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A Flame from the Past: Frank Musil

Ryley Delaney — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 00:30:49 GMT

Do you remember Frank Musil?

Every once in a while, we take a look at a player who once played for the Calgary Flames in a series called “A Flame From the Past.” This player has to have played a significant number of games for the Flames. I’ll put every Flames’ season into a Wheel of Names, and this time, it landed on the 1990-91 season. In this article, we’ll look at Frank Musil.

Musil was born in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia (now Czechia) in late 1964. The defenceman began his professional career with TJ Pardubice, playing in two games during the 1980-81 season. He became a regular in 1981-82, scoring a goal and four points, then a goal and three points in 33 games in 1982-83.

His performance led to the Minnesota North Stars selecting him 38th overall in the 1983 draft. But due to Czechoslovakia being a part of the Soviet Union, the defenceman didn’t come state side to begin the 1986-87 season. In the meantime, Musil played one more season with TJ Pardubice where he scored four goals and 12 points.

Musil’s final two seasons in Europe before defecting for North America was with ASD Dukla Jihlava, also in Czechoslovakia. In 1984-85, he scored four goals and 10 points, then four goals and 11 points in 34 games.

His first season came with the North Stars in 1986-87, where he scored two goals and 11 points in 72 games. That was followed up by a career-high nine goals and 17 points in 1987-88. Musil’s production continued to improve, scoring one goal and 20 points in 55 games in 1988-89, along with a goal and two points in five post-season games.

The defenceman’s final full season with the North Stars was in 1989-90, scoring two goals and 10 points in 56 games, while being held pointless in four playoff games. Musil began the 1990-91 season with the North Stars, picking up two assists in eight games, but was traded in October 1990 to the Flames for Brian Glynn.

Playing 67 games with the Flames to end 1990-91, Musil scored seven goals and 21 points, giving him a career-high of 23 points. Musil remained productive the next two seasons, scoring four goals and 12 points in 78 games in 1991-92, then six goals and 16 points in 75 games in 1992-93

The defenceman’s play dipped in 1993-94, scoring a goal and nine points in 75 games. For the third time in four seasons since joining the team, the Flames were eliminated in the first round. After the 1994-95 lockout ended, Musil picked up five assists in 35 games, but the Flames fell to the San Jose Sharks in seven.

That off-season, Musil was traded to the Ottawa Senators. He scored a goal and four points in 65 games in 1995-96, then five assists in 56 games in 57. Musil was traded for the third time in his career, this time during the 1997-98 season. After playing all of the season in the minors, the Senators traded him to a fellow Canadian team, the Edmonton Oilers.

Musil returned to the NHL to end the 1997-98 season, scoring a goal and three points in 17 games, while being held pointless in seven playoff games. The defenceman played 39 games in 1998-99 with the Oilers, picking up three assists while also playing one post-season game. He didn’t play in 1999-2000, before playing 13 more games with the Oilers where he picked up two assists.

The defenceman played three regular season games with HC Dukla Jihlava in Czechia’s second tier, picking up an assist and amassing 54 penalty minutes. Musil went on to play 13 playoff games that season, his games as a player.

Post-career, Musil joined the Oilers as a scout. During that time, the Flames’ geographical rival selected Musil’s son David, who played in four NHL games with the Oilers in 2014-15. David returned to Europe before the 2017-18 season, winning Czechia’s trophy three times with Trinec Ocelari HC.

As for Frank, he has served as a scout for the Buffalo Sabres since 2017-18, a role he still occupies to this day.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFO Calgary, DFO Edmonton, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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NHL Notebook: Kevin Korchinski signs two-year contract with Blackhawks

Ryley Delaney — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 23:00:46 GMT

One of the Chicago Blackhawks’ younger players has signed a bridge deal.

On Saturday afternoon, the Original Six team announced that Kevin Korchinski signed a two-year deal worth $2.65 million, which carries a cap hit of $1.325 million.

KEVIN‼️‼️

📰 ➡︎ https://t.co/6yBfmSnAov pic.twitter.com/TZpo1hHklu

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) August 29, 2026

Korchinski, born in Saskatoon, was drafted seventh overall by the Blackhawks in the 2022 draft. He returned to the Western Hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds for the following season, helping the team win the Ed Chynoweth Cup.

The left-shot defenceman played all of the 2023-24 season in the National Hockey League, scoring five goals and 15 points in 76 games. However, his past two seasons have been mainly spent with the Blackhawks’ American Hockey League affiliate team, the Rockford IceHogs.

