Examining the cause of Martin Pospisil’s struggles

Calgary Flames forward Martin Pospisil is coming off a rough season. He scored only four goals in an 81-game season, failing to build off his first season in the league. Pospisil hit the “sophomore slump” after having a solid season in 2023–24. The Flames do not have Pospisil in the lineup to score, but he still needs to be given consistent opportunities to succeed. There were multiple reasons why he had a down season. Let’s take a look at how it could have gone better.

Lineup misplacement

The Flames bumped Pospisil up and down the lineup all season long. There were times when he was playing with the first line, and there were times when he was on the fourth line. This was a key factor as to why the Slovakian forward struggled last season. Players need consistent playing time on a line to build chemistry. It isn’t easy to create that chemistry when they are constantly being moved. Going into next season, head coach Ryan Huska needs to have a better idea of where Pospisil fits in the lineup.

An exceptional line for the Flames in the 2023–24 season was when Pospisil, Nazem Kadri, and Connor Zary were playing together. This line had a great blend of speed, skill, and physicality that could set the tone in important games. The experience of Kadri paired well with the young energy that Pospisil and Zary brought to the lineup. However, we rarely saw this line in the 2024–25 season. It seemed like a fantastic second line that was set for the future. Huska must not agree with this.

Pospisil is the type of player who can have a similar role as Blake Coleman. He is a middle-six forward who can skate, hit, and provide depth scoring when it is needed. Players such as Coleman, Yegor Sharangovich, and Mikael Backlund stand in the way of Pospisil because of their past. Coleman’s best years are behind him, while Sharangovich has only had one great NHL season. Backlund can be an exception because he is the captain who has been in Calgary for over 15 seasons. These veteran players take opportunities away from younger players who deserve more playing time.

Lots of bad penalties

One negative aspect of Pospisil’s game is that he takes a lot of bad penalties. This is the worst part of his game, and could be a key aspect as to why he was bumped down in the lineup. In 81 games, Pospisil recorded 84 penalty minutes. This is a high amount, considering that he was playing so low in the lineup at times. It was better than his 2023–24 season, where he put up 109 penalty minutes in only 63 games. These penalties may come from the style of game Pospisil has, but he needs to learn how to have more self-control.

During the offseason, Pospisil must focus on the mental side of the game. He is strong enough and fast enough to play in the NHL, but his mental strength needs to be improved. It was obvious when things were not going right for him that a penalty was going to occur. It seemed like there was a stretch during the season where Pospisil was in the penalty box almost every game. If he wants a better opportunity to play higher in the lineup, his discipline must be improved.

Lack of confidence

It was clear that during his scoring slump, Pospisil lacked some serious confidence. After scoring in the season opener against the Vancouver Canucks, Pospisil went goalless for 19 games. He recorded five points in the first three games of the year, then went completely scoreless for 15 games. The slump took its toll on him, as the 25-year-old never regained his confidence. There were multiple times when he needed to shoot instead of pass, and bad turnovers were made in the neutral zone. Pospisil stopped driving the play, which ultimately resulted in a down season.

The good news is that there have been other Flames to struggle with confidence and bounce back. Forward Jonathan Huberdeau struggled mightily in his first two seasons as a Calgary Flame. However, last season he had a major bounce-back year, posting a 28-goal campaign, the second highest in his career. Pospisil is not the only one who needs to bounce back next year; Sharangovich also desperately needs to have a good season. The Belarus forward fell to 17 goals last year compared to his 31 goal campaign the year before.

An early confidence boost for Pospisil is that he was named to the 2026 Slovakian men’s hockey team for the 2026 Olympics in Italy. The Slovakian forward does have some previous experience playing for his country at the 2024 IIHF World Championship and the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship. It will be interesting to see where Pospisil will line up on the team, as he will be one of the few NHLers on the roster.

Do you think Pospisil can bounce back next season?