If you ask Calgary Flames fans what needs improving on this current team, you’ll get several answers. Many would suggest they need more talent up front, as they struggle to produce both at even strength and even more so on the power play. Heading into the season, some would have also said goaltending, though that answer has likely changed given Jacob Markstrom’s performance to date.
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One area that does need to get improved, but doesn’t seem to be talked about, is this team’s third pairing on the blue line. Heading into the season, the back end was looked at as a strength for the Flames, thanks to the likes of MacKenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Nikita Zadorov. It was a fair assumption to make as all five are solid blueliners. In fact, all have been good this season. That said, since the Zadorov trade, it has become abundantly clear that they lack depth in that position.
Third Pairing Needs to Be Improved
With the Flames expected to be sellers at this year’s deadline, the chances of them adding a defenceman who can help improve their third pair is slim to none. Given that they don’t have much in terms of playoff aspirations, a move or two to improve it can come in the offseason. What the moves will be is up to general manager Craig Conroy, it is obvious that this team cannot continue to rely on players such as Dennis Gilbert, Jordan Oesterle, and Nick DeSimone.
Out of the three listed, Gilbert has proven to be the most reliable. That said, he is a seventh defenceman at best, but has been forced to be more since the departure of Zadorov. Oesterle is a borderline seventh defenceman himself, while DeSimone is an American Hockey League (AHL)-calibre player. The fact that all three are currently on the roster goes to show that this Flames team has become thin outside their top four on the back end.
The good news for the Flames is that help could be on the way this season. Oliver Kylington was back practicing with the team on Monday after finishing a conditioning stint in the AHL, and could be ready for game action in the near future. If the 26-year-old can get back to the level he was playing at in 2021-22, the Flames’ third-pairing won’t be nearly as big of an issue for the remainder of the season. That is a big ask, however, given that he hasn’t played an NHL game since the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While not an option this season, another player who could perhaps prove to be an upgrade as a bottom-pairing defenceman for next season is Jeremie Poirier. While the prospect has deficiencies defensively, his offensive skill makes him a very intriguing talent, and may be ready to make the jump next season. That said, that is also a big ask, as he has appeared in just four AHL games his season due to a skate laceration.
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The best-case scenario for the Flames would be to fill at least one spot on the bottom pairing through free agency this summer. They should have ample cap space to do so given that they are expected to move multiple players out at this year’s trade deadline.
Huska Making the Most of What He Has
Though Ryan Huska has been far from perfect in his first season as the Flames’ head coach, he deserves credit for how he has used his third-pairing so far. He has done a great job when it comes to line matches and ice time, which has helped players like Gilbert, Oesterle, and DeSimone avoid getting exposed like they are very capable of being. The fact that the Flames sit 21-20-5 despite having those three on their roster proves that Huska is doing a good job in a tough situation.