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

The 2026-27 season may be tough in terms of wins for the Calgary Flames, but that doesn’t mean their fans don’t have anything to be happy about. The rebuilding team is set to have plenty of youth in its lineup next season, giving fans a good idea of ​​what the future holds.

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

While that trade will hurt the Flames in the short term, it could pay big dividends when it comes to making the team a contender for years to come. That being said, today we focus on this upcoming season. Here are the five biggest questions facing this team heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

1. How Bad Can Flames Get?

One of the most exciting things for Flames fans this season is that this team, at least on paper, looks pretty bad. That may not sound good, and it can make watching games difficult. What it does do, however, is make their future much more interesting.

The Flames have a great opportunity to think about and will have a chance to add to it though next year’s draft. There are plenty of good prospects available, and there’s a strong chance this team will finish dead last in the NHL. That would set them up to add another good prospect, perhaps even the first overall pick.

The Flames finished last season with just 77 points, and with the aforementioned veterans no longer on the roster, that number could drop even further in 2026-27. Nothing is ever a guarantee in professional sports, but it would be a huge shock, and possibly a disappointment, if the Flames didn’t end up with a top three pick in this upcoming draft.

2. Can Huberdeau Make a Full Recovery?

We all know Jonathan Huberdeau’s situation is dire for the Flames. The former 115-point scorer has topped 60 points at one time in his first four seasons in Cowtown. That has been the most talked about topic since his arrival because he carries a $10.5 million cap hit.

This deal could look very bad as the 33-year-old was forced to undergo hip resurfacing surgery in the spring. Aside from Patrick Kane, other NHLers who have experienced a similar process have struggled to come back and make an impact. It remains to be seen how Huberdeau will handle him.

The good news for Huberdeau and the Flames is that it sounds like he’s on the mend. He’s back in action, and it’s believed he could be ready to start the 2026-27 season. Solo skating is one thing, though. The big test will be how he manages to connect with the action of the game whenever he is given the green light to return.

3. Is Dustin Wolf returning to being Elite?

Few NHL prospects were as flashy as Dustin Wolf when he entered the NHL. The 25-year-old won the American Hockey League (AHL) goaltender of the year award twice, and was also named the league’s MVP in his second professional season.

Wolf did not disappoint in his rookie campaign, as he played in 53 games while posting a 2.64 goals against average (GAA) and a .910 save percentage (SV%). Those numbers were strong enough to finish the season as a Calder Trophy finalist, where he finished second to Montreal Canadiens defenseman 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 .899 SV% in 57 games. He wasn’t a bad guy by any means, although it was a step in the wrong direction after such a promising rookie season. Now, the question becomes whether he can return to serve in 2026-27 to help justify the seven-year, $52.5 million extension he signed last September.

4. Will Connor Zary be traded?

Earlier in the season, TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that the Flames were shopping Connor Zary after a disappointing second season. The 24-year-old has been rotating through the lineup in 2025-26, and ended up scoring 12 goals and 25 points in 74 games.

Zary, the 24th overall pick in 2020, showed a lot of promise in his first season in 2023-24, though he has struggled to return to that level since then. His stock has plummeted, to the point where it feels like there’s a legitimate chance he could be traded before or possibly during the 2026-27 season.

5. Who Makes the NHL Start Late in the Season?

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

With the Flames expected to be out of the playoff picture late in the season, it would allow several college prospects to enter the game, or perhaps more, if they could sign their entry-level deals after their seasons end.

One who feels like it’s more likely is Cole Reschny, who was selected 18th overall in 2025. The 19-year-old posted 35 points in 36 games with the University of North Dakota as a freshman in 2025-26, and could be ready for a championship 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 on is Ethan Wyttenbach, who has already been called by some as the steal of the 2025 draft after being selected 144th overall. He put up 59 points in 40 games as a freshman at Quinnipiac University and appears to have legitimate star ability.

The Flames Turn Slightly There

Although it may not sound like they could take another step back to the top this offseason, the Flames are moving in the right direction. Not only do they have exciting prospects, but they could add more during the offseason if they can trade more veterans like Morgan Frost and Ryan Strome.

There’s no way this team will be ready to contend for a Stanley Cup any time soon in 2027-28, but if they can continue to build on an already strong foundation, it wouldn’t be surprising to see this team contend for a playoff spot shortly after the 2028-29 campaign.