Since it'll be the last season opener at the Dome, have you heard anything about who might be present/involved? Alumni, dignitaries, guest anthem singer, etc.?
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FlamesNation Mailbag: Talking the Saddledome farewell season and Backlund’s future
Photo credit: Mike Gould
Welcome to August, friends!
We’re into the final NHL-free month of the summer. But we will get to check out the Hlinka Gretzky Cup later this month, which kicks off the 2027 NHL Draft cycle. And a few weeks after that, everyone starts arriving for captain’s skates and before you know it, we’ll be back on the ice.
Let’s kick off the final month of the off-season with the mailbag!
I have not yet heard anything. Given what I know about the Flames and how they operate, I would expect them to have some special bells and whistles for that game, but they’re likely waiting to announce everything closer to the date. I don’t know anything, and I would really try to avoid spoiling anything if I did, but my strong suspicions are they’ll have some fun stuff happening.
I know everybody is excited about the final year in the Saddledome. The Flames are, too. Let ’em cook, and keep your eyes peeled for announcements as we get closer to the season.
Might the Flames be doing something special to the uniforms like a jersey patch to commemorate the last season at the Saddledome? Or maybe something else?
If you looked carefully during the NHL’s 2026 draft coverage, you might have noticed the commemorative shoulder patch on the jersey that Jack Hextall pulled on. And at development camp, all eight 2026 picks in attendance took group photos wearing their own jerseys, all of which had the patch on the shoulder, too.
Our first look at the Saddledome tribute patch on the shoulder of the Flames home jersey.
There’s also the persistent rumour that there will be a Saddledome tribute jersey as part of the NHL’s Hometown Remix alternate jersey program. We’ll see how things pan out when that jersey roll-out happens closer to the start of the season.
Do you like eggs?
Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of eggs. I can’t explain why, but I just never developed a palate for them. When I was younger I wasn’t a huge fan of seafood – sacrilege considering both of my parents hail from Atlantic Canada – but I developed an appreciation over time. (Eventually, something in my brain clicked and I started loving seafood.) So far, that hasn’t happened with eggs.
How did Carels look throughout the showcase?
Carson Carels played in two of Canada’s three games at the Summer Showcase. He was pretty good in the first game and a bit shaky defensively in the second game at times, but he was also playing against a pretty stacked American team that seemed to be playing with some swagger.
He wasn’t Canada’s standout at the Showcase, but he didn’t do much that would hurt his chances to make the national junior team.
Ryan, if Backlund decided he wanted to go cup chasing. Where could be a good fit this off season and what could a return look like? Thanks!
Mikael Backlund has accrued enough respect in the Flames organization that he’s basically able to call his shot. If he wants to play with the Flames, he’ll be afforded that opportunity as long as he feels like he can do that. If he wants to chase a championship, they would honour his wishes and do their best to find him a good landing spot.
The Flames would probably value finding Backlund his preferred landing spot over getting a specific return for him. If it were me, I would be good with structuring the return with conditional draft picks – if Backlund gets a certain number of points or his team makes it to certain playoff rounds, the pick upgrades. Considering Backlund’s age and pedigree, a third-round pick feels like the general ballpark… but it would depend on a few other factors, like how many teams are involved in bidding for his services.
All that being said, I think he plays his entire career with the Flames.
Do you expect Morgan Frost to be dealt this season? Any chance Conroy will re-sign him instead?
Honestly, neither outcome with Morgan Frost – a trade elsewhere or a new contract – would surprise me. He’s a pretty easy player to like, in that he’s toolsy, works hard and can score at times. But if you’re locking in someone long-term, at this point you need to figure out if they’re going to be part of your core. I like Frost so far, but I’m not 100% clear on where he slots in long-term. Maybe that will become clearer in the first half of the season.
Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)
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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