Korchinski played just 16 games with the Blackhawks in 2024-25, then another 13 games with the rebuilding team in 2025-26. His production in the AHL has been solid though, scoring five goals and 53 points in 109 games the past two seasons.

With the Blackhawks still projected to be a team near the bottom of the standings, Korchinski should be ready to become a full-time NHL’er in 2026-27.

Canucks sign Chris Driedger to professional try out

On Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks announced that they’ve signed netminder Chris Driedger to a professional tryout.

General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that the #Canucks have signed goaltender Chris Driedger to a Professional Tryout (PTO) agreement and hired Sean Finn as an Amateur Scout.

DETAILS | https://t.co/lkHAyFXxrt pic.twitter.com/vOKHaJx9zz

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) August 27, 2026

It’s the third one that has been given out so far this off-season, as the Calgary Flames reportedly signed Alex Nylander to one last week, while the Washington Capitals gave one to netminder Cal Petersen. Both of which came on Tuesday.

Driedger is a Winnipeg, Manitoba product who was drafted by the Ottawa Senators all the way back in 2012. He played one game in each of the 2014-15, 2015-16, and 2016-17 seasons, with his first real taste of NHL action coming with the Florida Panthers in 2019-20. (He played much of his junior hockey with the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen.)

Over 12 games, the netminder posted a .938 save percentage and 2.05 goals against average with his first career shutout. That earned him the Panthers’ backup job in 2020-21, where he finished with a .927 save percentage and 2.07 goals against average over 23 games.

Driedger was one of three players signed by the Seattle Kraken before the 2021 expansion draft. Serving as their backup, he finished with an .899 save percentage and 2.96 goals against average in 27 games. Those games, aside from two with the Kraken in 2023-24, turned out to be his last real taste of NHL action.

The 32-year-old spent three seasons in the AHL before playing his 2025-26 season with the Kontinental Hockey League’s Traktor Chelyabinsk. Over 23 games, he had an .897 save percentage and 3.05 goals against average.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFO Calgary, DFO Edmonton, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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20 Days, 20 Questions: Can Connor Zary carve out a consistent role in 2026-27?

Ryan Pike — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 18:00:39 GMT

Way back in 2020, the Calgary Flames selected a talented, versatile young forward from the Western Hockey League’s Kamloops Blazers in the first round. Since their selection of Connor Zary in 2020, he’s managed to impress at the American Hockey League level and become an NHL regular.

But nearly 200 games into his NHL tenure, we’re still not entirely clear on what Zary’s long-term role will be with the Flames. Can the 2026-27 season bring any clarity for Zary’s role and future?

Zary broke into the NHL a month into the 2023-24 season. The Flames had gotten off to a lousy start and management decided to shake things up, bringing up Zary and Martin Pospisil, both of whom were off to pretty good starts with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. Zary and Pospisil spent much of the rest of the season as Nazem Kadri’s wingers, and “Kadri and the Kids” turned into a pretty effective trio for the hockey club.

The following season, 2024-25, Zary kinda bounced around all over the place. He was a winger sometimes – with Mikael Backlund/Blake Coleman and Kadri/Pospisil – but also sometimes a centre – with Yegor Sharangovich/Jakob Pelletier and Jonathan Huberdeau/Coleman. And sometimes he was on a checking line, like with Backlund’s trio, and sometimes he was supposed to generate offence. Oh, and he suffered two pretty scary knee injuries during the season that derailed his momentum in the second half of the season.

In 2025-26, Zary spent some time with Backlund/Coleman and Kadri/Joel Farabee… but he also found himself, at times, in the fourth line mix. He never regained the momentum he had in the first half of 2024-25, and by the end of the season, his role with the Flames seemed in flux.

Over the past two seasons there were always completely fair reasons to move Zary around the lineup, as he’s a player whose skillset can fill holes in all sorts of parts of the lineup. But it’s not clear if it was the ideal thing for the development of a talented young forward.

Can Zary play centre? Sure. Can he play the wing? Sure. And that versatility can be helpful to the team, and to the player, if his game has a distinct identity to it. But Zary hasn’t quite carved out a clear identity to his game yet, and so the variability in position and line has led to a variability in performance. Simply put: it would really benefit Zary, and the Flames, if they choose a lane for Zary, stick to it, and allow him to become really, really good at that specific role.

