We’re a month into the new season and, as has been well noted, the Calgary Flames have struggled mightily in all facets of the game. They finally ended their losing streak with a 5-1 win over the New York Rangers, but couldn’t carry that momentum into their match-up with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Flames haven’t had any standout performances that have lasted more than a game or two. Meanwhile, several former Flames began this season with new teams. Do the Flames regret letting any of them go? Or were the right decisions made? Let’s take a look at how these ex-Flames have fared through the first month of the season.

Starting with the most recent player to don a Flames jersey, Ilya Solovyov began training camp in Calgary. In an effort to keep players such as Jake Bean and Danil Miromanov in the NHL to start the season, the Flames placed Solovyov on waivers, where he was ultimately claimed by the Colorado Avalanche — a move the Flames probably regret now.

Solovyov has suited up in seven of Colorado’s 11 games. While he hasn’t recorded a point yet, offence was never part of his role. His job has been to fill in on the third defensive pairing as needed, and he’s done that effectively. Averaging just under 12 minutes of ice time per game, Solovyov’s role has been limited but well executed. There’s always a chance he could earn more responsibility, but for now he seems to have settled into a steady routine.

A solid backup goaltender for the Flames over the past four seasons, Dan Vladar had bigger aspirations of becoming an NHL starter. With Dustin Wolf emerging as Calgary’s goaltender of the future, it became clear that opportunity wasn’t coming with the Flames. When free agency opened this past summer, Vladar signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Beginning the season in a tandem with Samuel Ersson, Vladar has been strong so far, starting five of the Flyers’ first nine games. With a 1.81 goals-against average and a .932 save percentage, he ranks among the league’s top goaltenders through the opening month. It was clear his future wasn’t in Calgary, but it’s great to see Vladar off to such a strong start with his new team.

Anthony Mantha’s stint with the Flames was brief. Brought in last season as a veteran piece likely to be flipped at the trade deadline for future assets, his season ended prematurely with a torn ACL just as he was finding his offensive touch.

The Flames chose not to bring him back, and instead Mantha signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s off to a great start, with five goals and five assists in 11 games — good for fourth in team scoring. In fact, he’d be leading the Flames in points if he were still with the club. It’s always nice to see a player return from a serious injury and perform well. While few expected him to re-sign in Calgary, the Flames could certainly use some of his offence right now.

After a disastrous start to last season, Andrei Kuzmenko nearly played himself out of the NHL. It was a surprise the Flames were able to trade him at all. Initially dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers in the move that brought Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to Calgary, Kuzmenko was quickly flipped to the Los Angeles Kings, where he re-signed ahead of this season.

It hasn’t been a standout start for Kuzmenko, but it hasn’t been bad either. In 11 games, he’s recorded two goals and four assists, helping the Kings sit tied for second in the Pacific Division. The Flames may miss his sense of humour, but his on-ice play left a sour taste for many fans. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of success he can find over a full season in Los Angeles.

This one still stings a bit. A fan favourite and popular teammate, Jakob Pelletier’s trade last season was a tough pill to swallow. He clearly loved playing for the Flames and shared a close bond with several teammates, including Jonathan Huberdeau.

Many hoped the Flames would re-sign Pelletier in the off-season, but the offer never came. Instead, he signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Pelletier didn’t make the team out of training camp and was placed on waivers. Some thought Calgary might claim him back, but he went unclaimed and began the season in the AHL.

Pelletier has gotten off to a good start with the Syracuse Crunch, recording three goals and four assists in six games — just over a point per game. If he keeps that up, a call-up to Tampa Bay shouldn’t be far off. When that time comes, hopefully he can finally translate his AHL success to the NHL level.

What do you think? Should any of these players still be with the Flames, or were the right decisions made to let them continue their careers elsewhere? Let us know in the comments below.

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