CALGARY — The Calgary Flames are preparing for their final season in the ancient Saddledome, and the 2026-27 campaign is expected to be hard to watch but necessary. After turning a corner in their rebuild, Calgary faces anticipated inconsistency from its youth that will likely see many games end in defeat and another finish near the bottom of the Pacific Division standings before the move to Scotia Place at this time next year.
General manager Craig Conroy has made shrewd moves to reshape the roster, including picking up 22-year-old defenseman Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils, and would be the first to say the team will struggle at times. No more veterans are bound to be traded the way Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar were dealt in the past year, leaving a core of young players who must prove they are worth investing in as the organization separates the wheat from the chaff.
That proving ground starts with Nemec, who was stuck behind a logjam of defensemen in New Jersey but showed the beginnings of a breakout last season with 11 goals and 26 points in 68 games. Coach Ryan Huska will give Nemec every opportunity to develop into a bona fide force at both ends of the ice. Winger Matt Coronato, 24, saw his numbers regress slightly to 18 goals and 45 points last season after posting 24 goals and 47 points in 2024-25, while 25-year-old star goalie Dustin Wolf aims to correct course after his save percentage dipped to .899 in 2025-26 from .910 in 2024-25 despite a heavy workload of 110 combined regular-season games over the past two years behind a porous defense.
Calgary still has veterans to set the tone, including winger Jonathan Huberdeau, captain Michael Backlund, winger Joel Farabee and centers Morgan Frost and Ryan Strome. The Flames' top pick in this year's NHL entry draft, slick blueliner Carson Carels, will head to the NCAA with the University of North Dakota, requiring patience from fans and management as legitimate talent develops in the system.
By the time Calgary evolves into the year-in, year-out Stanley Cup front-runner fans want to see, many of those veterans will be retired, traded or both. This season will bring more than its share of trying times, but how the youngsters respond to golden opportunities will go a long way toward firming up the Flames' identity and showing the pain was worth it when the skeleton of a true contender is expected to emerge at Scotia Place.