Poirier started the 2023-24 season playing the best hockey of his pro career. He produced seven points in his first three games of the season putting up one goal and six assists. Unfortunately, Poirier suffered a severe laceration to his right arm on Oct. 21 in a game against the Abbotsford Canucks. This injury kept him out of the Wranglers lineup for over five months. I have no doubt that Poirier would have been called up to play for the Flames in early November along with Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil. That’s how well he was playing at the time he suffered his injury.

Poirier returned to the Wranglers lineup on Mar. 3, 2024. He wasn’t able to get back to the same level he was at prior to his injury. In his final 19 games of the season he was only able to put up six points. But you have to give him all the credit in the world for his work rehabbing his arm laceration and getting himself back into the Wrangler lineup. It shows a level of commitment, resilience, and dedication just to get himself back into the lineup after such a serious injury.

FlamesNation’s Calgary Wranglers guru, Paige Siewert, gives her thoughts on Poirier’s game and what she expects to see from him in the 2024-25 season.

“Jeremie Poirier was on fire to start last season. Unfortunately circumstances around a string of injuries including his gruesome skate laceration put him out of offseason training, training camp and the majority of the Wranglers season. When he is healthy, Poirier is definition offensive defenceman and is incredibly effective in that role. There are some situations he can clean up in the D-zone that leave him a bit exposed at times but he is quick and has a good enough shot that can give the forwards a run for their money. I expect a big bounce back year for Poirier after a mentally and physically challenging year. This kid is going to be stoked to be back on the ice. If you’re also a betting person, he has scored the first Wranglers goal in back to back seasons and goes for the three-peat this year.”

Expectations for 2024-25

Things have changed quite a bit around Poirier since the start of last season. All of the sudden, he’s gone from being the best defensive prospect in the Flames system, to now being in the middle among a deep group of defencemen in the AHL and junior level.

Poirier is now competing for ice time with the likes of Hunter Brzustewicz, Artem Grushnikov, Ilya Solovyov, and Yan Kuznetsov in the AHL. And the Flames also have Zayne Parekh and Henry Mews in the junior ranks who will push for NHL ice time in the near future.

This is a critical year of development for Poirier. He needs to get himself back in the conversation of being the next call up to the NHL when the opportunity arises. He clearly has the talent and skill to do it. But will he be able to overcome the effects of his injury and the lost ice time from last season?

Poirier can become an NHL player this season f he can get back to playing the way he was at the beginning of his 2023-24 campaign. The Calgary Flames are in need of some skill and puck moving defencemen on the NHL roster. It’s now up to Poirier to seize that opportunity because time is running out to prove himself as a full time NHLer with all the depth on the blueline in the Flames prospect system.