Zary’s a smart player. He’s a talented player. He’s someone that can really benefit an NHL club. But he won’t be able to do that consistently without a consistent job description.

Here’s hoping he gets a clear, distinct role defined in 2026-27.

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Who to expect to see (and not) at Flames training camp

Ryan Pike — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 16:00:33 GMT

Friends, it’s almost September, which means it’s almost time for everyone to regroup after their off-seasons and start training camps across the National Hockey League.

With excitement abound for the upcoming 2026-27 season, we thought we should check in and provide a quick rundown of what players fans can expect to see at Calgary Flames training camp in a few weeks, and which players you should not expect to see at camp.

Who’s not coming to training camp?

Two types of players won’t be at training camp: players who have European club commitments – the European season has already begun – or college students – the school year has already begun.

Players with European or college commitments:

Goaltenders Daniil Chechelev (Buran Vorenezh, VHL), Tobias Trejbal (University of Massachusetts, NCAA) and Yegor Yegorov (Miami University, NCAA)
Defencemen Carson Carels (University of North Dakota, NCAA), Eric Jamieson (University of Denver, NCAA) and Henry Mews (University of Michigan, NCAA)
Forwards Egor Barabanov (University of Massachusetts, NCAA), Max Curran (University of Massachusetts, NCAA), Jack Hextall (Michigan State University, NCAA), Trevor Hoskin (Merrimack College, NCAA), Aidan Lane (Harvard University, NCAA), Jaden Lipinski (University of Maine, NCAA), Cade Littler (Arizona State University, NCAA), Yan Matveiko (Zvezda Moskva, VHL), Luke Misa (Penn State University, NCAA), Cullen Potter (Michigan State University, NCAA) Cole Reschny (University of North Dakota, NCAA), Alan Shaikhlislamov (Tolpar Ufa, MHL), Theo Stockselius (Djurgardens IF, SHL) and Ethan Wyttenbach (Quinnipiac University, NCAA)

Who is eligible to attend prospects training camp?

Training camp is broken into two sections: prospects camp and main camp. Players without much NHL experience tend to start off in prospects camp, and those types of players fall into three main categories.

Players on try-outs that weren’t on an NHL roster for 50+ games in 2025-26:

The Flames will announce these when they announce the camp roster.

Unsigned draft picks playing in the CHL:

Defencemen Bode Laylin (Everett, WHL), Jakob Leander (Calgary, WHL) and Mace’o Phillips (Medicine Hat, WHL)
Forwards Chase Harrington (Spokane, WHL), Joe Iginla (Vancouver, WHL) and Simon Katolicky (Sarnia, OHL)

Signed players who weren’t on an NHL roster for 50+ games in 2025-26:

Goaltenders Arsenii Sergeev and Kirill Zarubin
Defencemen Michael Benning, Hunter Brzustewicz, Andreas Englund, Axel Hurtig, Jake Livingstone and Abram Wiebe
Forwards Andrew Basha, Jonathan Castagna, Matvei Gridin, Tyson Gross, Dryden Hunt, Ben Jones, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton, William Stromgren and Aydar Suniev

It’s worth noting that typically, the Flames don’t bring everyone who’s eligible to prospects training camp; typically they restrict it to players entering their first or second year of pro hockey. More experienced pros generally are given a pass and start when the veterans do a week later.

(Unsigned restricted free agent Brennan Othmann would be eligible to attend training camp on a try-out basis if he’s not under a new contract by the time camp starts – typically, unsigned RFAs don’t come to camp until they’ve hashed out a new contract, though. If/when he signs, he would be eligible to start in prospects camp.)

Who is eligible to attend main training camp?

In addition to everybody mentioned before this – if you’re eligible to attend prospects camp, you’re eligible for main camp, too – here are the players that don’t need to start their seasons any earlier than main camp.

Signed players who were on an NHL roster for 50+ games in 2025-26:

Goaltenders Devin Cooley and Dustin Wolf
Defencemen Kevin Bahl, Joel Hanley, Yan Kuznetsov, Jacob Middleton, Simon Nemec, Brayden Pachal, Zayne Parekh and Zach Whitecloud
Forwards Mikael Backlund, Matt Coronato, Joel Farabee, Morgan Frost, Samuel Honzek, Jonathan Huberdeau, Adam Klapka, Martin Pospisil, Yegor Sharangovich, Ryan Strome, Maxim Tsyplakov and Connor Zary

Which players are you most excited to see in training camp? Let us know in the comments!

