The Calgary Flames have had a very interesting week. On Sunday, they played in the remarkable Heritage Classic against the Edmonton Oilers. Unfortunately for them, they were defeated by a final score of 5-2. That loss made it five straight for them.
On Wednesday, they played against a very good Dallas Stars team and lost their sixth straight by a final score of 4-3. It was a close game in the end but they are really reeling now. It is not good for them in Calgary right now.
This is a team that has seen a lot of change over the last two years. We’ve seen superstars like Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau leave town for different reasons. Things have been all downhill since they left.
The Flames have also made some other big moves to try and shake things up. Tyler Toffoli is a New Jersey Devils forward now and he has been incredible for them. Calgary certainly misses him.
The Calgary Flames are looking for a spark as they are off to a bad start this year.
With their record at 2-7-1, others could be on the move soon too if they keep losing. Other notable players that need contracts after this season are Elias Lindholm and Noah Hanifin. Hanifin is also one of five Flames defensemen on the roster that need new contracts next year.
Only MacKenzie Weager and Rasmus Andersson are signed beyond this season on the blue line. Clearly, they have some decisions that need to be made before the end of the year. You can’t let most of these guys walk for nothing.
This team needs more from Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri. They are their two highest-paid players and both of them have failed to be at their best. They are both incredibly talented but they are also both in their 30s with a lot of years left on their contracts.
You can’t truly evaluate a team until after 20 games but it is not looking good for Calgary. With Huberdeau and Kadri signed for a long time, it is hard to commit to a full-blown rebuild but that might be what this needs to become for them.
If they keep losing at the rate that they are so far, they are going to be thinking about the top of the 2024 NHL Draft instead of the postseason. We will see how it goes but times are tough right now for the Flames.