Hey Ryan, is there going to have the prospect camp / games with the Oilers before the main training camp starts this season? Thanks
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FlamesNation Mailbag: Commemorating the waning days of summer with reader questions!
Photo credit: Mike Gould
Pals, we’re into the last couple of weeks of August. Before too long, we’ll be into September, a chill will sneak into the air and hockey will poke its head out of hibernation and start emerging from its lengthy slumber.
So as we all panic and try to squeeze all the joy we can out of summer, onto the mailbag!
The short answer is “yes.” The long answer is “yes, and you can expect some news on that front in the next couple of weeks.”
when or will the Flames ever actually make a big move & get and elite forward or center in your opinion Ryan..cant all be by the draft..ado u have a year in mind ? Hard to do with players choosing usa over canada. Alternatively why not trade for Tij.
Bear two things in mind. First, general manager Craig Conroy seems to be using a similar philosophy as predecessor Brad Treliving: building from the net out. The Flames have Dustin Wolf locked up for awhile, and oodles of young defenders. Second, they’re working on it. You can argue that the Flames have been trying to find an “elite forward or centre” since Joe Nieuwendyk left the Flames in the ’90s. They’ve accumulated a bunch of young forward prospects, along with a bunch of draft picks, and while it sounds like a cop out, they’re keeping their eyes open for opportunities to add to their team – in the same vein of them adding Simon Nemec via trade with New Jersey.
Hypothetically If the flames somehow finish around 9-12th from the bottom of the standings, and basically miss out on that last piece elite C prospect they need for this rebuild, do you foresee the flames making a move in the summer to acquire that centre?
As noted in the previous answer: they’re working on it. Right now, most standings projections have the Flames finishing near the bottom of the NHL standings – the main driver of this seems to be the projected lack of high-end goal-scoring talent on the roster – and we do not fundamentally disagree with that assessment. We’re expecting another high draft choice in 2027, which will at least give them a shot at getting another higher-end forward prospect.
Who are your training camp sleepers who will make things interesting for opening night roster decisions?
The most obvious internal need for the Flames is for a fourth line centre, and I think Tyson Gross or Sam Morton both could do that role quite nicely. Keep an eye on them next month.
Will Gridin make do on his statement that he'll be the top scorer this season?
The Flames’ top scorer in 2026-27 will probably be either Matvei Gridin or Matt Coronato.
Should the Flames take a flyer on Laine? Incentive based contract.
I don’t think the Flames need to be adding any outsiders to their forward group right now. If anything, they need to be using this coming season to make assessments on some of their internal pieces because, well, they will likely need to make some room for one (or all) of Ethan Wyttenbach, Cullen Potter and Cole Reschny in March or April.
Has there been any rumblings about ticket prices in the new building? Just curious from an affordability standpoint, like how much of a premium will be added to tickets for cost of the new building
I will plead ignorance and direct you to the Flames’ ticketing staff, who have actual information. It’s probably natural to expect some sort of increase moving from the Saddledome to Scotia Place, as that’s what’s happened in basically every other similar situation throughout the NHL, but I don’t have the numbers and would prefer not to throw out guesswork.
1. Is the roof of Scotia Place finished? I saw a recent photo that the white crane in the centre might have been taken down (Might need to take look from Scotsman hill) 2. How many games do you think Wolf and Cooley will split this year?
We’ll have more updates later this week from our recent trip to scout things out, but we will share that the big white roof installation crane that was poking out of the Scotia Place main bowl has been removed. From what we could see, the roof is mostly finished, but not completely enclosed.
Dustin Wolf probably plays around 55 games, with Devin Cooley getting the rest (around 24 or 25). I would be surprised if Arsenii Sergeev doesn’t get two or three, too.
I'm worried about the team toughness, especially without Pickles and Pospy. What are the chances for either or both to be here after camp?
I am currently expecting both Brayden Pachal and Martin Pospisil to be on the opening roster. However, one of the reasons the Flames added Jacob Middleton from Minnesota in the Blake Coleman trade was to ensure they had some team toughness.
In simon nemec’s recent interview (Nhl.com) he stated he views himself as the flames PP1 guy. Who do you see quarterbacking the flames PP1 on opening night? And why? (Expanded) who are the 5 on that first Powerplay unit?
I think the power play units will be in a constant churn for much of the season, with it being an internal priority to give both Simon Nemec and Zayne Parekh ample PP time. Maybe we’ll see them quarterbacking their own units. Maybe we’ll see them on the same unit. Honestly, it’ll probably be a bit of both.
Off the top of my head, my “load it up” PP1 unit probably includes Nemec, Parekh, Matt Coronato, Jonathan Huberdeau and Matvei Gridin. (Maybe you have Morgan Frost on that unit in place of one of the D-men for face-off purposes, but I could also see them letting Coronato take draws, too.)
How do we calibrate the actual quality of some of our top prospects against the rest of the league? Reschny, Gridin, Wyttenbach, all exciting, but are flames fans overrating our guys because of how depleted our system has been for so long? Is this Baertschi all over again?
This is probably the most stacked the Flames’ prospect group has been in at least 15 years. Maybe longer. Compared to their peer groups, guys like Matvei Gridin, Zayne Parekh, Cole Reschny, Carson Carels and Ethan Wyttenbach are legitimately exciting prospects. Heck, Wyttenbach was college hockey’s leading scorer as a freshman.
Until they pull on an NHL sweater, have some cautious optimism, but definitely include optimism.
Do you see less Calgary Flames Fan Bought Merchandise on display and are the Flames as a clothing style widely worn in Calgary in the middle of Summer in @dfocalgary opinion. Feel Flames and Nick's not worn as much in summer ad years past time to paint City Red Go Flames Go
Honestly, the summer is more of a time for throwing on your Stampeders or Cavalry gear than your Flames gear, in part due to the fact that it’s hot outside and hockey gear is designed to trap heat. It’s too dang hot out to wear much hockey merch. I suspect we’ll see plenty of hockey jerseys busted out around town as summer turns into fall.
Good morning Ryan training camp is upcoming very soon, next month can you gave some updates who is coming or not any thoughts, Go flames go
We’ll have a pretty detailed rundown on the site in the next little while in terms of who you should expect to see at training camp next month. But as a general rule: you won’t see college players – classes have started already – or players with European club commitments – European seasons have started already.
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Calgary FlamesTeam Cap Summary
Cap Summary
2026-27
2027-28
Projected Cap Hit
$89,116,666
$70,041,666
Projected Cap Space
$14,883,334
$43,458,334
Current Cap Space
$14,883,334
$43,458,334
Active Players
23/23
16/23
Draft Picks
Round
'26
'27
1
2
1
2
3
2
3
1
2