After checking in on former Flames scattered across Western Conference playoff teams, it’s time to turn our attention east and see which players once donned the Flaming C—and where they stand on their current team.

Before Markstrom arrived, it had been years since the Flames had a bona fide No. 1 goaltender. He brought much-needed stability to the back end and helped lead Calgary to multiple playoff appearances. His 105 wins rank fifth all-time among Flames goalies.

With Dustin Wolf knocking on the NHL door, it became clear the Flames needed to move on from Markstrom. He was ultimately traded to the New Jersey Devils this past off-season in exchange for Kevin Bahl and a first-round pick.

On a Devils team riddled with injuries—including to top player Jack Hughes—Markstrom will need to be dialed in and playing at his best if New Jersey hopes to make a deep playoff run.

Hamilton has always been an offensively gifted defenceman. His 137 points over three seasons in Calgary speak for themselves. Unfortunately, like Noah Hanifin, Hamilton wasn’t interested in signing long-term in Calgary and was eventually traded to Carolina—for none other than Hanifin.

Now with the Devils, Hamilton has struggled with injuries the past couple of seasons. That said, he’s been solid when in the lineup, posting nine goals and 31 assists in 64 games this season. He’ll look to help New Jersey get past his former Hurricanes squad.

Lazar spent parts of three seasons with the Flames but only held a regular role during the 2017–18 campaign. That year, he tallied two goals and 10 assists over 65 games. Once a highly touted prospect, Lazar has never managed to translate that offensive production to the NHL level. He’s spent most of his career as a bottom-six or depth forward.

With lacklustre numbers this season, Lazar starts the playoffs in the press box for New Jersey. It’s tough to see a scenario where he cracks the lineup anytime soon.

Jankowski was once a promising prospect, selected 21st overall by the Flames. He scored 17 goals in his first full season, but aside from a four-goal outburst in Year 2, he never managed to sustain offensive success.

He bounced around a few teams before landing with the Carolina Hurricanes at this year’s trade deadline. Jankowski made a solid impression, scoring eight goals in 19 games, though it wasn’t enough to secure a spot in the Game 1 or 2 lineups. That said, playing time could be on the horizon.

Bennett remains the highest draft pick in Flames history, and expectations were sky-high from the start. While he showed flashes of brilliance, it’s fair to say he was never quite given the right opportunity to thrive in Calgary. A fresh start was needed, and he found it with the Florida Panthers, where he’s carved out a legitimate NHL career.

Bennett will bring his gritty, physical style to the Panthers’ playoff run as they look to become back-to-back Stanley Cup champions.

Greer was a solid fourth-liner for Calgary last season, appearing in 59 games before a broken foot ended his year—and his time with the Flames. He was a candidate to be re-signed, but ultimately inked a deal with the defending champion Panthers.

Greer played nearly every game this season, missing just one, and chipped in 17 points along with 130 penalty minutes. He’s the kind of player built for playoff hockey and will be fun to watch in the Battle of Florida and potentially beyond.

There’s little need to remind Flames fans what Tkachuk brought to the team during his six seasons: goals, grit, and a one-man revival of the Battle of Alberta. It’s unfortunate Calgary couldn’t convince him to sign long-term, leading to a blockbuster trade with Florida we all remember all too well.

Though he’s been sidelined since the 4 Nations Face-Off, Tkachuk is expected to be ready for playoff action. With a player as tough as he is, it’ll take more than a lingering injury to keep him from trying to help the Panthers defend their Cup title.

Hamonic was Calgary’s go-to defensive defenceman before Chris Tanev came along. While Tanev was a clear upgrade, Hamonic was still a reliable Flame known for putting his body on the line night in and night out.

Now in his fourth season with the Ottawa Senators, Hamonic’s play has declined, particularly this year. He recorded just seven points in 59 games and finished with a minus-16 rating. That’s kept him out of the playoff lineup thus far, and it’ll likely take an injury for him to get back on the ice.

Gilbert has served mostly as a seventh defenceman throughout his career. Reliable, but not quite enough to secure a full-time NHL role. In parts of two seasons with the Flames, he logged two goals and nine assists over 57 games while tallying 43 penalty minutes.

He began this season with his hometown Buffalo Sabres, but was acquired by the Senators at the deadline as a depth piece. Like Hamonic, Gilbert is likely to spend most, if not all, of the playoffs in the press box.

“The Bread Man” was a fan favourite during his seven seasons in Calgary. A strong middle-six forward, he recorded 109 goals and 106 assists in his time with the Flames. But he became the odd man out last off-season, being traded to the Washington Capitals.

In his first year in Washington, Mangiapane posted 14 goals and 14 assists over 81 games—a dip from his Calgary production. Still, he’s now on a strong Capitals team led by Alex Ovechkin, giving Flames fans a new reason to tune in this spring as everyone wants to watch the world’s greatest goal scorer play playoff hockey.

There may be no former Flame in this years playoffs more deserving of a Stanley Cup than Chris Tanev. Night in and night out, he sacrifices his body and plays a consistent, steady game. He’s earned his reputation as one of the most dependable blueliners in the league.

Now with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tanev joins a franchise known more for playoff heartbreak than success. But the Leafs haven’t had Chris Tanev before. Expect him to be tasked with shutting down top forwards and giving Toronto its best shot yet at a long playoff run.

Does the Flames connection mean something to you? How do you decide who to root for when Calgary’s out of the picture? Or do you just skip cheering altogether? Let us know in the comments below.