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FN’s 2026 Flames summer prospect rankings – #1: Carson Carels

Mike Gould — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 14:00:39 GMT

After dropping two spots in the lottery, the Calgary Flames entered the 2026 NHL Draft in possession of the No. 6 overall pick.

The Flames had picked in that spot on five previous occasions since relocating from Atlanta in 1980, and they’d selected a forward each time before. But with the 2026 draft notably replete with defencemen at the very top, it was a no-brainer for the Flames to make Carson Carels the highest-selected rearguard in their history.

Flames fans are going to adore Carels for his physicality and leadership ability. On top of that, he’s a terrific skater with a great stick, and he put up a ton of points in the WHL this past season. Carels was a favourite of our editorial team leading up to the draft, and it should come as no surprise that he ended up as the unanimous No. 1 in our 2026 Flames prospect rankings.

Carson Carels

Defenceman; shoots left
Born June 23, 2008 (age 18) in Cypress River, Manitoba
6’2″, 198 pounds
Drafted in the first round (6th overall) by Calgary in the 2026 NHL Draft

Under Craig Conroy, the Flames have added so many talented young defencemen who shoot right. With Zayne Parekh, Simon Nemec, Hunter Brzustewicz, and Henry Mews, the Flames almost have enough puck-moving righties to fill an entire power-play unit (and, if Brent Sutter were still the coach, they probably would).

Naturally, the Flames have been on the lookout for a top-flite left-shot D prospect to pair with one of those free-wheelers on the right side, and it just so happened that Carels fell to them at No. 6 in this year’s draft. Frankly, it’s entirely possible that Carels would’ve still been Calgary’s guy had they remained at No. 4, their pre-lottery position. He was ranked third among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, and many onlookers — including Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis — viewed him as a top-five talent.

It’s easy to see why the Flames like Carels so much. He’s a Manitoba farm boy who chose to spend draft night at home with his family (and his goats). He’s also remarkably mature for his age, having served as an alternate captain for the WHL’s Prince George Cougars at age 17. And while he isn’t the biggest or strongest defenceman in Calgary’s system, he’s certainly one of the most physical. Carels regularly throws punishing checks both in open ice and along the boards, although that isn’t the only way he can separate opposing players from the puck.

Additionally, Carels is a very composed and technically gifted skater who can advance the puck up the ice in a flash; he’s the kind of player who can kill a play at one end before making a play at the other end. He has strong offensive instincts and a great shot, which helped him to reach the 20-goal mark and also tie Landon DuPont for fourth among WHL defenders with 73 points in 58 games last season. All of these attributes helped him become the youngest player to make Team Canada for the 2026 World Juniors, and one of only three draft-eligibles (the other two being Gavin McKenna and Keaton Verhoeff).

McKeen’s Hockey assistant scouting director Derek Neumeier offered up plenty of praise when we asked him for his thoughts on Carels:

Carels was nothing short of fantastic this season for Prince George. He was an absolute workhorse who always logged a lot of minutes and did the most heavy lifting for his team in all situations, but his play never seemed to falter. I project him as a similar kind of player in the NHL, and that’s the kind of foundational piece that you can build a whole team around. Not only is Carels a great culture fit for the Flames, the argument could even be made that he was the best defence prospect in the 2026 draft.

Expectations for 2026-27

First of all, go ahead and bookmark this page. The top two prospects in our rankings, Carels and Cole Reschny, are slated to play together at the University of North Dakota this year, and you’ll want to keep tabs on their games as the season progresses.

Carels could feasibly suit up for three teams in 2026-27: North Dakota, Canada, and the Flames. He’s set to play his first two NCAA games with the Fighting Hawks on the second weekend in October, travelling two hours east to take on Bemidji State before returning to Ralph Engelstad Arena the following day to complete a home-and-home against the Beavers.

Around the halfway mark of his freshman — and likely only — year at NoDak, Carels will almost certainly come up to Alberta to play for Team Canada at the World Juniors for the second consecutive year. He’s just about as much of a lock to return as anyone, and it’s entirely possible that he and Reschny could both wear letters (especially after they both did at the WJSS last month). Expect Carels to play top-pairing minutes as Canada goes for its first gold since 2023.

