On May 26, 2022, the Calgary Flames hosted the Edmonton Oilers in Game 5 of their Western Conference semi-final series. The Oilers beat the Flames in overtime by a 5-4 score to eliminate the Flames from the post-season.
And then the Flames went through a lot of big changes. Game 5 against Edmonton represents the Flames’ most recent post-season game… and given their now-ongoing re-(verb) process, it might be the last one they have for awhile.
As the Flames’ off-season chugs towards the start of 2024’s training camp, we were curious: what have the Flames’ turned their most recently playoff roster into? (Who’s left? And what did they turn their departures into?)
Goalies
Jacob Markstrom started for the Flames in Game 5, backed up by Dan Vladar. Adam Werner was their third goalie (and a healthy scratch). Vladar is the only goalie of the trio left with the club.
Cost | Last playoff game | Return |
Free agent signing | Jacob Markstrom | 2025 first-round pick Kevin Bahl |
2022 third-round pick | Dan Vladar | Current player |
Free agent signing | Adam Werner | Left as free agent |
Defencemen
The Flames dressed seven defencemen for Game 5 against Edmonton: Rasmus Andersson, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, Michael Stone, Erik Gudbranson, Noah Hanifin and Oliver Kylington. Connor Mackey and Juuso Valimaki were scratches. Of those nine defenders, only Andersson remains.
Cost | Last playoff game | Return |
Selected with 2015 second-round pick | Rasmus Andersson | Current player |
Free agent signing | Chris Tanev | Jacob Battaglia Artem Grushnikov |
2022 third-round pick | Nikita Zadorov | 2026 third-round pick Nikita Okhotiuk |
Free agent signing* | Michael Stone | Left as free agent/retired |
Free agent signing | Erik Gudbranson | Left as free agent |
Dougie Hamilton Micheal Ferland Adam Fox (Elias Lindholm also acquired) | Noah Hanifin | 2026 first-round pick Kirill Zarubin Daniil Miromanov |
Selected with 2015 second-round pick | Oliver Kylington | Left as free agent |
Free agent signing | Connor Mackey | Troy Stecher (left as free agent) Nick Ritchie (left as free agent) (Brett Ritchie also traded) |
Selected with 2017 first-round pick | Juuso Valimaki | Waiver claim |
* – Stone was originally acquired in a trade from Phoenix, then had his deal bought out, then was signed as a free agent later that off-season after an injury to Valimaki. We’re choosing to interpret Stone’s buyout as the beginning of his free agency.
Forwards
The Flames dressed 11 forwards for Game 5 against Edmonton: Mikael Backlund, Johnny Gaudreau, Milan Lucic, Matthew Tkachuk, Blake Coleman, Sean Monahan, Trevor Lewis, Elias Lindholm, Dillon Dube, Tyler Toffoli, Andrew Mangiapane and Calle Jarnkrok. Ryan Carpenter, Brett Ritchie and Adam Ruzicka were scratches, while Sean Monahan was out with an injury. Only Backlund and Coleman remain.
Cost | Last playoff game | Return |
Selected with 2007 first-round pick | Mikael Backlund | Current player |
Selected with 2011 fourth-round pick | Johnny Gaudreau | Left as free agent |
James Neal (2021 third-round pick also acquired) | Milan Lucic | Left as free agent |
Selected with 2016 first-round pick | Matthew Tkachuk | Jonathan Huberdeau MacKenzie Weegar Cole Schwindt 2025 first-round pick (2025 fourth-round pick traded to FLA) |
Free agent signing | Blake Coleman | Current player |
Selected with 2013 first-round pick | Sean Monahan | “Future considerations” (2025 first-round pick traded to MTL) |
Free agent signing | Trevor Lewis | Left as free agent |
Dougie Hamilton Micheal Ferland Adam Fox (Noah Hanifin also acquired) | Elias Lindholm | Andrei Kuzmenko Hunter Brzustewicz Joni Jurmo Matvei Gridin Luke Misa Eric Jamieson |
Selected with 2016 second-round pick | Dillon Dube | Left as free agent |
Tyler Pitlick Emil Heineman 2022 first-round pick 2023 fifth-round pick | Tyler Toffoli | Yegor Sharangovich Aydar Suniev |
Selected with 2015 sixth-round pick | Andrew Mangiapane | 2025 second-round pick |
2022 second-round pick 2023 third-round pick 2024 seventh-round pick | Calle Jarnkrok | Left as free agent |
2024 fifth-round pick | Ryan Carpenter | Left as free agent |
Free agent signing | Brett Ritchie | Troy Stecher (left as free agent) Nick Ritchie (left as free agent) (Connor Mackey also traded) |
Selected with 2017 fourth-round pick | Adam Ruzicka | Waiver claim |
What’s left from the 2022 team? (And what did they get for the rest of it?)
Including their injured list, the Flames had 27 players on their playoff roster in 2022. They have four remaining from that roster: Vladar, Andersson, Backlund and Coleman.
Since then, they have made 10 trades involving players from their 2022 playoff roster.
Here’s what the Flames have to show for those trades:
- Florida’s 2025 first-round pick, New Jersey’s 2025 first-round pick, Colorado’s 2025 second-round pick, Vegas’ 2026 first-round pick, and Vancouver’s 2026 third-round pick
- Goaltender Kirill Zarubin
- Defencemen Kevin Bahl, Hunter Brzustewicz, Artem Grushnikov, Eric Jamieson, Joni Jurmo, Daniil Miromanov and Nikita Okhotiuk and MacKenzie Weegar
- Forwards Jacob Battaglia, Matvei Gridin, Jonathan Huberdeau, Andrei Kuzmenko, Luke Misa, Cole Schwindt, Yegor Sharangovich and Aydar Suniev
(The Flames owe Montreal a 2025 first-round pick as part of the Sean Monahan trade and they also owe Florida a 2025 fourth-round pick.)
All-in-all, that’s a lot of changes for the Flames in a short period of time, as the club dives head-long into a rejuvenation process. We’ll see if changes continue, or if Vladar, Andersson, Backlund and Coleman stick around for awhile.
What do you think of the trade returns the Flames have gotten in exchange from their 2022 roster? Let us know in the comments!
