The Calgary Flames have missed some key players due to injury at various points of this season, and they’re presently without three regulars from their lineup.

Here’s the latest we’ve heard – and heard via our media colleagues – regarding these lineup absences.

On Saturday, Postmedia’s Wes Gilbertson did some sleuthing and came up with some really interesting new information from Flames general manager Craig Conroy: Martin Pospisil is making some progress and could be skating in January, confirming a report out of Slovakia (from Dennik Sports’ Tomas Prokop) from a few days prior.

A 2018 fourth-round pick, Pospisil has carved out a niche for himself as a speedy, rough-and-tumble forward – former Flames general manager Brad Treliving, praising Pospisil’s pugnaciousness, once quipped that the Slovak “could find trouble at church.” But Pospisil has also had rough injury luck, particularly with a series of concussions that have at times threatened his promising career. (If we’re already throwing some flowers at Wes’ reporting, check out his great piece he did with Pospisil right after his NHL debut in 2023-24 on that very subject.)

Currently in the final year of a deal he signed in 2024 that carries a $1 million cap hit, Pospisil signed a three year extension over the summer (that starts in 2026-27 and runs through 2028-29) with a $2.5 million cap hit. Pospisil left an Oct. 1 pre-season game against Vancouver after getting clipped high on a post-whistle scrum, then left a subsequent practice after some similar upper-body contact. Pospisil has yet to practice with the Flames at all this season, as the Flames are being cognizant of Pospisil’s injury history as he works his way back.

We’ll provide more details as they become available, but Pospisil having a stall in the locker room is a very positive development, especially after a couple months of no substantial updates.

Back on Nov. 21, it was announced that Honzek underwent surgery for an upper-body injury. He had originally suffered that injury on a fluke collision where he and Mikael Backlund crashed into each other during a home game against the Winnipeg Jets back on Nov. 15.

Head coach Ryan Huska noted that Honzek could be out “up to six months,” but it should be noted that it was not definitively stated that Honzek would be out for the season. As we get into 2026, we would imagine some additional update on Honzek’s recovery timeline will be shared at some point. Honzek is currently on his entry-level contract, which runs through the 2027-28 season.

Finally, it was announced on Thursday that Bean will undergo surgery for an undisclosed injury. Unlike Honzek’s injury, Bean’s was something he had been playing through for awhile and the decision was likely made to deal with it rather than let it continue to linger. When asked, Huska wasn’t sure if the “long-term” prognosis for Bean’s injury recovery meant that he was out for the season or not. Bean is on an expiring contract and could become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Pospisil, Honzek and Bean all remain on the Flames’ injury reserve list. The Flames’ active roster is at 22 players: two goaltenders, seven defencemen and 13 forwards.

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