Every year, changes in contractual or waiver status can cause ripple effects.

But as we enter the 2026 off-season for the Calgary Flames, the roster is punctuated by a remarkable sense of calm. The moves that sent Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar elsewhere have given the Flames oodles of assets, but they’ve also made the roster and waiver math pretty simple for the coming season.

As the off-season looms before us, here’s a high-level snapshot of the decisions, or lack thereof, the Flames have in front of them over the next several months.

The Flames have a reliable tandem of NHL goaltenders that both require waivers. Their two AHL goalies do not require waivers. The only real question here: do they look for someone older to work with Sergeev and Say in the minors?

Including RFAs, they have four goalies under team control.

The Flames have six established NHL defenders that require waivers… and they’re probably all returning. Parekh will be given every chance to make the team, but since he’s waiver exempt – and will now actually be eligible for regular AHL duty – he’s not quite a lock. Yet. As he’s also waiver exempt, Brzustewicz’s fate probably depends on how everybody else looks in camp, whether they carry eight defencemen again, and whether they’re willing to send anybody to the AHL to help out what looks to be a really young group there.

The Flames do not need to make any moves to have Parekh or Brzustewicz (or both) on the NHL roster next season.

Including RFAs, they have 13 defencemen under team control.

Time for some quick math! There are 11 NHL locks at forward that require waivers, assuming no trades during the off-season. Add in Gridin, who’s waiver exempt but has been superb, and there’s 12. It feels probable that Honzek, also waiver exempt, is given every chance to make the NHL club after a superb 18-game audition, so that’s 13. Whether Beecher (or pending UFA Lomberg) is back or not is a toss-up for me, but there’s room for one of them.

Hunt looks to be anchoring a pretty young forward group on the AHL level, so we expect most of the pending RFAs from the Wranglers to be back.

Including RFAs, they have 26 forwards under team control.

As we stated: yeah, there will probably be off-season changes. There always are. But the Flames aren’t in a position where they’re going to be forced to do anything to make roster math work. And so they can enter the off-season and evaluate opportunities without having to worry about roster management pressure points forcing their hand.