Handing out Calgary Flames 2025-26 midseason awards

As we are now officially past the midway mark of the Calgary Flames’ 2025-26 season, it’s time to hand out some midseason Calgary Flames awards. As always in Calgary, this season has been quite the wild ride as the Flames went from calling themselves a playoff team to the bottom of the NHL standings in quite a hurry.

So far through the first half of the season, there’ve been some standout players both in good and bad ways. I’ll be handing out Flames awards for MVP, Best Defenseman, Biggest Disappointment, and Breakout Player.

MVP – Nazem Kadri

Runner up: Blake Coleman

This was the hardest of the Flames’ awards to hand out, simply because no one has been a true MVP for this team. On a team that has been absolutely horrific offensively, 35-year-old Nazem Kadri has been one of the lone bright spots. The veteran centre is currently the only Flame with over 30 points on the season. At his current pace, he’s projected to get around 57 points this season, no small feat on the team that ranks 31st in the NHL for goals per game.

To put Kadri’s performance in context, no other Flames forward is on track even to hit the 50-point threshold this season. Even through his recent slump, he still leads the Flames in assists, points, power-play points, and shots through 46 games.

Who knows where the Flames’ offence would be without him right now? As a runner-up pick, I took Blake Coleman. The fellow veteran forward is also having a strong season, ranking first on the Flames in goals.

Best defenceman – Rasmus Andersson

Runner up: Kevin Bahl

Playing on an expiring contract, Rasmus Andersson is having arguably the best season of his entire career in 2025-26. The 29 year old is currently second on the Flames in scoring with 29 points, trailing only Nazem Kadri. The next closest Flames defenceman has just 16 points.

At his current pace, he’s on track to hit 52 points, which would represent a new career high. He’s also second on the Flames in assists, fourth for goals, and leading the team in average ice time at over 24 minutes per game. Andersson has carried an otherwise weak Flames defence group this season. As a runner-up, I chose Kevin Bahl, who is quietly having a very strong defensive season.

Breakout player – Yan Kuznetsov

Runner up: Devin Cooley

Who would’ve guessed that of all the prospects in the Flames system, Yan Kuznetsov would be the one playing regular NHL minutes in January. The 2020 2nd round pick had kind of fallen off the radar in recent seasons due to all the shiny new toys in the Flames system. And yet here we are halfway through the 2025-26 season and Kuznetsov is the only regular rookie on the Flames roster.

Kuznetsov has done a great job at earning the trust of head coach Ryan Huska, which is no small feat for a U24 player. Averaging over 20 minutes a night, Kuznetsov has been exactly what the Flames’ defence group needed as a big, heavy left-shot defender. Once considered an AHL lifer, Kuznetsov now looks like a potential big piece of the Flames’ blueline now and in the future.

As a runner-up, I went with journeyman Devin Cooley. The veteran goalie has gone from an NHL tweener to one of the best backups in the NHL this season.

Biggest disappointment – Connor Zary

Runner up: Yegor Sharangovich, Johnathan Huberdeau

In a season like this, there were several options to pick from. Ultimately, I chose the player who had the highest expectations entering the season. Connor Zary looked poised for a breakout season in 2025-26 following his new contract and fresh bill of health. Unfortunately, it’s been a nightmare season for Zary, who currently sits with just 17 points in 44 games. That total ranks 10th on the Flames. For a player who once looked like he had 60+ point potential, Zary is on track for just 32 points in his third NHL season.

At runner-up, I went with both Yegor Sharangovich and Johnathan Huberdeau. Sharangovich is kicking off his big five-year extension, but has been dreadful for the second year in a row. Playing at a 31-point pace, Sharangovich is quickly becoming one of the worst signings in Flames history.

Huberdeau meanwhile is in the running for this award every season it seems. The veteran is having his worst season yet as a Flame, playing at a 42 point pace while making $10.5 million a season.

The early frontrunners

When the Flames are sitting third last in the NHL, handing out awards isn’t an easy feat. At the halfway mark of the 2025-26 season, there have been some clear standout performances in Calgary for good and bad reasons. With that said, the season still has three months left to surprise us, and it’ll be interesting to see who claims these awards at season’s end.