On Thursday, Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy finally confirmed a rumour that fans and media in this city have been discussing for weeks: Jonathan Huberdeau will not be ready for the start of the 2026-27 regular season.

The veteran winger appeared in just 50 games with the Flames in 2025-26 before undergoing a season-ending hip resurfacing operation. Conroy didn’t mince words in an interview with QR 77’s Jock Wilson earlier this month, calling it “a major surgery,” and the Flames certainly have no reason to rush Huberdeau back before he’s fully ready to go.

Conroy has consistently reiterated that he expects Huberdeau to return at some point in the future, but in the meantime, there’s a big hole on the left side of the Flames’ forward group for someone else to fill. Here’s a quick look at four Flames players who could take on larger roles this year in Huberdeau’s absence.

There’s no question that Sharangovich hasn’t lived up to the five-year contract extension he signed with the Flames in the wake of his 31-goal, 59-point outburst in 2023-24. It’s also fair to say that Sharangovich might’ve stood a better chance of replicating (or coming close to) that production had he not been removed from the team’s No. 1 power-play unit shortly after signing that deal. Still, even in a more peripheral role, Sharangovich has reached the 15-goal plateau in back-to-back seasons and could hit 20 for the third time in his career with a bit more playing time in 2026-27.

Like many of his Flames teammates, Sharangovich experienced a slight uptick in production during the stretch drive in 2025-26, scoring at a half-point-per-game clip in March and showing signs of chemistry with new arrival Ryan Strome. He also saw increased deployment on Calgary’s penalty kill, something that will likely continue now that Blake Coleman is no longer with the organization. Even with Huberdeau out, a return to PP1 may not be in the cards for Sharangovich; Simon Nemec’s arrival complicates things, with the Flames potentially using two defenders on the top unit. But the Flames don’t have a ton of other shoot-first options, and if they want to get the best possible value out of the final four years of Sharangovich’s contract, they should be putting him in as many shooting situations as possible. He’s got a laser.

Zary saw his average ice time fall to just 14:22 per game in 2025-26, by far the lowest mark of his three NHL seasons to date. He’s now entering the second year of his bridge deal, which runs through 2028 and carries a $3.775 million. And while there has certainly been a smattering of trade rumours involving Zary throughout the offseason, the Flames seem content to let things play out with the 2020 first-round pick.

With no Huberdeau, no Coleman, and no Nazem Kadri, things are far less crowded up front for the Flames than they were this time last year. That’s good news for the likes of Zary, who found himself on the verge of being squeezed out at various points last year. Injury history and skating concerns notwithstanding, Zary is still a 24-year-old forward with decent size and great hands who has shown he can hang with good players at the NHL level. He scored at a half-point-per-game pace or better in his first two seasons with the Flames and often looked like one of the team’s more dangerous players. Zary was hardly alone in regressing offensively in 2025-26, and it’d be interesting to see the Flames give him a bit more rope at his natural centre position this year. Failing that, perhaps he could get an extended look as a winger on a scoring line opposite Matt Coronato or Matvei Gridin.

Flames fans have seen plenty of Sharangovich and Zary over the past three seasons. They’ve seen virtually nothing of Tsyplakov, who came over from the New Jersey Devils in June as something of an afterthought in the Nemec trade. But it wasn’t long ago that Tsyplakov was one of the most highly touted free-agent signings from Russia in recent memory, and his combination of size and skill could make him a useful addition to the Flames’ forward group.

Tsyplakov is signed for just one year at a $2.25 million cap hit before he can become an unrestricted free agent. At worst, he’s just a cap dump who heads back home at some point over the next nine months; at best, he manages to return to (or build upon) his 10-goal, 35-point form with the New York Islanders in 2024-25 and become an effective NHL power forward. Tsyplakov showed genuine signs of brilliance in a top-nine role on the Island in his rookie year before falling off the map almost entirely as a sophomore, collecting just two goals and four points in 49 games split between the Islanders and Devils. Still, this is a player who scored 31 goals in 65 KHL games with Moscow Spartak the year before he moved stateside, and the Flames might be able to get some legitimate use out of a 6’3″ winger to complement some of their younger, smaller forwards.

Speaking of bigger forwards … Honzek is coming into the 2026-27 season with a little bit extra to prove after his 2025-26 campaign was cut short by a freak collision with captain Mikael Backlund. Before the injury, Honzek had started to look like a hand-to-glove fit on Calgary’s shutdown line with Backlund and Coleman, and now, there should be even more of an opportunity for the 2023 first-round pick to get an extended test drive on one of the Flames’ top forward units.

Honzek is probably the best skater of anyone on this list, and he might also be the most versatile. He can play any forward position and is capable of contributing both at 5-on-5 and on special teams. Honzek posted some of the best play-driving numbers of any Flames player prior to his injury and could be slated to return to his spot on the Backlund line, now with Joel Farabee on the opposite wing. But might it not be interesting to see what Honzek could do on a line with Gridin? Someone with his combination of attributes could work wonders in terms of opening up space, winning battles, and getting the puck to his more skilled linemates. Honzek scored at a clip in the WHL that merited him being selected in the first round to begin with … wouldn’t it be worthwhile to see him get a chance to play with younger players of a similar pedigree? With time, it might just come.

THE OFFSEASON SOCIAL CLUB HAS ARRIVED! The new era of Nation Gear starts here. Introducing the Nation Gear x Levelwear Offseason Social Club Collection — a limited edition collection built for the fans who know the sports lifestyle doesn’t stop. Designed for golf rounds, patio hangs, weekend trips, and every plan in between, this collection blends premium performance with everyday leisure. It’s versatile enough to dress up, comfortable enough to live in, and made for wherever the offseason takes you. Because being a sports fan isn’t a season — it’s a personality. Welcome to the club. Shop the Offseason Social Club now. nationgear.ca