10 Flames predictions for the 2025-26 season

Making predictions about the Calgary Flames is not an easy task.

When you think they’re going to struggle, they succeed. When you think they’re going to succeed, they struggle. I don’t know what it is about this organization but they are difficult to get a read on.

This season is no different. The range out outcomes for this team is vast to say the least. I could see them being a 100 point team an making the playoffs. I could also wee a world where things don’t go their way and they’re in the draft lottery conversation. This season is going to be fascinating to follow because of that.

Here are 10 2025-26 predictions for this fickle Flames team.

Dustin Wolf will lead NHL goalies in games played

I don’t think it’s crazy to expect Dustin Wolf to start 65+ games this season. There are a couple reasons for this.

Firstly, the backup goalie situation is looking uncertain coming out of training camp. Devin Cooley never looked comfortable and put up an 0.846 save percentage and a 4.08 goals against average (per Natural Stat Trick). And Ivan Prosvetov didn’t look much better. Can the Flames trust either guy to start 20+ games in a season where the margin for error is slim to none?

On top of that Dustin Wolf is the best and most valuable player on the Flames. If they want to make the playoffs, Wolf is going to have to be on the ice for as many games as possible. We saw that last season when Wolf was responsible for 5.2 wins above replacement and saving 18.32 goals saved above expected.

Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy led the NHL in games played last season with 63 each. If the Flames are in the hunt for a playoff spot, you can almost guarantee Wolf will see more action than that.

Rasmus Andersson will be traded to the Dallas Stars

It is almost a foregone conclusion that Rasmus Andersson will be dealt at some point this season. There are a lot of teams that could use the top four right shot defenceman. But the team that is the best fit for Andersson is the Dallas Stars.

Dallas needs to win now. And the weakness of their roster is the right side of their defence. Andersson is a near perfect fit both on the ice and with his salary off the ice. The Stars could easily find a way to fit his $4.55 million cap hit. Especially if the Flames eat a chunk of that.

The Stars also have the assets to make a deal work. They have first, second, and third round picks for the next two drafts. They also have young NHL players in Lian Bushel and Mavrik Bourque that could pique Craig Conroy’s interest.

I see a deal going down closer to the deadline. Keeping Andersson in Calgary until March keeps the Flames competitive this season. It also allows Dallas to accrue cap space throughout the year.

Zayne Parekh will take off in the second half of the season

It’s going to take Zayne Parekh some time to get used to the NHL game. He is going to go from playing 17-20 year olds to the best players on the planet. That is a massive jump for a 19 year old.

I see Parekh having a similar trajectory as Johnny Gaudreau in his rookie season. Johnny had his moments in the first 10 weeks of the season. But he really took off after recording a hat trick on Dec. 23 against the LA Kings.

Parekh might follow the same timeline. It might take him three months to really hit his stride. But he does, he is going to become a difference maker. He will quarterback the first power play unit in January. And he will take on a bigger role at 5-on-5 when Andersson is traded.

Morgan Frost will exceed 50 points

Morgan Frost is going to have every opportunity to set a career high in points this season. He is going to play in the middle six at 5-on-5. But where he has a chance to clean up is on the power play and in overtime.

The talented centre is going to be a facilitator on the power play entering the zone and when the Flames get set up in their formation.

He’s also going to get a lot of ice time in 3-on-3 overtime. Those are two areas where he should have a lot of success.

The key is going to be consistency. We all know how skilled Frost is. But he needs to bring that skill set to the table on a nightly basis.

Nazem Kadri will lead the Flames in points

This is not a bold prediction. But I think it’s a smart one. Kadri is still the best forward on the Calgary Flames even at the age of 35. Kadri does not look like he is slowing down anytime soon.

He put up a career high 35 goals last season and is 40th in the NHL in points over the last two seasons. He is 8th in the NHL in shots on goal over the last two seasons as well.

Ryan Huska is going to rely on Kadri to be the go to forward in every scoring situation. His aggressive, shot first mentality is going to pay off once again when he puts up 60+ points and leads the Flames in scoring.

MacKenzie Weegar will make Team Canada

How cool would this be for the Flames and their fans? We heard that Weegar was being seriously considered to make Team Canada at the Four Nations Faceoff last season. So how can he go from not making Canada last year to making it this year?

The thing that hurt him last year was that he didn’t get off to a great start.

That should change this season. Weegar injured his foot in November 2024 which really effected his play last season. This season he will hopefully be healthy. He is playing with Joel Hanley instead of Daniil Miromanov. And he is going to be quarterbacking the Flames’ top power play unit.

A good start to this season, his leadership, character, versatility on the ice, and commitment to Hockey Canada via the World Championships will all be reasons why he will be in Italy this February.

Dustin Wolf keeps the Flames in the playoff mix

I see the Flames having very similar results as last season. They are going to struggle to score goals and ultimately it is going to come down to Dustin Wolf to keep them in games.

Replicating 96 points might be asking a lot of this group. But they are going to be in the playoff conversation thanks to Dustin Wolf having an elite season. He alone will seep the Flames out of the basement of the NHL standings.

The Flames will finish bottom five in goals scored

The Flames finished last season with 220 goals scored which was good for 29th in the NHL. That number is actually a little generous. The Flames were tied for last in goals scored with the Anaheim Ducks in their first 60 games. They didn’t start scoring goals until the last 22 games when they were 18th in the league.

They couldn’t score goals last season and the only change to their lineup is adding a 19 year old defenceman. It makes me think they are going to have issues scoring goals again.

Flames fans are hoping guys like Zary, Sharangovich, Farabee, Frost, and Kalpka can produce more this season. Only time will tell if that happens or not.

The Flames will make two trades this season

I already talked about Rasmus Andersson being dealt to the Dallas Stars.

But I think there is going to be one more trade this season. But I don’t know what kind of deal it’s going to be.

I could see Conroy trading for a backup goalie if things don’t work out with Cooley and Prosvetov.

Conroy might add again like he did last season when he brought Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost to town.

Or he could sell a veteran player like Joel Hanley, Braden Pachal, Blake Coleman or Joel Farabee.

Connor Zary isn’t able to take a step forward

This is a prediction that I hope doesn’t come true. Connor Zary is hoping to take the next step in his career and become a 50 point player. He has the skill, hands and vision to do so. But there are a couple things that concern me with his game.

He doesn’t have a role on this team right now. He is among a group of wingers that is being placed all over the Flames lineup. Adam Klapka, Yegor Sharangovich, Joel Farabee, Martin Pospisil and Zary are all in the same boat. Not having a defined role or spot in the lineup is going to affect Zary in a negative way.

In the second half of the season and this preseason I noticed Zary’s skating was not at the level it needed to be at. He looked a step behind the play. It’s hard to be a productive player if you’re not able to keep up.

Hopefully Zary can become a go to player for the Flames. He is a great person and a future leader on this team. I just don’t know if this is going to be the year where we see him break out.