From there, Carels will return to Grand Forks for the back half of the season, which could culminate with the Fighting Hawks taking a serious run at an NCHC title — and, if all goes well, earning a berth in the Frozen Four. Depending on how much NoDak achieves in the spring, Carels (and Reschny) may or may not be able to join the Flames in time for their final games at the Saddledome. But whether he arrives in April or October of 2027, Carels will be worth the wait, as he projects as a future No. 1 defenceman who could end up captaining the Flames when they return to contention.

2026 prospect rankings

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20 Days, 20 Questions: Is there an NHL roster spot for Hunter Brzustewicz?

Ryan Pike — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 16:00:06 GMT

Friends, the National Hockey League – and pro hockey in general – can be a tough place to make a living. Often, it’s not about whether you are good enough to play at a certain level, but whether or not there’s a role available that matches your specific skillset.

So with that in mind, let’s talk about young defenceman Hunter Brzustewicz, and where the heck he’s going to play in the upcoming season.

A third round selection by the Vancouver Canucks back in 2023, Brzustewicz joined the Flames organization via the Elias Lindholm trade and went pro in the Flames’ system starting in 2024-25. The upcoming 2026-27 campaign will be the third and final season on his entry-level system, and his final year of waiver exemption.

In 2024-25, Brzustewicz spent most of the season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, playing on a pairing with Yan Kuznetsov. There was probably some concern about how an offensive-minded junior defender who had 92 points with the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers the season prior would adjust to the rigours of pro hockey, so a two-way partner like Kuznetsov made sense. Well, Brzustewicz adjusted really well and had 32 points over 70 games.

In 2025-26, Kuznetsov spent the majority of the season with the Flames, so Brzustewicz kinda bounced around a bunch, playing 34 games in the NHL (scoring seven points) and 34 games in the AHL (scoring 13 points). In the NHL, he played with Olli Maatta, Joel Hanley and Yan Kuznetsov. In the AHL, he played with Nick Cicek and Turner Ottenbreit. In other words: Brzustewicz bounced up and down between hockey’s top two levels, and between a bunch of different partners at both levels, and still had a pretty good season.

As the 2026-27 season approaches, Brzustewicz is in a bit of a weird spot.

Is he too good for the AHL? Not necessarily, but if he’s down with the Wranglers, he’s undoubtedly be their best defender on paper and probably the top contender for a call-up.
He is good enough for the NHL? Definitely. We saw him play 34 games over the course of last season. And while he was never dominant – we never saw him develop the swagger that Zayne Parekh displayed late in the season – he went from being a bit tentative early on to being pretty poised late in the season. Like we saw in his first AHL year, there was a progression.
Is there an obvious spot or role for him on the Flames roster? We’re not quite sure of that.

The Flames have seven defencemen on one-way NHL contracts for the upcoming season – Zach Whitecloud, Kevin Bahl, Jacob Middleton, Simon Nemec, Brayden Pachal, Hanley and Kuznetsov – plus Parekh, who’s still waiver exempt and on his entry-level deal, but a virtual lock to be an everyday NHL defender. On paper, it feels like the Flames have a pretty well-defined starting six… and then Hanley and Pachal as extras.

Because he’s still waiver exempt, Brzustewicz feels like the easiest guy to send down to the AHL. And because he’s still young and developing as a pro blueliner, there’s no upside in having him sit in the NHL as a healthy scratch. So the question facing him coming into camp isn’t whether he can be one of the eight best defenders in camp but whether he can be one of the best six, and that’s a pretty tall order.

In other words: at this point, because of the lack of an obvious NHL role for him on the Flames roster, we’re thinking Brzustewicz starts the season as a Wrangler. But if he has a strong camp, perhaps he can force the Flames’ hand when it comes to making a spot for him on the big club.

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FN’s 2026 Flames summer prospect rankings – #2: Cole Reschny

Flash Stevens — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 14:00:47 GMT

There are a fair number of quality prospects around the NHL poised for some big years. One man that should be in the spotlight plenty this year is also the top forward on our list. He’s a player that the majority of our voters had as the Calgary Flames’ top forward prospect, has a shot at captaining Team Canada at the World Juniors, might contend for the Hobey Baker, and has a very, very good chance to make his NHL debut before the year is over, depending on if he can win an NCAA championship or not.

That is the man from Macklin, centre Cole Reschny, who is second on our annual prospects countdown.

Cole Reschny

Forward; shoots left
Born Apr. 6, 2007 (age 19) in Macklin, Saskatchewan
5’11”, 187 pounds
Drafted in the first round (16th overall) by Calgary in the 2025 NHL Draft.

