Inside look at Calgary Flames

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, the Calgary Flames.

Craig Conroy is sticking to the plan heading into this season and allowing the Calgary Flames’ young talent to develop.

The Flames general manager was tempted to sign a veteran free agent to expedite the “retool” process he started after being hired on May 23, 2023, to replace Brad Treliving, but decided to stay the course.

Calgary fell one win short of qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season and will be relying on its young core to help it get over the line this season.

“We’ve always said we have a plan and we have to stick to it, and we can’t deviate just because other teams are signing players,” Conroy said on July 1. “For us, we still have our young players. All these teams that have signed players now have taken spots away from young players and for us, even though we haven’t done anything, you’re going to see more opportunity for our guys and better competition.”

The Flames are still expected to be led by veteran forwards Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, along with defensemen MacKenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson and Joel Hanley, but will require some heaving lifting from younger players.

Calgary (41-27-14) finished tied in points (96) with the St. Louis Blues (44-30-8) for the second wild card from the Western Conference last season but lost the tiebreaker with one fewer regulation win.

The Flames received solid contributions from 22-year-old forward Matt Coronato, who had 47 points (24 goals, 23 assists) in 77 games, 23-year-old forward Connor Zary, who had 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 54 games, and 25-year-old Martin Pospisil with 25 points (four goals, 21 assists) in 81 games.

Goalie Dustin Wolf, 24, also put together a season worthy of his selection as a finalist for the Calder Trophy, awarded to the NHL rookie of the year. Wolf was 29-16-8 in 53 games with a 2.64 goals-against average, .910 save percentage and three shutouts.

All four are expected to take another step this season, along with forwards Joel Farabee, 25, Morgan Frost, 26, and Adam Klapka, 24, and defensemen Kevin Bahl, 25, and Brayden Pachal, 25.

“I think you like to see the young guys that we’ve been bringing up as we’ve gone along,” Conroy said. “I’m going to need Farabee, I’m going to need Frost, Zary, Matty Coronato, just guys like that, that can come in and are going to have to play better for us and are going to have to give us more offense and take the next step. If they do, that’s going to be the difference for us.

“With Klapka and Pospisil, those are what we need right now; those are the guys that we need to rise and be better and we’re going to need them to play more and that’s going to give them that chance.”

Calgary also has several prospects in its system looking to break through this season.

Defenseman Zayne Parekh, 19, scored in his NHL debut April 17 in the final game of the season at the Los Angeles Kings. He was selected No. 9 in the 2024 NHL Draft and is expected to get a long look at training camp after he had 107 points (33 goals, 74 assists) in 61 games with Saginaw of the Ontario Hockey League last season.

Forward Sam Morton, 26, also scored in his NHL debut at Los Angeles and could battle for a roster spot after a strong season with Calgary of the American Hockey League, where he had 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) in 70 games.

Conroy said there is going to be competition throughout the lineup this season with the Flames looking to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2021-2022.

“Come take a spot, come take a job, earn it, take it,” he said. “If there’s an injury, you get a chance, never give that spot back. It’s hard to say there’s one spot here and one spot there, they’re all open in my mind, but these veteran guys aren’t going to give you anything, we need the younger guys to push the veteran guys to be better.”