Flames News & Rumours: Wolf, Backlund, Pospisil & More

“It’s pretty incredible,” head coach Ryan Huska said when discussing the fact that it was Wolf’s first time being pulled. “When you look at the body of work that he’s put in all year long, he’s been very very consistent. For a young goaltender, that’s something that you have to tip your hat to, because it doesn’t happen all that often. He’s done a great job, and by no means was this on him tonight in that situation.”

Backlund Set to Miss Crucial Stretch

Mikael Backlund may no longer be the same calibre of player he was during the prime of his career, but he’s still a very important member of the Flames. Not only does he still provide solid two-way ability, but he kills penalties and most importantly serves as the leader for this group. That made losing him on Saturday versus the Vancouver Canucks quite difficult.

The Flames have since announced that Backlund is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. It’s a crucial loss given that they are in the stretch drive for a playoff spot, and he’s one of few natural centres that the Flames have on their roster. The 36-year-old has managed 11 goals and 24 points through 64 outings this season.

Pospisil Picking up His Play

After a recall early into the 2023-24 season, Martin Pospisil proved to the Flames organization he had what it took to be an every day NHLer. He plays a fearless style, as he dishes out hits with the best of them and isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. He also added some secondary scoring with eight goals and 24 points in his 63 games.

Though the point totals are similar for Pospisil in 2024-25 with four goals and 22 points through 66 outings, he’s been far less effective. When at his best, the 25-year-old is getting in on the forecheck and creating chances offensively thanks to his great speed. That hasn’t been on display a ton this season, though he has shown signs of turning it around recently.

“Marty’s the speed guy right? Every line we put him on, he really knows who he is. I feel like after the break he’s been at his best for us this year,” Huska said. “Every night he’s been moving his feet, hard on the forecheck, but he’s back to making some plays again. I feel like he’s got a lot more confidence with the puck, and I think that’s rubbing off on some of the people he’s been playing with.”

Flames Recall Hunt

The Flames were in need of a body following Backlund’s injury and Connor Zary’s suspension, and they chose to go with Dryden Hunt. The 29-year-old has excelled for the Calgary Wranglers this season, scoring 15 goals and 48 points through 48 games.

Hunt has plenty of NHL experiences with 233 games logged in his career. He’s suited up for two with the Flames in his latest recall, and was able to register an assist in last night’s loss to the Maple Leafs. How much longer he’ll remain on the roster with Zary set to return tonight versus the New York Rangers is yet to be determined.

Looking Ahead for the Flames

As mentioned, the Flames will be in action against the Rangers tonight in the first game of a three-game road trip. It’s a massive outing as they currently trail the Vancouver Canucks by two points for the final Western Conference wild-card position. The Flames will have two more games to close out the week, the first being Thursday against the New Jersey Devils and the second being Saturday against the New York Islanders before returning back home.