The Calgary Flames are a team that have had a very quiet offseason, almost too quiet. Besides getting some contract extensions completed, they have not done much of any adding or subtracting in their lineup as they will be running it back with a roster that will look quite similar to last season.
To be fair, the 24-25 season was a stronger year for Calgary than most fans expected. The expectation going into the year was that the Flames would be a bottom feader lotto team, instead they nearly made the playoffs with an impressive 96 point effort. Much of this had to do with the rise of their top rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf, who finished 2nd in Calder voting.
This begs the question of why the Flames have not been aggressive this summer in an attempt to push the team over the edge and return to the playoffs for the first time since 2022. They have the cap space to make moves with over $15 million available. Why the inactivity so far?
Where could the Flames upgrade?
Michael Russo believes Calgary needs an upgrade at center. Marco Rossi was a name Russo had linked to Calgary, but the team does not appear to share the same interest. It is a moot point anyway as the Minnesota Wild reportedly are closing in on a contract extension with the 60 point center.
Looking at the Flames depth chart, the lineup could use another center added to the fold. At the moment the squad is rolling with a rotation down the middle of Kadri-Backlund-Frost-Pospisil. A proper 2C added into the equation would make this center combo look considerably stronger.
We’ll see if the Flames make any late last minute moves as the season approaches. Perhaps, Calgary is waiting to see what they have before pulling off any major maneuvers.