Reschny came into the WHL world with a high profile, going third overall in the 2022 WHL Prospects Draft. He would spend one more season dominating AAA hockey while occasionally playing as a call-up for four games.

He didn’t need long to acclimate himself. His first full season, the one prior to his draft year (D-1), Reschny came just shy of producing a point-per-game. 59 points in 61 games with 21 of them being goals. This was a season that saw Reschny play almost entirely as a 16 year old, logging top-6 minutes playing against other top drafted prospects with multiple years of experience on him.

He never once looked out of place. Instead he only continued to grow.

His playmaking is a primary point of his game. Being able to dish the puck with accuracy both in the attacking zone and off the rush. Passes land flat and allow his wingers to maintain their momentum with ease of control. It’s like a second nature to him now, and was a natural talent he continues to polish every year.

His draft year Reschny put up 92 points in 62 games, adding a ridiculous 25 points in just 11 playoff games. His production clearly suggested that of a top-10 pick, but for whatever reason he fell to 18th overall where Calgary – who desperately needed some quality centre depth in their system – gladly selected the young Canadian.

He then moved on to a new level, the NCAA playing for a quality program year after year in North Dakota. Again, in yet another new league a tier up, he almost went point-per-game with 35 points in 36 games and earned NCHC rookie of the year honours. His role grew all year, starting as a middle-six option and growing into one of their most efficient options by the end of the season.

With more on Reschny here’s some thoughts from Anthony Dillett of the Dakota Student:

Reschny became one of Dane Jackson’s go-to faceoff men throughout the season, backing up an often-overworked Ellis Rickwood in end-of-game and overtime situations.
On and off the ice, Reschny displayed maturity beyond his years, establishing himself as an excellent communicator and leader.
After the Fighting Hawks’ season-ending loss to the Wisconsin Badgers in the NCAA Frozen Four, Reschny assuaged many fans’ worries, announcing he would remain in Grand Forks for his sophomore season.

Expectations for 2026-27

I would think for Cole Reschny the primary focus right now is trying to win the NCAA national championship. I would never say competing for the Hobey Baker is an expectation, but it’s not out of the realm of realistic possibilities for Reschny to compete for the award this season. That’s if Ethan Wyttenbach doesn’t take it from him.

I do feel he is the front-runner for the Canadian captaincy at the World Juniors as well. A returning player who scored four goals in the prior tournament, and clutch goals at that. That’s going to be quite the experience for Reschny, seeing as this year’s tournament is in Edmonton/Red Deer.

There’s also a reason the Flames are specifically leaving contract spots open under the 50 contract limit, and Reschny is likely one of them. After one more crack at the Frozen Four championship Reschny will likely join the Flames, potentially playing out the final games in the barn of all barns, the Saddledome.

After that the focus will be on how Reschny can develop at the NHL level. Based off his track record at every other level, I have high hopes.

2026 prospect rankings

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NHL Notebook: Cale Makar signs largest contract in NHL history

Ryley Delaney — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 12:00:09 GMT

Cale Makar will be set for life.

On Friday afternoon, the Colorado Avalanche announced that the defenceman has signed an eight-year deal. He’ll also become the highest-paid player beginning in 2027-28, as he’s set to make $163.2 million over those eight years, or $20.4 million annually.

NHL’s first $20M player, just shy of the max — which is $20.8M

Total is $163.2M https://t.co/0RXtcDRfnV

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) August 28, 2026

This is by far the richest contract in National Hockey League history, surpassing Kirill Kaprizov’s eight-year deal worth $136 million that was signed last off-season. Makar’s contract is the fifth to reach the nine-figure mark, as Leon Draisaitl ($112 million), Jack Eichel ($108 million), and Makar’s teammate Nathan MacKinnon ($100.8 million) have also reached it.

Makar will also become the first player to earn $20 million or more in a season, eclipsing Macklin Celebrini and Leo Carlsson’s $18 million AAV. For now, Carlsson will be the highest-paid player by AAV in 2026-27.

It’s hard to say that Makar doesn’t deserve it either, as he’s this generation’s best defenceman. Last season, he scored 20 goals and 79 points in 75 games, a down-year for the Calgary native. He found the back of the net 30 times in 2024-25, en route to his second Norris Trophy. He’s also won the Calder Trophy, a Stanley Cup, and the Conn Smythe.

