Biggest Calgary Flames headlines to watch for this offseason

All signs point to a quiet offseason for Craig Conroy and the Calgary Flames. Conroy has some decisions to make when it comes to his goaltending tandem and Rasmus Andersson’s future, but it’s expected to be business as usual. There is plenty of time between now and free agency opening. What headlines can we expect to see this summer?

Will Rasmus Andersson be traded? 

It’s the million-dollar question. It’s the question everyone wants answers to. What does Rasmus Andersson’s future with the Flames look like? The defenceman is eligible for an extension on July 1 but was vocal about the uncertainty of his future. When asked about it at locker clean-out day, he said the decision “has to make sense for both sides.” 

Andersson had a career-worst year at minus-38. He averaged just under 24 minutes a night—23:59—and took on a new partner, Kevin Bahl.

Bahl saw a shift in responsibility as well. He went from playing about 17 minutes a night with the New Jersey Devils to 21 with Calgary. Bahl was getting acclimated to a new team and level of defensive responsibility. Andersson may have done some heavy lifting while they settled in, but at some point, one would expect that to level off. Unfortunately, the struggles were consistent over the season, causing concern. Knowing that Craig Conroy had expressed interest in signing the 28-year-old to a long-term deal. 

Previous reports say that Andersson and his camp are using Washington Capitals defenceman Jacob Chychrun’s recent eight-year contract worth $9M AAV as a comparable. The Flames are in a different ballpark, looking at Neal Pionk’s recent six-year, $7M AAV deal. Pat Steinberg does not believe the two will bridge that gap ahead of July 1. 

Another fork in the road

The Flames are at the fork in the road where they’ve found themselves many times: “Do we trade the loyal homegrown player or do right by them even if it’s a detriment?” 

It does not make sense for the Flames to extend the defenceman while they have a logjam in their own prospect pool. The goal is to get younger and faster. You have to make tough decisions along the way. Andersson would likely bring you a haul similar to the Elias Lindholm trade. 

• A roster player
• High-end and mid-level prospects
• A first-round pick as well as a conditional pick

If the Flames are serious about becoming contenders, they have to take the opportunity to stash further draft capital as well as roster players. Trading Rasmus Andersson brings them another step closer to contending.

Dustin Wolf extension 

Dustin Wolf is eligible for an extension on July 1. Wolf had a seamless transition to the NHL starter role with a 0.910 save percentage and 11.9 goals saved above expected through 53 games. Signing Wolf long-term is the optimal goal. Wolf’s pedigree and immediate NHL success are attractive and make the Flames’ future look a whole lot brighter. 

Wolf is under no obligation to engage in contract discussions this summer. Some players just want to focus on the season at hand and ride out their current deal. Each situation is different, and management has to respect those wishes. Wolf will be a restricted free agent at the end of the 2025–26 season. 

What does a Wolf extension look like? To start, Wolf has only played 71 NHL games. That’s a very small sample size, and it could be a very risky move to put all of your eggs in one basket.