The Calgary Flames have gone through some pretty significant changes since the spring of 2023. We’ve discussed from time to time the contractual house of cards that general manager Craig Conroy inherited, but it feels like we don’t truly appreciate what head coach Ryan Huska had to navigate when he ascended to the top coaching job prior to the 2023-24 season.

While Conroy had to navigate several complex contract negotiations with players on expiring contracts, and then had to deal with trade negotiations on many of them in-season, Huska had to field a competitive hockey club with aspirations of qualifying for the Stanley Cup playoff. Huska did all of this while running his own bench as head coach for the first time in the NHL, and first time at any level since 2017-18.

Oh, and some pretty big pieces of his team were swapped out throughout the season, causing Huska’s staff to change things up on the fly. They somehow remained within a stone’s throw of the playoff cut line for most of the campaign.

Even though the 2024-25 Flames roster was, on paper at least, weaker than the 2023-24 edition, Huska was able to field a consistent lineup for the entire season. And while external expectations were pretty low for the Flames heading into the season, Huska got buy-in from the Flames’ veterans and they ended up having a pretty good season, missing the playoffs by just the regulation wins tiebreaker against St. Louis.

The 2025-26 season will be the third on Huska’s current contract. And while coaching contracts generally aren’t public knowledge, the expectation is that it’s the final year on Huska’s original contract as Flames head coach. Speaking with Ryan Pinder and Dean “Boomer” Molberg on Barn Burner this past week, Conroy certainly made it sound like an extension for Huska won’t be a hard sell.

“It’s definitely something that I prioritize,” said Conroy. “But for me him going into the last year doesn’t do it. I said it a long time ago: he’s my coach, we’re building this together and I think we need some continuity. We’ve had a lot of coaching change here and I think that’s it’s hard to keep systems and coaches and then just philosophy.”

“I think Ryan has done an amazing job,” added Conroy. “We took a step and now, we’re always hoping to take another step. That’s the goal, take another step, get better. But as far as timing, I don’t think it for me it doesn’t mean as much. I don’t think it’s like, ‘oh my god,’ it’s something bad. He’s not lame duck coach. He’s done a great job for us and when when we do get time and we both can agree on a deal, I would love to do something with him.”

Conroy became an assistant GM during the 2014 off-season after previously serving as a special assistant. The same summer that Conroy was made AGM, Huska was recruited to coach the Flames’ AHL team. Huska has been on the NHL coaching staff since 2018-19. It probably goes without saying that Conroy and Huska know each other well after that many years working in the same orbit.

If you give Huska the benefit of the doubt on the chaotic 2023-24 season, the team’s performance during 2024-25 provides a nice benchmark for what the Flames could build with Huska behind the bench. Time will tell what Huska’s next deal with the Flames looks like, but it certainly sounds like one is coming before too long.