After day one of training camp, the Calgary Flames’ lines are starting to take shape

Very little should surprise you about these lines. Newly signed Matt Coronato played some of his best hockey on the team’s top line last season and made both Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau look better.

There needed to be someone on the wing with Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman, and Connor Zary is the man who makes the most sense. While the Flames spent years turning him into a centre in the AHL, it seems as though they prefer him on the wing in this lineup.

The third line makes sense given their performance last season, with the only question mark being on the fourth line. Newly extended Martin Pospisil was always going to make this lineup, along with Ryan Lomberg. Expect some rotation between Adam Klapka and the other guys looking for an NHL spot, but realistically, it is his job to lose.

Calgary Flames defence pairings

The Flames have more question marks on the blueline, with NHL players on all but one of their pairings. Here’s how it breaks down:

This is curious. The top two pairings seem to make the most sense, with Mackenzie Weegar playing good hockey with Joel Hanley last season.

However, then you have a hodgepodge of blueliners, with the most likely third pairing being Zayne Parekh with Jake Bean, but that would leave Brayden Pachal as the seventh defenceman. Odds are you have some combination of Pachal, Parekh, Bean, and Miromanov taking up your last pairing and extra defenceman, with the extra blueliner being sent down.

Putting it together, I would imagine the Flames’ blueline on opening up breaks down as follows:

This would send Daniil Miromanov down to the AHL, assuming he clears waivers. While anything can happen between now and opening night, this structure makes the most sense. The Flames keep Parekh in the NHL for the time being and allow him to acclimate to the faster speed in a low-risk environment. Weegar and Hanley play as the second pairing, and you have Bahl and Andersson as the top group until the Flames invariably move the Swedish defenceman.

In net, the Flames will almost certainly start with Dustin Wolf and Ivan Prosvetov, with Devin Cooley heading down to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. No major surprises there. Barring a monumental collapse by Prosvetov, this would make the most sense.

What to watch for on opening night?

While this is the lineup that the coaches have likely pencilled in for opening night, it is far from set and far from where the team ends the year. Every team in the league juggles their lines as the season goes on, and don’t be surprised to see a revolving door of players getting short and long looks at the NHL this season. Hunter Brzustewicz, Yan Kuznetsov, and Ilya Solovyov all likely earn a few NHL games on the blueline.

Up front, expect Rory Kerins, Matvei Gridin, Sam Honzek, Justin Kirkland, and William Stromgren to all get chances to prove that they are NHLers. There is a lot to watch for this season in Calgary, as the team tries to get younger and faster as part of their re-tool, but with training camp getting underway, there will be lots of storylines coming out as players try to force their way into the opening night lineup. Lots to keep an eye on.