Handicapping Flames camp battles ahead of 2025’s training camp

The Calgary Flames have 46 players on NHL contracts for the 2025-26 season, and all are going to be attending training camp.

In theory, all 46 of these players have a chance at starting the season with the big club. Of course, we live in reality, not theory, and so not everyone has the same shot at NHL glory this season.

Here’s our pre-camp rundown of which players have good chances and which are more long-shots to break camp with the Flames.

The NHL locks

G Dustin Wolf, D Kevin Bahl, D MacKenzie Weegar, D Joel Hanley, D Rasmus Andersson, D Brayden Pachal, F Jonathan Huberdeau, F Nazem Kadri, F Matt Coronato, F Joel Farabee, F Morgan Frost, F Martin Pospisil, F Connor Zary, F Yegor Sharangovich, F Mikael Backlund, F Blake Coleman and F Ryan Lomberg

Alright, let’s unpack this: Wolf was quietly one of the NHL’s better goalies in 2024-25. Weegar, Bahl, Hanley and Andersson were top four defenders in 2024-25, while Pachal was a regular penalty-killer. The 11 forwards listed are, well, the Flames’ 11 best forwards.

So that’s 17 of the 23 roster spots spoken for, leaving a spot for a goalie, two (or three) defencemen and three (or two) forwards.

On the bubble

G Ivan Prosvetov, G Devin Cooley, D Zayne Parekh, D Jake Bean, D Daniil Miromanov, D Ilya Solovyov, D Yan Kuznetsov, D Hunter Brzustewicz, F Justin Kirkland, F Adam Klapka, F Sam Morton, F Dryden Hunt and F Rory Kerins

This is where the action is! Six of these guys will probably start the season in the NHL. Two of the spots probably go to Zayne Parekh and one of the two goalies (Ivan Prosvetov or Devin Cooley). And then… chaos!

If Parekh makes the main roster, that gives the Flames six defenders, including four right shots. Sure, we’ve seen Weegar play the left extensively (and Pachal occasionally), but that probably gives a lefty the inside track on the seventh spot… right? And we’re reasonably sure that the Flames will carrying “only” seven defenders – one extra above the six they dress every game – but we thought that last year, too, and they carried eight blueliners for most of the season.

The Flames are lean on centres, so we’re thinking that Kirkland, Morton and (perhaps) Kerins have decent shots at roster spots. However, Klapka and Hunt have both spent time on the NHL roster in the past couple of seasons and they’ve shown to be really useful wingers that can be put anywhere in the lineup, so we would argue that they could be good contenders to make the roster as extras.

The dark horses

F William Strömgren, F Sam Honzek, F Carter King and F Aydar Suniev

Strömgren is an experienced young pro now, with only consistency challenges keeping him out of the NHL. Honzek made the team out of camp last fall and seems to be in even better shape this year. King impressed in college and in his brief AHL appearance in the spring. And Suniev also impressed in college and showed well in his NHL debut in Game 82.

Other players may be better-positioned to make the NHL roster, but one or more of these four could surprise.

Likely AHL-bound

G Owen Say, G Arsenii Sergeev, D Etienne Morin, D Nick Cicek, D Artem Grushnikov, D Jeremie Poirier, F Andrew Basha, F Matvei Gridin, F Clark Bishop, F Parker Bell and F Lucas Ciona

The numbers game dictates that not everyone has a realistic shot at the NHL roster. Several of these guys (Morin, Basha and Gridin especially) are really high-regarded prospects… but they’re first-year pros who could use AHL seasoning.

Back to the OHL

F Jacob Battaglia

Battaglia is only eligible to play in the NHL or OHL this season due to his age. There’s just too many forwards ahead of him to play in the NHL this season.