As we get closer to the start of the regular season of 2025-26, the Calgary Flames are again in a position of uncertainty. We have already discussed why the flames can be better this coming season, but now it’s time to turn the script. In this article we will discuss why the team could in fact be worse than last season and the reasons behind it.
1. The flames and their dependence on Dustin Wolf
It is no secret that Dustin Wolf was the biggest reason why the flames ended so close to a play -off place. Wolf’s impressive 29-16-8 Record Together with a 0.910 savings percentage, he had a second place for the Calder trophy. Last season Wolf also saw his name a few times in the record books of the franchises. He will undoubtedly become the starter of the Flames for a long time, but one problem comes from the dominant game of Wolf …
The Flames were dependent on Wolf last season. The 24-year-old stood on his head for many nights to make up for a team that could not score goals straight ahead. To say it, if it was not for Wolf, last season could have been much uglier for the flames.
Although Wolf has a future, there is no guarantee that his second season is just as dominant. Burnout is real and his workload will certainly increase this season. I don’t want Wolf to struggle, but it is considering that you have to make because players are not robots. Moreover, what if he is injured? The flames last season could never have affected Wolf, but it does not mean that the team has the same kind of injuries again.
The point is that it is not sustainable that a team is so much dependent on their goalkeeper. Yes, there were other problems that contribute to this problem, but Wolf is really the backbone of this team. If he has a second slump, or is injury for a longer period, it is not surprising to think that the season of the Flames could be endangered.
2. Scoring misery was a great concern for the flames
As hinted on above, one of the biggest struggles that the flames had scored last season. The Flames ended the 2024-25 season as the fourth lowest score team in the entire competition. Their measly 2.68 goals per match were higher than teams such as the Anaheim Ducks, Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks, all of whom were Bottom Feeder teams. The Flames scored 140 goals in 5V5 Play last season, a decrease of 27 goals from the 2023-24 season. In summary, the team struggled to score and it cost them almost many times.
Although it is important to note that many Flames players had attacking for years, some have also taken a step. Veterans such as Jonathan Huberkdeau and Nazem Kadri recorded some of their most productive seasons as flames, but those two don’t get younger either. Kadri in particular scored 35 goals and 67 points, but he turns 35 in October and eventually regression will come for a player who comes there.
The Flames run almost the same team back for this season. Scoring is still an important question, because the team does not have an elite talent to help with their attack problems. They have also not made any improvements in their team to show that they make a push, even though it is the goal that is expressed by Flames Management. So the confusion in the direction is still there. The flames are a team that depends on goals per committee, and if that fails, things will not become easier for this team.
3. Line support and team drain
Now this problem could be solved the potential before the season starts, but given the way things are trending, it doesn’t seem like it.
Although the forward group of the Flames is virtually set, there are still questions about the Blueline. The biggest storyline is how long Rasmus Andersson will remain a flame, and what rookies the potential has to earn schedules. The Blueline of the Flames is not the most stars littered and noticed that they sometimes struggled last season. A wrestling blueline could very well contribute that the flames have a worst record in 2025-26.
As an addition to that, the Andersson drama has been a situation that the fan base has exhausted. Until he has been traded, questions will arise about his future and it could act as a big distraction for the team. For a dressing room as tight as the flames, knowing that there is a player in the room who already has one foot out of the door, it may turn out to be something that brings morality down. Andersson also exchanges the Blueline worse, despite the fact that Andersson is struggling in recent seasons.
In general, if the flames have a slow start this season, the team can look very different from the Trade Deadline. The flames are largely dependent on bounce back seasons and overall teamwork to make the play-offs, but the reality can get into the face, as it is in previous years.
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