FN’s 2026 Flames summer prospect rankings – HM: William Stromgren

In his three game stretch, he started around eight minutes of ice time, then was down to just under six and a half minutes by the last appearance. He had between 10-12 shifts in these games. Stromgren’s confidence comes from his passing and space to make plays. Both of these opportunities were limited in the NHL. It’s tough to make that immediate impact while you’re trying to catch up to the speed of play while also trying to generate some chemistry with your linemates, so the pressure was really on for him in this showing. 

Stromgren rejoined the Wranglers after this stint and had a bit of a slump. It was coincidentally one of the toughest parts of the season for the Flames’ AHL affiliate and he was left off the scoresheet for over a month. On Feb. 7, William broke the slump and went on to have an 11 point run over an eight game stretch. Stromgren’s overall performance last season was quite similar to the season before, with 47 points in 66 games broken down by 11 goals and 36 assists. He was second in team assists, just under Dryden Hunt. 

FlamesNation’s managing editor, Ryan Pike, shared some thoughts on Stromgren from his viewings last season and beyond. Pike said, 

“On paper, William Stromgren is a really exciting player. He’s got size. He’s got skill. He’s played at big international events. He’s played pro hockey in two very high-end leagues, in the SHL and AHL. The challenge for him so far in the Flames system has been putting all of his tools together at once. He’s shown flashes of brilliance at times, but he just needs the consistency to put it all together.”

Expectations for the 2026-27 season 

The organization still sees the potential in William Stromgren and that goes a long way. The decision to extend him for another year while they cleaned house of the majority of the rest of the players on the Wranglers shows their confidence in him. Right as free agency opened, Stromgren was secured on a one year, two-way contract. 

This will be a very important fall for the Swedish winger. He is no longer waiver exempt and will likely be one of the players they try to hide in the first waiver assignment of the season post-training camp. Stromgren got that little taste of being an NHL player and hopefully that motivated him to take things to another level this summer. He is going to have to be good fast in a shortened preseason and has an uphill battle to try and crack an opening night roster.

If he does not, he still seems to be in that type of player pool where most teams have guys like him kicking around. He would probably clear waivers in the fall and spend most of the season in the AHL. He’d need to set himself apart from the new guys on the team and continue to be one of their best set-up guys on the ice. I’d also like to see him take more chances on the ice. He’s gotten much better at protecting the puck and making space for himself, and shows sparks of highlight reel stick-handling and shot attempts. He needs to find more ways to dance around his opponents and establish an identity he can carry with him to the NHL. Stromgren should be shooting for a longer look in the NHL and if he is really to grab that by the reins, he could see between 10-20 games this season if not more if he really surprises.