Why the Calgary Flames winning games is good for their rebuild
It’s been a tale of two seasons for the Calgary Flames through their first 15 games of the 2026-27 campaign.
Expectations were relatively low for this group heading into what was widely viewed as a true rebuilding season. That quickly became apparent, as the Flames stumbled out of the gate with losses in six of their first seven games. Since then, however, things have taken a pretty significant turn.
The Flames have looked like a completely different team lately, winning seven of their last 10 games. They currently sit with a 7-8-0 record and are just one point outside of a playoff spot.
That said, not everybody is convinced this recent success is necessarily a good thing.
Heading into the season, plenty of Flames fans were hoping to see the team finish near the bottom of the NHL standings in hopes of finally landing a top-three draft pick, something the franchise has never done. That possibility certainly hasn’t disappeared, but continuing to win games the way they have lately could actually be more beneficial to the organization’s rebuild.
The thing about the Flames right now is that they aren’t winning simply because of elite goaltending or one player carrying the load. They’ve received contributions from all throughout the lineup, with several of their young players playing significant roles.
Matt Coronato is enjoying the best season of his young career with 14 points, while Matvei Gridin has emerged as a major contributor with five goals and five assists. Zayne Parekh, meanwhile, may only have five points, but he’s consistently creating high-danger scoring chances and showing why he’s such an exciting piece of the organization’s future.
And it isn’t just those three young players making an impact.
Aydar Suniev, who was recalled early in the season, has already scored four goals through 12 games. Jonathan Castagna, another early-season call-up, has also been extremely reliable as the Flames’ fourth-line centre.
Even Joel Farabee, who is still just 26 years old, has been outstanding with 15 points through the team’s first 15 games.
The point is, the young players who represent the future of this organization aren’t simply along for the ride. They’re playing significant roles in the team’s success and, in many cases, helping drive it.
Obviously, landing a top draft pick would give the Flames another exciting piece to add to an already impressive prospect pool. However, seeing the young players that they already have take significant strides forward is arguably just as important to the rebuilding process.
Their individual improvements have played a major role in the team’s early-season turnaround, while also giving the organization plenty of reason to feel encouraged about what lies ahead.
Whether or not the Flames can sustain their recent success remains to be seen. After all, this was a group that was outscored 27-8 through its first four games of the season. So, what team are they really? The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle.
That said, if the Flames can continue winning games while getting meaningful contributions from their young players, there’s little reason to view that as a negative. Landing a top-three pick would certainly be nice, but seeing the next generation of this organization develop into legitimate NHL contributors might be even more important.
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