Connor Hellebuyck publicly requests a trade

Earlier this off-season, it was reported that Connor Hellbuyck had requested a trade. Nothing came of the trade request, as of yet, but Hellebuyck released a statement through his agent Ray Petkau which confirms the request.

Statement from Connor Hellebuyck: pic.twitter.com/hW8sNw1LJi

— Ray Petkau (@RayPetkau) August 27, 2026

The netminder is entering the third year of his seven-season contract signed in the autumn of 2023. He earns an annual cap hit of $8.5 million and has a no-move clause for the 2026-27 season. After this season, his protection drops to a 10-team trade list.

Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets are reeling off a tough season. In 2024-25, the 33-year-old netminder posted a .925 save percentage and 2 goals against average in 63 games, winning not just his third career Vezina Trophy, but also the Hart Trophy.

As good as his regular season performances have been, Hellebuyck has struggled in the playoffs. In five post-season games in 2022-23, he finished with a .886 save percentage. It got even worse in 2023-24, an .870 save percentage, before dipping to .866 in 2024-25.

After winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2024-25, the Jets finished with just 82 points in 2025-26, seventh-fewest in the NHL. Hellebuyck becoming a league-average goaltender is a big reason as to why they struggled.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFO Calgary, DFO Edmonton, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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20 Days, 20 Questions: Where do Joel Hanley and Brayden Pachal fit on the Flames blueline?

Ryan Pike — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 18:00:52 GMT

During the 2023-24 season, the Calgary Flames went through a ton of changes. They ended up shedding several prominent players during that campaign, including Nikita Zadorov, Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin. During all that hubbub, general manager Craig Conroy made a couple pretty savvy moves on the waiver wire, claiming Brayden Pachal from the Vegas Golden Knights in early February and Joel Hanley in early March.

For the past two seasons and change, Pachal and Hanley have provided the Flames with quality minutes. But as the Flames approach the start of the 2026-27 campaign, this duo of reliable veterans seem to be facing a crossroads of sorts as they both enter the final year of their current contracts.

So, where do Hanley and Pachal fit on the Flames blueline?

Hanley is a 35-year-old left shot defender. He had seven points in 68 games last season, and he kinda played with everybody. He was fourth among Flames defenders in five-on-five ice time, and he played over 100 minutes with Pachal, Hunter Brzustewicz, Zayne Parekh and MacKenzie Weegar. After 314 NHL games, it’s abundantly clear that Hanley probably isn’t high-end puck-mover, but he’s versatile, smart, and can adapt how he plays really adeptly. In short: he’s a really effective utility option that can kill penalties.

Meanwhile, Pachal is a 27-year-old right shot defender. He had seven points in 39 games last season, playing primarily with Hanley (and a bit with Jake Bean). Pachal is arguably more physical and defensive-minded than Hanley, but he might be a little bit less versatile. He’s played 177 NHL games so far, and he’s established himself as another effective depth player that can kill penalties and provide a bit of a crash-and bang element.

Last season, Hanley was one of the Flames’ everyday defenders before he was shut down due to injury. Pachal was essentially their seventh defender. These guys are definitely NHL calibre players. But since the end of the season, the Flames have added Jacob Middleton and Simon Nemec, while parting ways with Olli Maatta. A net gain of one everyday defender has essentially nudged Hanley and Pachal each down one slot on the depth chart.

On paper, Hanley feels like the seventh defender and Pachal feels like the eighth – Hanley’s versatility arguably has him slotted ahead of Pachal here.

Both players are entering the final year of their current deals. Hanley carries a $1.75 million cap hit on a contract he signed during the 2025 off-season. Pachal has a $1,187,500 cap hit on a deal he signed in December 2024. On paper, each player seems like somebody that a contending team could be interested in adding around the trade deadline – everybody needs blueline depth for the playoffs. But parking either of them in the AHL would risk (a) losing them on waivers for nothing or (b) depressing their trade value by burying them in the minors.

In our projected opening lineup, we have both Pachal and Hanley as healthy scratches right now. It’s in the Flames’ best interests to lean on younger defenders like Nemec, Parekh and Yan Kuznetsov, and veterans like Middleton, Zach Whitecloud and Kevin Bahl are good partners for those three. But if anybody gets injured or sick, Hanley and Pachal could be helpful, and we expect they’ll both get some games in – even if it’s just here and there. And if the blueline is healthy, it’s not the end of the world if the veteran duo sits in the press box for a bit.

