The 2021-2022 Calgary Flames season was one for the books. They had a great team led by the dominant first line of Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. The Flames won the Pacific Division and had a legendary finish in the first round of the playoffs. However, after that great season, the franchise slowly began to fall apart. Let’s see where the members of that team ended up.
Lost through trades
The majority of players from the 2021-2022 season have been lost to trades. The following players were dealt from the Flames in years after the special season.
- Matthew Tkachuk
- Elias Lindholm
- Andreas Mangiapane
- Rasmus Andersson
- Noah Hanifin
- Chris Tanev
- Tyler Toffoli
- Sean Monahan
- Nikita Zadorov
- Brett Ritchie
- Jacob Markstrom
- Tyler Pitlick
- Connor Mackey
This list of thirteen players shows how much a team can change in five years. The majority of these players were dealt with picks and prospects as the Flames found themselves in somewhat of a re-tool. Two trades really stood out: the Tkachuk trade and the Lindholm trade.
Obviously, the Tkachuk trade was one of the biggest transactions in NHL history. The Flames dealt Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a huge pick. MacKenzie Weegar, Jonathan Huberdeau, Cole Schwindt and a first-round pick (Cullen Potter) were dealt to the Flames. So far, Huberdeau has been a disaster, but Weegar and Potter have been excellent signings. Unfortunately, Potter was injured in a recent game for Arizona State and is likely out for the year.
Another major trade was sending Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. The Flames received Hunter Brzustewicz, Andrei Kuzmenko, Joni Jurmo, a first-round pick (Matvei Gridin) and a fourth-rounder in return. This trade helped set up the Flames for the future as Brzustewicz and Gridin are two of the top young players in the organization.
Lost in free agency
Another handful of these players were lost in free agency. Some of this was poor management on behalf of the Flames, but it was also time to move on on a few things.
- Johnny Gaudreau
- Oliver Kylington
- Milan Lucic
- Erik Gudbranson
- Trevor Lewis
- Jarnkrokstraat
- Daniel Vladar
- Ryan Carpenter
- Glenn Gawdin
Overall, the Flames didn’t lose many key players from this team in free agency. Unfortunately, the loss of Gaudreau was a heartbreaking situation for many Flames fans, and it only got worse. Gaudreau was the heart of this team, which has never been the same without him.
The majority of the other players on this list were fourth liners or depth defenders who found better contracts in free agency. The most notable losses were Kylington and Vladar. The loss of Kylington caused some frustration for the Flames, as the defenseman was assured of a spot in the team’s top four. Instead, the former Flame decided to test free agency and ended up with the Colorado Avalanche. This didn’t work at all. Kylington finished the season in Anaheim after being traded and waived, and now plays at home in Sweden.
It was hard to see Vladar leave. He had some great times with the Flames and was a reliable backup option for the most part. With Dustin Wolf emerging as the new star in net for the Flames, it was time to move on from Vladar. The goaltender has done well with his new team, the Philadelphia Flyers, with a .905 save percentage and a 16-7-4 record.
Lost due to waivers and other consequences
There are a small number of players from this team who were lost to waivers or faced serious consequences. A few of these guys found bigger roles elsewhere, while others came from the NHL.
- Dillon Dube
- Adam Ruzicka
- Michael Steen
- Brad Richardson
- Juuso Valimaki
- Walker Duehr
One of these players was cleared and actually went out and performed well. That person is of course Valimaki. The defenseman was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes early in the 2022-23 season and went on to put together a 30-assist campaign. This was a breakthrough season for Valimaki, which was a fantastic sight to see. Unfortunately, the defender lost some weight after that year and now has to deal with more injuries.
While Dube and Ruzicka left the NHL on less than happy terms, former Flame Michael Stone ended his time with the Flames on a high note. He retired from the Flames after the 2022-2023 season. After his playing days were over, he joined the Flames as a member of the player development team.
The last few left
The only remaining players from this memorable squad are current captain Mikael Backlund and veteran Blake Coleman. Both guys are long-time linemates and continue to work it out in the middle six. More recently, Coleman’s name has are common in trade rumors. It would be a surprise if Coleman is still a member of the Flames organization after the trade deadline. He is currently injured, but will be a prime trade candidate once he returns.
Backlund will be a Flame his entire career. He spent an impressive 18 seasons as a Flame, showing his loyalty to the team that drafted him. The thirty-six-year-old signed a contract extension to remain a Flame for another two years after this season.
The 2021-22 Calgary Flames team seems like just last season, but so much has changed in recent years. Hopefully we can experience such an era again soon.
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