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Ex-Calgary Flames winger Mantha is lighting it up with his new team

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Nov 5 2025, 5:16 pm
Ex-Calgary Flames winger Mantha is lighting it up with his new team
Charles LeClaire/Imagn Images

Calgary Flames management had no intent for this team to struggle like they have through the opening 14 games of the 2025-26 season.

The Flames have just three wins and eight points, both of which rank dead last in the NHL. The team tank fans are loving it, as they’ve been praying for this organization to land a high draft pick for some time. The Flames are the only NHL organization aside from the Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth to have never had a top-three pick.

Even with these struggles, there are still several reports from insiders claiming that Flames management isn’t interested in selling just yet. They want to instead give this group a chance to dig themselves out of this hole and get back in the fight.

This is just further evidence that the management regime had no intent of finishing near the bottom of the standings this season, which, with the benefit of hindsight, makes one of their decisions from the summer look like a mistake.

Did the Flames make a mistake letting Mantha go?

Anthony Mantha played just 13 games in his lone season with the Flames. The 31-year-old winger signed a one-year, prove-it type contract ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, and was off to a relatively good start before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in November.

The Flames chose to move on from Mantha rather than re-sign him to the similar one-year, $3.5 million deal they’d given him the summer prior. Mantha instead signed another one-year deal, this one worth $2.5 million, with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It’s been a great fit so far, as Mantha has six goals and 11 points in 14 games, both of which would lead the Flames in scoring. Having that type of offence in the lineup would be massive for a team that is averaging an NHL-worst 2.14 goals per game.

Instead of opting to bring a player like Mantha back, the Flames didn’t do much of anything on the free-agent market this past summer. They signed just two players, Ivan Prosvetov and Nick Cicek, both of whom are in the AHL. A big chunk of their forward group was set to return, and management instead felt it would be better to have a prospect or two battle for a spot.

Sam Honzek has been a beneficiary of that. The 20-year-old has suited up for 12 games this season and hasn’t looked out of place. That said, he hasn’t provided much offence with a goal and two points.

Another beneficiary has been Adam Klapka, who has suited up for 13 of the Flames’ 14 games. He’s been solid in his fourth-line role, but also hasn’t provided a whole lot of offence with a goal and two helpers.

Letting younger players like Honzek and Klapka get their reps in is by no means a bad strategy. It sets the organization up well for the future. But, for a management group that was hoping for further improvement after nearly making the playoffs a season ago, the decision to let Mantha walk is a bit of a headscratcher.

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