Coleman all locked up for at least the next four years. But that doesn’t include some key players.
Many of the remaining contracts work out so that they all expire after the 2023-24 season. There are eight players set to become unrestricted free agents (UFA) and two who will be restricted free agents (RFA). Among the UFAs at the end of next season are Mikael Backlund, Tyler Toffoli, Elias Lindholm, Kevin Rooney, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, and Oliver Kylington. The RFAs include Dillon Dube and Adam Ruzicka.
The Flames have arguably the best defensive group in the NHL, so it’s worrisome to see four of the mainstays on the blue line in that group. I don’t expect all of them to be back, but the expectation is that Hanifin and Kylington will get a pay increase. Fortunately for the Flames and the rest of the league, the salary cap is expected to make a significant jump by the time they really need the room to re-sign those players.
Even though Toffoli may not be a top-line player, he is for the Flames this season due to the lack of high-end talent on their right-wing (from ‘Tyler Toffoli gets top-line trigger chance for Flames,’ Calgary Sun, Sept. 27, 2022). So in two years, two of the three top-line players for the Flames will need new contracts and you can bet Lindholm gets a significant raise. The focus for this team should and will be Lindholm’s contract first and foremost. This will mean money that may have been used for someone else won’t be available. The Flames’ top-line centre is the priority since he has established himself as a point-per-game player and Selke Trophy candidate.
The depth will work itself out, but there also needs to be room for potential breakout candidates requiring larger paydays out of bridge deals and rookie contracts. Players like Dube, Ruzicka, and Jakob Pelletier all fit into that category. Dube is already primed for a breakout season on the Flames’ second line while Pelletier will be with the Flames in no time.
Flames’ May Have a Different Look Once Again in 2 Seasons
The Flames may not have a major change like they did this past offseason since they won’t have room for three-star players to join their team again. But they will look different in two years than they do right now. There is definitely uncertainty surrounding Lindholm and whether he wants to test free agency for the first time in his career. But I can once again see the Flames doing everything they can to keep their top centerman around since that would be a huge blow to their team.
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This stellar defence group the Flames have will not be able to stay together for long. Of the four defencemen expected to be free agents in 2024, it’s likely only two of them will remain. If so, the team will have to replace the other two to three spots on the roster. This could include adding anyone from a top-pairing defender to a third-pairing defenceman. There is also a possibility one of their young defencemen currently playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) steps up by then as well.
As for the Flames’ forward depth, almost the entire bottom six could look different in two years. Backlund will be 35 years old but could be one of the only players who could realistically stick around from the bottom six. He has loyalty for the Flames and his strong defensive ability will still be useful with a cheaper contract. Milan Lucic, Trevor Lewis, and Brett Ritchie will all likely be gone after this season, but Rooney’s future in Calgary will depend on how he plays his role on the fourth line these next two seasons. His ice time has already dropped off from where it was for the New York Rangers, so that could impact his effectiveness.
Despite Markstrom being under contract for the next four seasons and Dan Vladar under contract for the next three after his two-year extension, Dustin Wolf is already pushing for a spot and will be in the mix by next season. If he isn’t on the Flames by 2024 in a full-time role, something went wrong. He is their future in net and how the team will continue to win once Markstrom starts to decline.
Related: 5 Reasons the Flames Will Win the Stanley Cup in 2022-23
The Flames may not have as good of a shot to win the Stanley Cup for a while if they don’t capitalize within the next two seasons. Their core will get older, and with age comes uncertainty. Many of their players are in their primes and on great deals in a sub-par division with a great coach. The Flames will be at the top of the league all season long and not only compete for the division title but hope for a better outcome in the playoffs.