What went wrong with the 2024–25 Calgary Flames?

© Brett Holmes | 2025 Apr 5

Flames’ style does not work in today’s game 

The Flames have such a unique way of making you frustrated. The dump-and-chase type of hockey and trap defence over and over again is enough to drive anyone crazy. With no elite scoring on your roster, you are going to have to get creative. Ryan Huska’s tactics were not that different from Darryl Sutter’s. Any shot works regardless if it’s a quality shot or not. 

That style of hockey does not win hockey games in today’s game. You have to have sharpshooters and playmakers to consistently make things happen. Part of the Flames’ plan during the rebuild was to replenish their stock. They lost two elite franchise players in the same offseason.

The Flames are three years removed from Johnny Gaudreau going to the Columbus Blue Jackets and Matthew Tkachuk’s trade to the Florida Panthers. You would expect them to be making more progress in that aspect. It takes time. However, how long will it take to get a sniff of that? 

Rasmus Andersson and the missed opportunities 

Rasmus Andersson was a hot name on the possible trade block. He can quarterback a power play and lead your top pairing. Craig Conroy made it clear that he had no interest in taking calls. Conroy doubled down and shared that he is interested in signing the 28-year-old to a long-term deal.

This feels oddly familiar and similar to where things started with Noah Hanifin. The Flames let Hanifin control his path, and he ultimately forced their hand at the wire. They did not receive a quality return for Hanifin. This year would have been a perfect time to cash in on Andersson’s value. They missed the mark and the opportunity to sell high. 

The option of trading him remains on the table, but teams have more leverage than they would before the deadline. Andersson struggled this season and is currently at a franchise worst minus-38 through 81 games. There is no word if a nagging injury contributed to his struggles or if it could be attributed to his new partner, Kevin Bahl. 

Dustin Wolf’s unprecedented success 

Dustin Wolf is poised to have a successful career in the NHL. His impressive resume of accolades and records made his arrival in the NHL even more exciting. Wolf played 17 games in the 2023–24 season. He was called up from the Calgary Wranglers when either Jacob Markstrom or Dan Vladar was unfit to play. Wolf got a bulk of his starts after the trade deadline when Vladar needed season-ending hip surgery. Wolf finished with a 0.893 SV%. 

The goaltending plan for the season was not revealed until it was underway. Ryan Huska first started with an every-other-game rotation and then a win-and-you’re-in model. Wolf was taking on a brand-new workload. It was going to be the heaviest workload he had carried, and he didn’t have the most stellar defence in front of him. The skepticism and concern were understandable. 

Wolf looked like a seasoned pro out there. He is the main reason the Flames were able to stick around the playoff race until game 81. Wolf stood on his head night after night. It didn’t matter what the conditions were, Wolf was locked in. 

One thing that stood out to me was his emotional maturity. It didn’t matter if he allowed a soft goal, had no help from his teammates, or was getting shelled- Wolf always appeared calm, cool, and collected. That is something that will play to his advantage throughout his career. 

What’s next?

Just like last offseason and the offseason before that, the Flames have their work cut out for them. General Manager Craig Conroy should have his priority list started by now. At the top? Locking up Matt Coronato, Connor Zary, and Dustin Wolf.

The market may shift for that right-handed centre, but it’s not a guarantee. Regardless, the Flames should be listening to teams on just about every single player this summer. If you want to get better, you’re going to have to hurt some feelings.