Matt Coronato has bison-sized expectations this season

From establishing himself as a bona fide NHL goalscorer to earning a massive contract extension, no Calgary Flame has done more to raise their expectations from last year than Matt Coronato.

Coronato, commonly referred to as “The Bison,” has improved leaps and bounds since turning pro in 2023. It’s easy to forget that he spent a chunk of last season with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, especially after he broke out with 24 goals and 47 points in 77 contests, and subsequently earned a seven-year, $45.5 million extension with the Flames.

In the span of seven months, Coronato went from a “Let’s see what we have in this kid” kinda guy to one of Calgary’s premier forwards. The question is, where does he go next?

Let’s dive into some reasonable expectations for Coronato this season.

Exceeds expectations: Coronato scores 35+ goals

Scoring 35 goals in the NHL means you are in the top percentile amongst goal scorers, and it may be a lofty expectation for a player with just 112 career games under his belt. But I’m not just getting your hopes up, and I’ll tell you why this mark is totally attainable for Coronato.

Coronato’s development has been remarkable throughout his career. He burst onto the scene in the USHL as a 16-year-old when he posted 40 points in 45 games, and more than doubled that total the following season in his draft year.

After being selected by the Flames in 2021, he moved on to NCAA hockey, playing for Harvard, where he hit the ground running yet again. He had back-to-back point-per-game seasons with the Crimson and scored 38 goals in 68 career games.

After college, he quickly proved he was too good for the AHL, and ended up splitting his first pro season between the Wranglers and Flames.

Given that Coronato has taken massive leap after massive leap throughout his career, is it not reasonable to expect him to do it again? Even his coach believes he can eclipse the 35-goal mark this season, “I do think Matt will be anywhere from a 25 to 40-goal guy,” said Ryan Huska during training camp.

Meets expectations: Coronato scores 25-35 goals and remains a solid two-way player

I think the most reasonable expectation for Coronato is that he improves marginally in the goal-scoring category and continues to contribute away from the puck for a second straight season.

The unsung part of the bison’s game is his tenacious checking; he never seems to run out of energy and is constantly applying pressure to opposing players with the puck. Despite his smaller frame at 5’10”, 183 pounds, Coronato is really good at using his physicality to win puck battles, so although he’s considered a goal-scorer, his game is hardly one-dimensional.

It would be really encouraging to see the New York native prove that last season was no fluke by continuing to serve as one of Calgary’s go-to goal scorers, as well as have a multi-faceted impact, as he did in 2024-25.

Below expectations: Scores fewer goals than last season

Coronato is in such a good place as a 22-year-old that a meager 20-goal season would serve as a disappointment, despite the fact that only three Flames eclipsed that total in 2024-25: Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Coronato.

But after seeing a meteoric rise in his first full NHL campaign, the bison has his work cut out for him, and he needs to be just as effective, if not more, for Calgary to stand a chance in 2025-26.

Though a step back in goals would be a disappointing result, it would by no means be overly concerning, as Coronato remains in the infancy of his career.

All of that being said, with a big contract comes big expectations, and Coronato is getting a huge raise this year, going from his entry-level deal worth less than a million annually to $6.5 million AAV for the next seven years.