With the start of a new season, a new round of players will be under the microscope. This can be for various reasons: their role in the organization has changed or fulfilled by someone else, they do not meet expectations, or it is a matter of a new start. Fortunately for the Calgary Flames, it doesn’t seem like there is bad blood between players and management. We walk into the season with a new series of players who are probably in their make-of-break season with the flames.
Devin Cooley
With the departure of Dan Vladar, an opening comes for a back -up goalkeeper. Devin Cooley had a savings rate of 0.905 and a 2.94 goals against on average more than 46 games with the Calgary Wranglers. The Flames also signed the Russian goalkeeper Ivan Prosvetov this season outside the season. He spent the 2023–24 season between the Colorado Avalanche and their AHL branch – the Colorado Eagles – and last season with CSKA Moscow. The two are expected to get out as a backup of Dustin Wolf.
Cooley has had a consistent time with the Wranglers. The chance for him to fight for a back -uprol is there. It is his for the taking.
Connor Zary
The longer Connor Zary it lasts, the more pressure on his shoulders falls. Zary missed part of the time due to back-to-back knee injuries. He scored 13 goals and 27 points in 54 games last season. The lack of more time makes him a complete disadvantage. He can no longer afford to miss more time.
Zary is a complicated case. He has shown that he brings an offensive benefit to the flames and has the last touch that they need so badly. The thing is that Zary may not be used as completely. He was set up as a center, but shifted to Wing through his AHL trip. He eventually returned to the middle after the Handelsdeadline of 2023. It has been an experiment, but I am not sure if there has been enough of a sample size to make any form of decision. Has there been a change in his role? Can he and Morgan Frost fight for 2C?
Could this go to arbitration?
For all purposes, let’s assume that he assumes that he signs a one -year -old deal that brings him to arbitration. The expectations will be high – probably around a 20+ target season for the attacker – especially if he is looking for North of $ 4 million this summer. What happens if he fails? Arbitration can create poor blood between the organization and the player. Is that something that both parties are willing to risk?
This season can determine his future with the flames, as well as in the eyes of the fans. What happens if the man who has sustained the 11th hour, and scores twelve goals and hardly cracks 30 points? It may not look that good.
The pressure is still on with a bridge deal. Fans will keep an eye on every movement. “Did he give this shift 100%?” “Oh, look, he misses time because of an injury.” Can Zary incorrectly prove the doubters?
Looking to crack the code
Rory Kerins
Rory Kerins was set up in the sixth round of the 2020 design. He made his NHL debut last season, where he had four assists in five games. The center was then re -assigned to the Wranglers after that short stint. The flames have had a bit of a logjam when it comes to their forward group.
The role of a fourth line center has also been shifted since it was set up. It is no longer about the older, grim veteran who makes the team for veteran presence. Teams are ice fourth lines with more intentions. Whether it is a defensive approach or playing on the edge, teams have become more targeted with their schedule construction.
There is no way to tell what Kerins could be in just five games. He deserves another shot with the flames, but can he do that to do that with a busy grid?
In the summer Kerins drew an extension of a year with the flames. This brings him at the age of 25 in a different year of team control. This can be a sensible decision for the flames, so that they can work out a potential trade if they determine that the tasks of kerins are no longer necessary within the organization.
Jeremie Poirier
Jeremie Poirier is a 23-year-old left-handed defender who wants to make his NHL debut. He stands behind players such as Yan Kuznetzov and Ilya Solovyov, who also hope to find a full -time role with the Flames.
Poirier ran a traumatic injury early in the 2023–24 season that left his future in the air. He suffered from a crack of skating who sidelined him 47 games. With this setback comes a series of challenges. He missed almost a whole year of development. The most important focus of Poirier’s season should remain healthy for that potential call-up.
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