Positive takeaways from the Calgary Flames this season

As the regular season winds down, now is the perfect time to look at the positives from the Calgary Flames season. There was some uncertainty going into this season, and a lot of people doubted this team’s abilities. The Flames have proved most people wrong and are battling for a playoff spot. It should be an exciting end to the regular season.

Here are some of the best stories of the Calgary Flames season.

Jonathan Huberdeau is finally producing

It is no secret that Jonathan Huberdeau’s first couple of seasons in Calgary were rough. The forward had a massive falloff, going from a 115-point season down to a 55-point season. Jonathan Huberdeau received a ton of criticism over the past two years. Fans made it clear that they thought he had lost his superstar talent. Although he may not be a point-per-game player, the 2024–25 season has been a fantastic one for Huberdeau.

He currently leads the Calgary Flames with 55 points in 69 games played and is on pace to score over 30 goals this season. This would make it his best goal-scoring season in the NHL. He deserves all the credit he can get.

Huberdeau struggled mightily in his early days with the Flames but has turned himself into a new player. He plays more like a power forward rather than a playmaker. This has worked out extremely well, as Huberdeau has begun scoring more around the net, providing the team with much-needed goal-scoring.

During this recent playoff push, Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri have been driving the Flames offence. Over the past few games, Huberdeau has been on fire. He has five points in his last two games and five goals over his last six games. Meanwhile, Kadri has three goals in three games, including an overtime winner against the New York Islanders.

The first line of Huberdeau, Kadri, and Matt Coronato has been a pleasure to watch. Each player compliments the others, bringing the best out of all three of them. Coronato has been playing the best hockey of his career, hitting the 20-goal mark for the first time.

Dustin Wolf could win the Calder Trophy

Arguably, the biggest story from the Calgary Flames this season has been the performance of Dustin Wolf. He has been lights out, being the number one reason why the Flames are in a playoff race. The goalie holds a positive record of 23–14–5 while putting up a 0.911 save percentage. Wolf had strong seasons in the AHL beforehand, making it awesome to see how much he has progressed at the NHL level.

As the Flames enter the home stretch of the season, Wolf will have lots to prove. The Calder Trophy rankings will be finalized in the last few weeks, and Wolf has some serious competition. Lane Hutson and Macklin Celebrini have also had phenomenal rookie campaigns. Hutson will hit the 50-assist mark as a 21-year-old defenceman, and Celebrini is nearly a point per game on an awful San Jose Sharks team.

Wolf will have his work cut out for him as he is the oldest of the three candidates. Either way, his performance at such a young age in hockey’s most difficult position speaks loudly for itself.

Elliotte Friedman stated on Sportsnet that “If Calgary gets in [to the playoffs], Wolf is the rookie of the year.” This proves that hockey’s best insider believes that if the Flames make the playoffs, Wolf is the favourite, hands down.

The Flames are playing meaningful games

After a disappointing season last year, the Flames are playing meaningful hockey games this year. Not many people had the Flames to be in a playoff push, but here they are. The team has struggled to score goals, which has put lots of pressure on goaltending. Wolf and Dan Vladar have been able to lock it down, giving the Flames a chance to win every night.

The defensive core has been a pleasant surprise as well. Kevin Bahl, Joel Hanley, and MacKenzie Weegar have had exceptional seasons. Relying on goaltending and defence is how the Flames are still in a playoff hunt.

The offence has been awful this season, putting the Flames near the bottom of the NHL in goals scored. Take into account that the offence has been bad with Huberdeau producing. Without Huberdeau and Kadri, the offence would be the worst in the NHL. Secondary scoring has been tough to come by this year for the Flames.

Looking at the final stretch of games, the Flames will have some tough matchups. They have a three-game stretch against the Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, and Colorado Avalanche to end the month. In April, the schedule eases a little bit, having two games each against the Anaheim Ducks and San Jose Sharks.

Important matchups in April will be against the Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings. These games could help form the end-of-the-year standings in the Pacific Division.

Which of these positive stories is your favourite?