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FN Report Cards: Jake Bean got derailed by a season-ending injury
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Photo credit: Alan Poizner-Imagn Images
Paige Humphrey
May 23, 2026, 10:00 EDTUpdated: May 22, 2026, 23:50 EDT
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Jake Bean, a left-handed defencemen, is a born and raised Calgarian who played most of his junior hockey career in the city with the Calgary Hitmen until being drafted by the Carolina Hurricanes as a first-round pick in 2016.
He played with the Hurricanes and the Columbus Blue Jackets before returning to Calgary in 2024, signing as a free agent with his hometown Flames.

Expectations

By his own admission, Bean’s first season with the Flames was a disappointment as he spent the entire year as a depth piece. Going into the 2025-26 season, Bean was expected to be a reliable, consistent third pairing defender, with the potential to move up to being a top four defensemen.
On the other hand, there was anticipation that he may move further down in the lineup if the Flames added any more defencemen throughout the season or if one of the younger defenders impressed. If he had the ability to move up in the lineup, there was a strong potential for him to increase his overall offensive output.
Being a more veteran NHL player, he was projected to add stability to the line-up and potentially be a mentor for the younger players on the team. In the 2024-25 season, he racked up 2 goals, 5 assists, totalling 7 points in 64 games. These stats leave a lot to be desired, so for his expectations to get on the board were inevitably low going into this season. 

Performance

Bean’s 2025-26 season ended in mid-December, as he had surgery for an undisclosed injury.
Bean had previously had shoulder surgery in 2022-23 during his stint with the Blue Jackets.
His last game was played on Dec. 6, 2025 against the Utah Mammoth, where the Flames won 2-0. His stats for the year leave a lot to be desired – with 1 goal and 1 assist in 16 games – but they’re also a product of how few games he played.

Outlook

Bean is going into the summer as an unrestricted free agent, with his two-year, $3.5 million contract expiring on July 1. It is anticipated that he will likely be looking for a new team where he can have more of a consistent, stable role, which he lacked on the Flames.
It is unlikely that he will extend his contract with the Flames, especially due to the team being in a rebuild and using more of their younger defenders, but if he does it is probable that he will be a bottom-pairing defencemen. Wherever he ends up, he’ll likely continue to be a mentor for his younger teammates. Hopefully he can bounce back from his season-ending surgery and be able to play at 100% in the 2026-27 season.

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