Calgary Flames’ 5 Biggest Questions Entering 2026-27 – The Hockey Writers –

The 2026-27 season could be a difficult one in terms of wins for the Calgary Flames, but that doesn’t mean their fan base has nothing to be excited about. This rebuilding team is set to have a ton of youth in their lineup next season, giving fans a great idea as to what the future has in store.

The Flames will look much different next season, as several veterans including MacKenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, Nazem Kadri, Blake Coleman, and Olli Maatta are no longer on the roster. General manager (GM) Craig Conroy elected to move them all out in order to add a number of prospects and draft picks.

While those trades will hurt the Flames in the short term, it could pay massive dividends when it comes to this team being a contender in the years to come. That said, today we are focusing on this upcoming season. Here are the five biggest questions facing this group heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

1. How Bad Can the Flames Be?

One of the most exciting aspects for Flames fans this season is that this team, at least on paper, figures to be quite bad. That may not sound great, and could make watching games tough. What it does do, however, is make their future all the more exciting.

The Flames have a great prospect pool and will have a chance to add to it even further at next year’s draft. There are plenty of great prospects available, and there is a real strong possibility that this team finishes dead last in the NHL standings. That will set them up to add yet another great prospect, perhaps even the first overall pick.

The Flames finished last season with just 77 points, and with the veterans mentioned above no longer on the roster, that total could drop even further in 2026-27. Nothing is ever a guarantee in professional sports, but it would be a massive shock, and perhaps even a disappointment, if the Flames don’t end up with a top-three pick in this coming draft.

2. Can Huberdeau Make a Full Recovery?

We all know the Jonathan Huberdeau situation is an ugly one for the Flames. The former 115-point scorer has surpassed the 60-point mark just one time through his first four seasons in Cowtown. That has been a heavily discussed topic since his arrival due to the fact that he carries a $10.5 million cap hit.

That deal could soon be looking even worse given that the 33-year-old was forced to undergo hip resurfacing surgery in the spring. Aside from Patrick Kane, other NHLers who have undergone the same procedure have struggled to return and make an impact. It remains to be seen how Huberdeau will fare.

The good news for Huberdeau and the Flames is that it sounds as though he is recovering well. He’s been back skating, and there is belief he may be ready to go for the start of the 2026-27 season. Doing some solo skating is one thing, however. The big test will be how he’s able to handle contact in game action whenever he is given the green light to return.

3. Does Dustin Wolf Get Back to Being Elite?

Few NHL prospects had as much hype as Dustin Wolf did upon entering the NHL. The 25-year-old won the American Hockey League (AHL) goalie of the year award twice, while also being named league MVP in his second professional season.

Wolf didn’t disappoint in his rookie campaign, as he made 53 appearances while posting a 2.64 goals against average (GAA) along with a .910 save percentage (SV%). Those numbers were strong enough for him to finish the season as a Calder Trophy finalist, where he wound up finishing second only to Montreal Canadiens defenceman Lane Hutson.

As is the case with many professional athletes, Wolf suffered a bit of a sophomore slump in 2025-26, posting a 2.99 GAA and a .899 SV% in 57 games. He was by no means horrible, though it was a step in the wrong direction after such a promising rookie season. Now, the question becomes whether he can get back to his dominance in 2026-27 to help justify the seven-year, $52.5 million extension he signed last September.

4. Will Connor Zary Be Traded?

Early into the offseason, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Flames were shopping Connor Zary after a second-straight disappointing season. The 24-year-old was moved around the lineup constantly in 2025-26, and wound up with a disappointing 12 goals and 25 points in 74 games.

Zary, who was selected 24th overall in 2020, showed a whole lot of promise in his rookie season back in 2023-24, though he’s struggled to get back to that level ever since. His stock has dropped considerably, to the point where it feels as though there’s a legitimate chance he could be traded before or perhaps during the 2026-27 season.

5. Who Makes NHL Debuts Late in the Season?

One of the most exciting things about where the Flames are as an organization is that, as mentioned previously, plenty of young faces will be getting opportunities this season. That doesn’t just include players that will be on the roster to kick things off, either.

With the Flames expected to be well outside the playoff picture late in the season, it could allow for several college prospects to get into a game, or perhaps multiple, should they sign their entry-level deals after their respective seasons have come to an end.

One who feels very likely is Cole Reschny, who was selected 18th overall in 2025. The 19-year-old put up 35 points in 36 games with the University of North Dakota as a freshman in 2025-26, and may be ready to turn pro after his sophomore season. The same can be said for Cullen Potter, who was selected 32nd overall in 2025.

Another name to keep an eye out for is Ethan Wyttenbach, who is already being dubbed by some as the steal of the 2025 draft after being selected 144th overall. He put up a whopping 59 points in 40 games as a freshman with Quinnipiac University and appears to have legitimate star potential.

Flames Slowly Turning the Corner

Though it may not feel like it given that they may take another step back in the standings this coming season, the Flames are moving in the right direction. They not only have some very exciting prospects, but could be adding more during the season should they trade even more veterans such as Morgan Frost and Ryan Strome.

By no means will this team be ready to compete for a Stanley Cup as soon as 2027-28, but if they can continue building to an already strong foundation, it would not come as any sort of surprise to see this team competing for a playoff spot as soon as the 2028-29 campaign.