Going into next season, the Calgary Flames are hoping to rebound from what was a down year in 2022-23. In order to do so, several key players will need to have bounce-back years. At forward, Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau will look to meaningfully improve in 2023-24, and in goal, Jacob Markstrom is hoping to return from his poor performance this past season. Fortunately for the Flames, there is reason to believe that all three of these players will have materially better performances next year than they did in 2022-23.
Jonathan Huberdeau
Huberdeau is perhaps the most obvious bounce-back candidate of these three. Flames fans are likely sick of hearing about his decline last season, where he set the record for the largest fall in points year-over-year in NHL history. Huberdeau himself certainly is. In a recent interview with TSN he was asked about his mindset heading into next season, saying, “I didn’t have fun last year. I don’t want to talk about last year anymore. I’m focusing on this year. Just come back and be myself. I know I’m a good guy to be around on the team. I want to be a leader, on and off the ice, and that’s what I’ll do.”
The Flames need Huberdeau, their highest-paid player, to bounce back next year, and there are reasons to believe he will. He was one of several Flames players to express frustration with Darryl Sutter’s coaching style last season. If this was truly something that was negatively impacting Huberdeau’s play, he should improve under new head coach Ryan Huska. Huberdeau has been working with a psychologist as well in order to ensure that he is entering next season in a better headspace than last. With a year in Calgary now under his belt, a new system, and a rejuvenated mentality, he will look to bounce back in his second year with the Flames.
Nazem Kadri
Last offseason, the Flames signed Kadri to a seven-year contract carrying an average annual value (AAV) of $7 million. He was coming off a spectacular year in which he won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche. Kadri declined in his first season in Calgary, putting up 31 fewer points than the season prior and ending the season with the worst plus/minus on the team. If the Flames hope to improve upon last season, he must rebound. Like Huberdeau, Kadri expressed dissatisfaction with his head coach last season; he may also benefit from the leadership change. On top of that, Kadri should see elevated playing time with the Flames’ young up-and-comers this season, who he seemed to play well alongside last year. Matt Coronato and Jakob Pelletier will likely both be full-time NHLers, and their youth may provide a spike to Kadri’s game.
Jacob Markstrom
In 2021-22, Markstrom was one of the best goalies in the NHL. His 37 wins and .922 save percentage (SV%) were enough to make him the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy. This past season was a completely different story for the netminder. His SV% fell a full .03 points, falling below .900 for the first time since 2014-15. His confidence was apparently destroyed, even saying at one point, “I just suck at hockey right now.”
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Like Kadri and Huberdeau, Markstrom will also look to benefit from the leadership change, as Sutter was not one to help out his goalies in terms of confidence. Markstrom has proven that he can be the reason his team wins games, and with restored confidence, he will look to take back his status as one of the league’s best goaltenders.
Bounce-Back Candidates
Huberdeau, Kadri, and Markstrom are all candidates to bounce back from down years last season. The Flames will certainly need each of them to step up, particularly after an offseason where the team lost more talent than they added. Last year, they were on the brink of a playoff spot but came up short. With better goaltending and elevated offensive play from Kadri and Huberdeau, they are capable of reaching the postseason. If these three players have similar seasons to last year, however, they will likely find themselves in the same position they were last year: out of the playoffs.
