Finishing the season as a wild card contender, you wouldn’t think the Calgary Flames rebuild was in its first year. Following the departures of key players like Elias Lindholm, Jacob Markstrom, Noah Hanifin, and Nikita Zadorov ahead of the 2024–25 season, a rebuild was apparent. Flames general manager Craig Conroy asked fans for patience and urged his roster to remain open-minded to the changes ahead.
Flames Check-In and Preview
With a projected 16th overall pick at the 2025 NHL Draft, the Flames have the opportunity to recruit and develop a future star from this year’s deep draft class. As Conroy emphasized, patience is needed as no prospect will win a Stanley Cup for a team within a season. Development takes time, and the team’s short-term goals should remain on the Flames’ rebuild, establishing the organization as a perennial competitor in the playoffs. Free agency may not be the solution for the Flames, but exploring this year’s available free agents may provide stability for Calgary as they undergo growing pains.
Strength Between the Pipes
Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar are arguably one of the league’s most promising young goalie tandems. With just eight combined seasons of NHL experience, they closed out the year with a solid 2.72 GAA and a .904 save percentage despite being a .500 team. With Wolf emerging as the de facto starter for Calgary, he has proven to be a reliable final line of defense for his team and has already written himself into the franchise’s record books.
Wolf ranked in the top 20 for ice time among goalies this season and held a .910 save percentage, ranking him sixth-best in this elite group as a rookie. It may be time for Craig Conroy and Flames’ management to start negotiating Wolf’s contract to lock him down long-term. His contract expires at the end of the 2025-26 season, and many teams may be sniffing for an opportunity to steer the California native south of the border to play closer to home.
A Blueline in Transition
Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar have established themselves as the defensive strongholds of Calgary’s blue line. Andersson’s contributions are not solely on the scoresheet. While yes, he logs heavy minutes and is a dependable two-way defenseman, his leadership is his greatest contribution to the roster. His familiarity and trust in the organization may be beneficial as the Flames dive more heavily into rebuild mode over the upcoming season or two, an asset that may be overlooked.
But that may not be enough to keep Andersson in Calgary. It’s rumoured he’s looking for a contract that would keep him in Calgary, but at a price of at least $9M a year, it may be more valuable to move him for some assets over the past year. His ability to produce on both ends of the ice and his much-coveted position as a right-handed defenseman may draw a few looks from other teams to pick up some additional draft picks or prospects to feed the Flames’ minor league system.
What Should the Flames Look for in Free Agency?
The 2024–25 season was never supposed to be a playoff year, but sparks of promise gave fans hope. Still, the Flames are in the early stages of a soft rebuild — not tanking, but not contending.
Flames fans would love nothing more than to see the C of Red return to the Saddledome for the playoffs one last time, but let’s be real, none of the top names in free agency this summer would single-handedly turn the tide for Calgary. But that doesn’t necessarily mean Flames’ management shouldn’t explore picking up some assets. What do they need? How can free agency help the Calgary Flames’ rebuild a short-term plan and not an extended period of darkness (a la the 2006-2015 Edmonton Oilers)?
The current forward group balances experience and youth. Veterans like Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri are locked in long-term, while young talents like Connor Zary and Matthew Coronato showed they’re worthy of bigger roles (and contracts). On defense, Weegar remains a cornerstone — and with Andersson potentially on the move, top prospect Zayne Parekh can step into a space that provides him the opportunity to grow into an elite two-way defenceman.
Let’s make a quick to-do list for the Flames this summer and what they should look at in free agency:
- Lock down Dustin Wolf long-term.
- Move Rasmus Andersson for high-value draft picks. The Flames cannot afford an increased contract, and fleshing out their prospect system can set them up for the future.
- Explore short-term forward signings to support the young core. The Flames are not starved for wingers. Their top three centres are strong and capable, but a reliable fourth-line centre is missing.
Free Agent Targets: Who Could Support the Flames Rebuild?