Hanley and Pachal have been good Flames. They were plucked off the waiver wire and thrown onto a pretty depleted blueline in 2023-24 and did a really nice job holding things together. But the Flames have done what rebuilding teams do: they’ve added young talent, and the arrival of that young talent looks to be pushing Hanley and Pachal to the periphery. Here’s hoping they still get opportunities to play here and there, and that it leads to both player finding a nice landing spot before the Mar. 1 trade deadline.

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A Flame from the Past: Josh Leivo

Ryley Delaney — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 16:00:43 GMT

Do you remember Josh Leivo?

Every once in a while, we take a look at a player who once played for the Calgary Flames in a series called “A Flame From the Past.” This player has to have played a significant number of games for the Flames. I’ll put every Flames’ season into a Wheel of Names, and this time, it landed on the 2020-21 season. In this article, we’ll take a look at Josh Leivo.

Born in Innisfil, Ontario, but raised in Richmond Hill, Leivo began his junior career with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sudbury Wolves. In his first season, the winger scored 13 goals and 30 points in 64 games, with six goals and 13 points in eight post-season games.

His performance led the Toronto Maple Leafs to select the hometown product 86th overall in 2011. However, his National Hockey League debut was still a ways away, returning to the Wolves in 2011-12 where he scored 32 goals and 73 points in 66 games.

Leivo began the 2012-13 season with the Wolves as well, scoring 19 goals and 44 points, but was traded to the Kitchener Rangers before the OHL’s trade deadline. He finished his season scoring another 10 goals and 29 points in 29 games with the Rangers, giving him a total of 29 goals and 73 points in 66 games. Leivo played 10 more OHL playoff games, scoring three goals and 12 points.

The winger turned professional in 2013-14, having already played eight American Hockey League games. Leivo scored 23 goals and 42 points in 59 games with the Toronto Marlies, then another three goals and eight points in 12 playoff games. That same season, Leivo made his NHL debut, scoring a goal and an assist in seven games.

In 2014-15, he played nine NHL games, mainly spending the season in the AHL. Over 51 games, he scored 11 goals and 32 points, with a goal and six assists in five post-season games. Leivo also played 51 regular season AHL games in 2015-16, scoring 17 goals and 48 points, with four goals and 12 points in 15 playoff games.

However, Leivo reached the double-digit game mark in the NHL in 2015-16 as well, scoring five goals in 12 games. For the first time in his career, Leivo played more NHL games than AHL games in 2016-17, scoring two goals and 10 points in 13 NHL games. But in total, the Richmond Hill product played just 18 games, two more than he played in 2017-18.

Leivo’s final season with the Leafs came in 2018-19, potting four goals and six points in 27 games. In December 2018, Leivo was traded to the Vancouver Canucks, finishing the season with 10 goals and 18 points in 49 games out west. His 14 goals and 24 points in 76 games are a career-high, and it’s the lone time he was an NHL regular while remaining healthy.

The winger spent the 2019-20 season with the Canucks, scoring seven goals and 19 points in 36 games. Leivo signed with the Flames before the COVID-impact 2020-21 season, the fever dream year, amassing six goals and nine points in 38 games.

Signing with the Hurricanes for the 2021-22 season, Leivo spent most of his season in the AHL, potting 22 goals and 46 points in 54 games. However, he exploded for 15 goals and 29 points in 18 games, helping the Chicago Wolves win the Calder Cup. Over his seven NHL games that season, Leivo scored a goal and three points.

His final NHL season was in 2022-23, scoring four goals and 16 points in 51 games with the St. Louis Blues. He played two AHL games that year as well, scoring three goals and four points with the Springfield Thunderbirds, the same team he helped the Wolves defeat in the 2022 Calder Cup Finals.

Leivo’s career in North America came to an end after the 2022-23 season, but he’s continued to play in Russia. Playing for Ufa Salvat Yulayev in 2023-24, Leivo scored 15 goals and 38 points in 38 games, with four goals and nine points in six playoff games.

In 2024-25, Leivo set the record for most goals in a Kontinental Hockey League season, finishing the year with 49 of them with 31 assists in 62 games. Funnily enough, he scored just two goals in 14 playoff games, instead settling for 13 assists.

Leivo most recently played for Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL, scoring 26 goals and 65 points in 62 games, with three goals and four points in five playoff games. The 33-year-old signed with KHL’s Avangard Omsk this past off-season.

Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for DFO Calgary, DFO Edmonton, and Blue Jays Nation. She can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.

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