We’ve seen two different versions of the Calgary Flames this season.

There is the team that got off to a franchise worst 2-9-2 start. The Flames had the worst record in the NHL and were tied for last in goals for and 8th last in goals against. Everything that could go wrong went wrong for the Flames in the first month of the season.

And then there is the group that has gone 11-7-2 since November 2nd which is good for 13th in the NHL in points and points percentage. They’ve given up the 4th fewest goals have the 3rd best penalty kill in the NHL since that time. They’ve started playing closer to the team that we saw last season.

So what can we expect to see from this group for the rest of the season? Let’s dive into three predictions for the rest of the 2025-26 Flames season.

I believe the Flames are closer to being the team we’ve seen since November 2nd, compared to the one we saw in October. The team is too good to finish in the very bottom of the NHL standings as they are currently constructed. That can obviously change if they decide to move out a veteran player or two between now and the deadline. But this group does too many good things when it comes to the defensive side of the game.

Since Nov. 2, the Flames have been in the top half of the NHL from a defensive standpoint. Ryan Huska has this group bought into playing a defensive system that requires his players to block a ton of shots, keep scoring chances to the outside, and battle like hell to get the puck back.

The numbers back that up. The Flames rank 14th in the NHL in key defensive metrics.

They’ve been playing well at 5-on-5, and they’ve also been crushing it on the penalty kill. Since November 2nd the Flames have the 3rd best penalty kill in the NHL running at a 89.3%. They’ve only given up six goals in their last 20 games.

A big reason for the Flames success at 5-on-5 and the penalty kill has been their goalies. Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley are becoming a top ten goaltending tandem in the NHL. Wolf and Cooley have combined for the 9th best save percentage in the NHL since November 2nd.

These are all sustainable elements of the Flames game that they can maintain as long as they keep this group together until the trade deadline.

If they can get some bounces to go their way and some improved play from the likes of Weegar, Huberdeau, Sharangovich, and Zary (which we’ve seen to a certain extent already), then this team will climb themselves out of the basement of the NHL standings.

This team will fall off a cliff after they trade Rasmus Andersson. But before that happens, this will be a team that will play above .500 hockey and be in the conversation for the second wildcard spot.

The biggest topic of discussion around the Calgary Flames is the future of Rasmus Andersson. And for good reason. He is going to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and he’s playing the best hockey of his NHL career.

Andersson has done the Flames a huge favour by repairing his trade value after a putrid 2024-25 season.

It’s unlikely the Flames and Andersson will come together on a long term contract extension as reports suggest the two parties are miles apart in contract discussions.

My prediction is that the Flames are going to hold on to Andersson for as long as possible this season. Once this club moves Andersson in a trade, the push for the playoffs will essentially come to an end. Andersson has been the Flames MVP this season. He touches every aspect of the game. He is a beast at even strength. He is the QB on the top power play unit. He leads the team in short handed ice time.

Because of that, I think the Flames are going to hold onto Andersson until the week of the trade deadline to keep this team in the playoff mix for as long as possible. This also gives Zayne Parekh and Hunter Brzustewicz more time to develop and get ready to take on some of the minutes left behind when Andersson is inevitably traded.

The other players that are being discussed as potential trade chips by Flames fans are Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman.

If it were up to the fanbase, who want this team to bottom out to secure a top 3 pick in the 2026 NHL draft, they would have both Kadri and Coleman traded before the Mar. 6 deadline.

But it feels like the Flames do not see it the same way. Public messaging from the team and reports from NHL insiders suggest that it’s important to Flames upper management to stay “competitive” and in the mix for a playoff spot to ensure a culture of winning is maintained in this organization.

They believe having a group of veterans around is going to play a key role in the development of their young players.

Kadri and Coleman are two critical members of this organization on and off the ice. They’ve been a huge part of this team being able to turn their season around and are important leaders in the locker room. On top of that, both players still have term remaining on their current contracts. Kadri with three years remaining and Coleman with one.

The Flames have a tendency to not trade players until they are officially in the final year of their contracts.

This team would be guaranteed to bottom out this season and next if Craig Conroy were to trade all of Andersson, Kadri and Coleman. But I just don’t see it happening, unless Kadri and Coleman ask for a trade.

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