Calgary Flames 2023-24 NHL Season Preview

Calgary Flames 2023-24 NHL Season Preview

Perhaps no team disappointed more in 2022-23 than the Calgary Flames. Though the team lost its two best players following a 111-point season, there was reason to believe they’d stabilize. Calgary did a remarkable job of acquiring high-end talent last offseason, arguably the hardest thing to do in the NHL. Last year’s big three additions (Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar) had combined for over 200 points the prior year. Their emergence, a Jacob Markström comfortable with his new team and another year to learn Darryl Sutter‘s systems figured to at least keep the Flames in the playoff picture in the top-heavy West.

Whoops.

Everything that could’ve failed did in spectacular fashion for the Flames last season. Core players new and old regressed. Sutter completely clashed with seemingly the entire roster. Goaltending was no longer a strength. And the team totally lacked a killer instinct, finding a way to lose countless close games, including a whopping 17 losses in overtime and shootouts. A playoff spot was right there for the taking, but the Flames let it slip away.

In doing so, they’ve raised major questions about their future. Several key players reportedly want out or are at least hesitant about re-signing in Calgary. There’s still time for the Flames to right the ship — but not much.

Line Combinations (Via Daily Faceoff)

New Additions

For a team in a make-or-break season… not much. The lone new player in Calgary’s lineup is a downgrade, with Yegor Sharangovich coming over in what feels like a lopsided deal to ship out 2024 UFA Tyler Toffoli. It’s not that Sharangovich is a bad player — he had 46 points two seasons ago and is only 25. But he’s not the goal-scorer Toffoli is and is certainly miscast if he’s indeed playing in a top-six role.

3 Players to Watch

1. Jonathan Huberdeau — Two years ago, he set the NHL record for most assists by a left-winger with 85. Last season, he had 55 points total. Part of that was Sutter never really seemed to optimize his usage. Hopefully, Ryan Huska doesn’t make the same mistakes. Regardless, the Flames need more out of Huberdeau at both ends of the ice. His eight-year, $84 million contract could turn into a complete albatross otherwise.
2. Noah Hanifin — Acquired way back in 2018 along with Elias Lindholm as part of the Dougie Hamilton trade, Hanifin has been a solid second-pair defender for a while now. But like Lindholm, he’s a free agent after this season, and it’s safe to say he’s trending towards a move. For now, though, he’s still a Flame, which could either motivate him to step up his game in a contract year or cause him to sulk and disappoint.
3. Jakob Pelletier — Pelletier was the rookie infamously called out by Sutter following his NHL debut, which only came after weeks of healthy scratchings. But there’s a reason why Pelletier made the show. He’s a former first-round pick with strong AHL numbers and is only 22 years old. If he’s with the Flames, he’ll probably be a top-nine role that his skillset is best suited for.

Riser and Faller

Riser: Dillon Dubé was one of a few Flames not to regress last season. In fact, he actually took a step forward offensively, tallying a career-high 45 points. There’s still room for growth, especially defensively. And the Flames do have young forwards like Pelletier and Matt Coronato who will push for scoring roles. But Dubé showed he can be more than a bottom-six support piece last season — we’ll see if the 25-year-old can take another step forward this year.

Faller: Andrew Mangiapane was emblematic of Calgary’s rise in 2021-22. After a couple of seasons as a solid depth piece, Mangiapane blossomed into a legitimate sniper, tallying 35 goals thanks to a first half where he seemingly couldn’t miss. But his shooting percentage bender turned into a crater last season, dropping by nearly 50% — as did his goal total. Mangiapane’s a career 14.9% shooter, so a repeat of last year’s 9.5% mark is unlikely. But so does him returning to fall 2021 form where he looked like one of the league’s top goal-scorers. He’d still be a good player if he settles in the middle ground, but the Flames are obviously hoping for more.

The Big Question

Can the Flames keep things from falling apart? It’s easy to look east to Winnipeg and see their core coming apart at the seams and wonder if the Flames will soon suffer the same fate. Lindholm, Hanifin Mikael Backlund and Chris Tanev are all unrestricted free agents next summer. Same for Mangiapane and Sharangovich in 2025. Craig Conroy talked a big game in his introductory press conference, but backing up those words is looking harder and harder.

The Verdict

There’s such a wide range of outcomes for this Flames team. The talent is easily there for the team to return to at least the outskirts of serious contention, with a wild card spot certainly within reach. But this Flames team and season don’t exist in a bubble. Conroy has serious questions to answer about the team’s short and long-term future. The Calgary Flames have been in the league’s mushy middle for far too long. One way or another, this is the year to pick a lane.

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Advanced Stats via Natural Stat Trick and MoneyPuck.com; Contracts via CapFriendly