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The Flames took advantage of a favourable schedule, but it gets pretty tough from here
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Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Ryan Pike
Mar 29, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Mar 29, 2026, 03:18 EDT
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Pals, let’s talk about the Calgary Flames for a moment and the fairly odd situation they’re in right now.
On one hand, they’re in the midst of a miserable year. They entered the 2025-26 season with a ton of optimism following a 2024-25 season that saw the club miss the playoffs by the narrowest margin in franchise history – they tied the NHL record for most playoffs by a team that somehow missed the playoffs.
If only they could be a little bit better – a point, a regulation win, whatever – that would be enough to get over the cut line this season.
Well that did not happen. The bounces they got a year ago went against them. Several players took steps back in their games. And the team just did not have the mojo they had a year ago. They got out to the worst start in franchise history and never fully recovered.
Taking cues from his team, the way a good general manager should, Craig Conroy made some moves. Pending unrestricted free agent Rasmus Andersson? Off to Vegas for four assets. MacKenzie Weegar? Off to Utah for five assets. Nazem Kadri? Packaged with a fourth-round pick and sent to Colorado for four assets.
For the swath of the fanbase – and not a small one – clamouring for Conroy to lean into the skid, so to speak, and sell off key assets… it happened. Conroy did what many thought he should do, and he took talented players off of his hockey club for the hope of future success.
Now, did anyone anticipate the Flames going 7-4-1 in the dozen games after the trade deadline?
Perhaps not, but maybe we should have.
Here’s how the schedule panned out:
  • A home game against Carolina, who had played the night before in Edmonton, a “scheduled win” – win
  • A road game against Washington, battling for a playoff spot – loss
  • A road game against the NY Rangers, near the NHL’s basement but the Flames playing on a back-to-back – loss
  • A road game against New Jersey, an inconsistent team on the playoff bubble – win
  • A road game against the NY Islanders, a playoff team – loss
  • A road game against Detroit, a playoff team – loss
  • A home game against St. Louis, an inconsistent team on the playoff bubble – win
  • A home game against Florida, who had played the night before in Edmonton – win
  • A home game against Tampa Bay, who had played the night before in Edmonton – win
  • A home game against Los Angeles, an inconsistent team on the playoff bubble – win
  • A home game against Anaheim, a playoff team – overtime loss
  • A home game against Vancouver, the NHL’s worst team – win
That’s seven home games where the Flames went 6-0-1… but with three “scheduled wins,” two games against pretty inconsistent teams, a win over Vancouver, and a pretty good effort in an overtime loss against Anaheim.
That’s five road games where the Flames went 1-4-0, with their lone win being against a pretty inconsistent New Jersey team.
In isolation, the results that the Flames have gotten over their past 12 games make perfect sense. After all, you can only play the teams that are put in front of you. As a whole, and taken in the context of the team trading away some significant players, it’s a bit bizarre, and likely a source of great anxiety to anyone hoping that the Flames will land a high draft choice in the upcoming draft lottery.
We do not claim to be able to predict the future, but let’s just walk through the nine games the Flames have remaining on their schedule:
  • Three games against the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche, one at home and two on the road.
  • One game against playoff team Vegas, on the road (where the Flames are 2-10-2 against the Golden Knights all-time).
  • One game against playoff team Dallas, on the road (the Stars recently beat the Flames by 6-1 at home).
  • One game against playoff team Anaheim, on the road.
  • One game against playoff team Utah, at home.
  • One game against Seattle, battling for a playoff spot, on the road.
  • One game against Los Angeles, battling for a playoff spot, at home – though the Kings’ playoff fate may be decided by the time they visit the Flames in each team’s final regular season outing.
The schedule over the last six games – and seven home games – has arguably been setting the Flames up for success. It takes a distinctly scary turn over the last nine games.
The Flames are winning games and having fun. Look at Blake Coleman’s post-game meeting with the media on Saturday night.
He’s answering a few questions a bit tongue-in-cheek, but we’ll commend him for being honest: NHL players are insanely competitive and they want to win games, no matter what the standings say. They’re doing what they can: playing hard and trying to beat the teams put in front of them. They’re playing fast and free and relaxed… and the schedule has undoubtedly helped with that.
The schedule will be distinctly unhelpful to the Flames desire to win hockey games from here on out. But it may be very helpful when it comes to May 5’s draft lottery.
The Flames begin their six game road swing on Monday night against the Avalanche.

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