Heading into the 2022-23 season, the Calgary Flames were expected to be one of the league’s best teams. In fact, they have been considered by many to be Stanley Cup contenders, and through their first five games of the regular season, they look the part.
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New additions to the team such as Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar have all been exceptional thus far. Of course, that isn’t a major surprise, as all three were expected to have major impacts and are all going to continue to be relied upon to be big-time players. What has come as a pleasant surprise, however, is the unexpected players who have stepped up early in the year, in particular these three listed below.
Michael Stone
Michael Stone has become somewhat of a cult hero amongst the Flames’ fanbase. The 32-year-old year after year seems content to sign one-year deals with the organization, and despite very limited game time in recent seasons has never once complained. That said, he has suited up for all five games to begin the 2022-23 campaign, which is just six short of last season’s total.
What makes Stone such an interesting piece as a depth option is that he always seems to perform quite well when called upon. Additionally, few defensemen in the NHL are able to get the puck off their stick as quick and hard as he does, which gives him the ability to produce some offense. That has been evident early on, as he already has a goal and four points on the year. He doesn’t play a ton at even strength and on top of that isn’t given a whole lot of defensive zone starts, but nonetheless, he is performing admirably for a player on a $750,000 cap hit.
Brett Ritchie
There would have been few, if any, who had penciled Brett Ritchie to have scored two goals come Oct. 23, but through five games that’s exactly where he’s at. The 29-year-old has become somewhat of a whipping boy amongst a large section of Flames fans because of his lack of offense, but continues to be used due to his relentless playing style, something coach Darryl Sutter is a major fan of.
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As mentioned, Ritchie has been far from a fan favorite in Calgary over the past two seasons. However, if he is able to continue this production, that will change in a hurry. It is worth noting that he did score 16 goals with the Dallas Stars back in 2016-17, so perhaps he has a bit more offensive touch than he is given credit for. Nevertheless, it has been a great start from a player that had very few expectations entering the season.
Rasmus Andersson
Rasmus Andersson had plenty more expectations placed on his shoulders than the two above entering the 2022-23 season. The 25-year-old has turned into a very legitimate top-four defenseman in recent years and is coming off of a 2021-22 campaign which saw him record a career-high 50 points. That said, while he was still expected to be a rock-solid defender at both ends of the ice this year, many believed the addition of Weegar might result in his offensive numbers taking a hit. Early on, however, that doesn’t appear to be the case.
Through five games this season, the Swedish rearguard has a goal and six points. What’s even more impressive is that he is producing like this despite a few of the Flames’ top guns not producing like their elite selves just yet, as Elias Lindholm has just two goals on the year while Huberdeau has yet to score a goal. It has been a fantastic start for a defenseman who could very well be recognized as a star talent around the league if he is able to keep it up.
Flames Have Strong Roster Top to Bottom
What makes this Flames team so strong is that they have players in depth roles that are capable of stepping up, something we have seen this season from the top two on this list. On top of that, they have one of the game’s premier point producers in Huberdeau, and several others who are very capable of big offensive totals throughout their top six. This is undoubtedly the most talented Flames roster fans have seen in a long time.