The Flames don’t need a blockbuster signing. They need a reliable fourth-line centre who can eat up minutes, win faceoffs, kill penalties, and keep the rebuild on steady footing through hard times. Here are four low-risk, and more importantly, low-cost options that could support the young Flames core:
Jeff Skinner, C/LW, Edmonton Oilers
Bought out by the Buffalo Sabres following the 2023-24 season, Skinner still has a scoring touch and speed. A natural left winger, Skinner has transitioned his game with the Edmonton Oilers to become a bottom-six centre. He picked up 16 goals and 13 assists in 72 games with Edmonton, and on a short-term, affordable deal, he could give Calgary depth and mentorship at the centre position. Skinner brings over 1,000 games of NHL experience, including years navigating the ups and downs of two rebuilds with the Carolina Hurricanes and Buffalo Sabres. After 15 seasons, Skinner finally made his NHL playoff debut a week ago, a culmination of how his willingness to embrace a secondary role shows the kind of maturity and team-first attitude that could be valuable to Calgary’s locker room.
But he’s a pure goal scorer. If he were to step into the fourth-line centre role, he would need to be a versatile, two-way player who would not be a defensive liability. The most contentious factor here is whether Skinner would be willing to put himself in the middle of another rebuild after getting his first taste of playoff hockey.
Ryan Donato, C/LW, Chicago Blackhawks
Donato is a utility forward who’s been a quiet but effective bottom-six forward across several NHL teams, most recently the Chicago Blackhawks. He’s a versatile forward with a strong work ethic who can slot in at centre or wing, chips in 10–15 goals per season, and plays with a solid two-way mindset. He’s known for his hockey IQ, forechecking ability, and faceoff work, making him an ideal candidate for a fourth-line centre role that Calgary needs filled.
He won’t wow anyone with highlight-reel plays, but he plays responsibly, brings energy, and can support the Flames’ rebuild by stabilizing depth lines. Donato is versatile, and having him available to step up if injuries hit the Flames’ top-six marks him as a low-risk option.
Pius Suter, C, Vancouver Canucks
Suter isn’t the type of player to paint headlines, but he does a little bit of everything right: kills penalties, wins faceoffs, and contributes around 15 goals a season. He was a steadying force in Vancouver’s bottom six.
What stands out most is his ability to play smart, system-driven hockey, which would make him a compelling anchor for the Flames’ fourth line during the rebuild. He’s a plug-and-play player who could slot into the Flames’ depth chart. An even bigger bonus is that he won’t make a significant hit on the cap, making him a rational option to build out Calgary’s forward forces more.
Nick Bjugstad, C, Utah Hockey Club
Bjugstad brings size, versatility, and playoff experience. A reliable two-way forward, he’s coming off a quietly strong year in Utah and could provide centre depth. His ability to shift to the wing and play up or down the lineup makes him a valuable asset for a team still sorting out its forward group. He’s the kind of veteran fourth-line centre that can instantly bulk up a team’s depth. A 6-foot-6 forward with over a decade of NHL experience, Bjugstad is low-risk but high-reward in the consistency he brings to any lineup.
What makes him particularly appealing to Calgary is his ability to win faceoffs, backchecking, and his quiet presence in a young locker room.
Final Thoughts
As the Calgary Flames navigate the early stages of their rebuild, the focus must remain on development, smart asset management, and measured expectations. Locking down key young players like Dustin Wolf, making tough but strategic decisions on veterans like Rasmus Andersson, and carefully selecting low-risk, short-term free agents can help stabilize the team without derailing long-term goals. Players like Nick Bjugstad, Pius Suter, Ryan Donato, and even Jeff Skinner represent the kind of depth and leadership that can support the Flames’ young core without sacrificing future flexibility.
With patience and precision, this rebuild doesn’t have to be a lost decade — it can be the start of something sustainable.
Main Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea- Imagn Images
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