Last season would not look like it did. The Calgary Flames Were not coupled to make a lot of noise, but instead they quietly achieved 96 points, exceeded external expectations and showed that the rebuilding – or ‘retool’, depending on your perspective – does not last as long as many thought.
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Now, with a new season ahead, the feeling around this team is different. It’s not about whether they will compete. It’s about pushing things further. In the video below, Kyle Bukauskas examines the many positive storylines around the flames prior to the 2025-26 season. Are the flames ready to take the next step after exceeding expectations a season ago?
There is a new tone around the Flames Room
As Bukauskas shares the shares last year last year, Nazem Kadri openly defended veterans, while asking about whether boys even wanted to get stuck in Calgary. That cloud has disappeared. Players sign long -term deals, the captain, Mikael Backlund, is firmly in place, and there is a feeling that this group actually wants to grow together.
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Of course, there are still a few decisions ahead – Rasmus Andersson The future is in the air with his contract Above June – but even that uncertainty feels manageable. Instead of distractions, the flames seem to gather around the idea of stability.
Younger Flames Talent brings real hope
The arrival of Blue-Chip front views is part of that optimism. Fans buzzing about the 19-year-old defender Zayne Parekh. He has illuminated the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Back-to-back 30-target seasons. Nobody places him in Bobby orr Territory, but the excitement is real. The team does not ask him to save the franchise on day 1, but they believe he is special, and that is important.
At the front, Matthew Coronato is the name to circle. He scored 24 goals in his first full NHL season, and you get the feeling that he is just scratching the surface. He shoots on the Puck like a natural man of 30 goals, and as soon as his self -confidence catches up his release, that number could come quickly. Calgary still finished at the bottom of the bottom of the competition in the scoring of last season (29th General, 30th on five-five), so internal growth of Coronato and the other young attackers could be the difference between a bubble team and a PlayOFF slot.
The flames get their business done
One of the most important stories outside of season was how quickly the flames insured their young core. Coronato drew seven years. Kevin Bahl landed an extension of six years. Morgan Frost, Connor Zary and others also put pen on paper. And then there is Dustin Wolf – the goalkeeper who was wearing so much of the load last season – who was related seven years after this.
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That is not just a good household. It is a signal for the rest of the competition: players want to stay in Calgary. And if your own boys want to stay, it can be a draw for others.
Dustin Wolf and the next step for the flames
The biggest reason for optimism can still be between the pipes. If Wolf plays somewhere near the level that he did last season, the flames are in every game. He is young, competitive and locked up. A franchise goalkeeper can hide many mistakes, and Calgary may have one.
Blake Coleman took the best on the way to the season: if everyone in the Roster gets 5 to 10 percent better, that is everything needed. With a group this young, natural growth is almost guaranteed.
Why this season feels different in Calgary
The Flames missed the play -offs for three consecutive seasons, but you can feel a shift. The story has changed. Instead of questions about buy-in or that stars will shoot, it is about who is ready to perform afterwards.
Last season they kept their land in a brutal Pacific Division with a group that still sorting things out. Now they know they belong.
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If Coleman’s call for incremental improvement is true, if Coronato takes that next step, and if Wolf remains stable in goal, Calgary does not only fight for a wildcard spot. They are on the play -off photo to stay.
Hope is slowly built for Flames fans. This season it really feels.
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