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Daniil Miromanov, Calgary Flames (Photo by Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images)

Flames Made Mistake Keeping Miromanov Over Solovyov

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Rupert McDonald | Last updated Oct 17, 2025 1:20 PM ET

The Calgary Flames have had a long-lasting reputation of going with veteran players rather than giving an opportunity to some of their younger talent in the pipeline. It’s a move that can make sense depending on the position of the team, but for a retooling team like the Flames, many believe it makes little sense.

Nonetheless, they continued that trend this season. Not only did they cut players like Rory Kerins and Yan Kuznetsov, but they also lost defenceman Ilya Solovyov on waivers. While Solovyov isn’t and will never become a gamebreaker, he did seem to have NHL potential but was never given much of an opportunity. In four seasons with the Flames organization, he suited up for just 15 NHL games.

Now, Solovyov is a member of the Colorado Avalanche, who he’s suited up for three games with. The fact that he has been good enough to play, albeit in a limited role, with a much better Avs team, goes to show that Flames management and coaching staff made a mistake by not giving him an opportunity on their roster to begin the 2025-26 season.

Miromanov Needed to Be Waived

While losing Solovyov on waivers is disappointing, it would have been understandable if the Flames simply had better options on the back end. What makes it so frustrating is that there is at least one defenceman who remains on the Flames roster that isn’t as good of a player as Solovyov.

Daniil Miromanov, who the Flames picked up from the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade during the 2023-24 season, performed reasonably well in 20 games after the trade to close out the campaign and was rewarded with a two-year, $2.5 million extension. Both the organization and fan base hoped that his seven points through those 20 games was a sign of things to come for the defenceman who showed plenty of offensive abilities during his time in the American Hockey League.

That quickly turned out not to be the case, as Miromanov didn’t provide much of anything in 2024-25. He was healthy scratched with regularity, suiting up for just 44 of 82 games. In the games he did play, he mustered just two goals and nine points, while looking completely overwhelmed defensively.

Based on his struggles in 2024-25, few, if any, expected Miromanov to crack the Flames roster this season. After all, he’s 28 years old, suggesting he doesn’t have a lot more room for growth in his game. Had he hit the waiver wire, he was very unlikely to get scooped up, though even if he had, you wouldn’t have found fans complaining.

Instead of waiving Miromanov, however, the Flames elected to keep him on their opening-night roster over the likes of Solovyov. To no surprise, the right-shot defenceman sat as a healthy scratch through the Flames’ first three games of the 2025-26 season. When he finally got the call on Tuesday night versus the Vegas Golden Knights, it went exactly how many expected.

Miromanov had a rough showing against the Golden Knights, particularly in the third period when he was walked by Jack Eichel, who went in alone to score what wound up being the game-winning goal. To no surprise, he was a healthy scratch once again the following night against the Utah Mammoth, and may not be back in the lineup for some time, if at all.

Miromanov Could Be Gone Soon

Due in large part to that ugly showing on Tuesday, Miromanov could be placed on waivers in the very-near future. With Jonathan Huberdeau expected back in the lineup on Saturday, the Flames will need to demote someone from their current roster. They could wind up going with a waiver-exempt option in Matvei Gridin or Sam Honzek, though that would be the wrong decision based on how the two youngsters have played thus far.

Should Miromanov continue to remain on the roster once Huberdeau returns, he could once again be at risk of being placed on waivers once Martin Pospisil returns to the lineup. It’s unclear as to when that will be given that he hasn’t started skating since suffering an injury in the preseason, but either way, it feels like only a matter of time before Miromanov hits the waiver wire. It truly makes you wonder why the Flames didn’t cut bait with him in training camp for a younger and better option in Solovyov.