How opening night lines could look for the Flames this season

Aug 7 2022, 3:56 pm

The Calgary Flames are just a Jaromir Jagr away from starting the 2022-23 National Hockey League season.

That is, of course, 68 days away.Ā 

We’re just over two months or, if you’d prefer, slightly under 10 weeks from dropping the puck on a new season and a radically different roster from the group iced by general manager Brad Treliving and coach Darryl Sutter last year.Ā 

The reigning Pacific Divison-winning squad has seen its fair share of turnover, with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk — the team’s top two leading scorers from a year ago — finding new homes. Gaudreau left as an unrestricted free agent, shocking the hockey world by opting to join the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 13. Just a week later, Tkachuk informed the Flames he wouldn’t lock in long-term, and shortly after that was optioned to the Florida Panthers.Ā 

It’ll leave a new look for Calgary, both up front and on the blue line.Ā 

And all that means is we can fire up the speculation as to how Sutter will deploy his new troops, and how he’ll try to balance a lineup that’s guaranteed to ice a new top line and at least a pair of fresh faces.Ā 

Flames forward lines

  • Jonathan Huberdeau — Elias Lindholm — Andrew Mangiapane
  • Dillon Dube — Mikael Backlund — Tyler Toffoli
  • Jakob Pelletier — Sean Monahan — Blake Coleman
  • Milan Lucic — Kevin Rooney — Trevor Lewis

Gaudreau’s out on the top line, but in is Jonathan Huberdeau, a part of the return on Tkachuk and the recipient of the richest contract in club history at eight years with an average of $10.5 million. There’s no doubting Elias Lindholm will anchor the top trio down the middle, but we could see Andrew Mangiapane give the right side a go. Mangiapane, who himself locked into a new three-year contract, netted 35 goals in a breakout campaign.Ā 

The second line has a few more questions around it. Mikael Backlund is the obvious choice down the middle to give it a go. The two-way forward has long been a half-point-per-game player, and he’s the second-most productive pivot on the roster. He’ll be flanked on the right side, most likely, by Tyler Toffoli, who had 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 37 games after joining the Flames in February. It’ll be the left side that’s a question mark, with Dillon Dube and rookie Jakob Pelletier, or perhaps the left-shot Blake Coleman competing for the offensive opportunity. Ā 

Whoever loses out in that battle will take a wing on a third line anchored by Sean Monahan, potentially. Monahan will be coming off his second straight offseason of rehab by way of hip surgery, and struggled to produce through much of 2021-22 with an NHL career-low 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists). A role alongside the likes of Coleman and Dube or Pelletier could help spark the 27-year-old who had previously had seven straight 20-goal seasons before a pair of dips.Ā 

The fourth line, likely, will be manned by Milan Lucic on left, newcomer Kevin Rooney down the middle, and Trevor Lewis, who re-upped on a one-year deal a month ago, on right.Ā 

That’ll leave the likes of Adam Ruzicka, Matthew Phillips, or Walker Duehr to steal a job from one of the aforementioned forwards currently pencilled in.Ā 

In: Jonathan Huberdeau, Kevin Rooney, Jakob Pelletier
Out: Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Calle Jarnkrok, Ryan Carpenter, Brett Ritchie

Flames defence pairs

  • MacKenzie Weegar — Christopher Tanev
  • Noah Hanifin — Rasmus Andersson
  • Nikita Zadorov — Oliver KylingtonĀ 

The names are all but set on the blue line, but the combinations are seemingly endless.Ā 

The Flames could return to the duo of Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Andersson for top-pair duty, but also have the luxury of adding MacKenzie Weegar, who has a desire to sign an extension, to the fold. The right-shot blueliner can play both sides, and lining him up alongside defensive dynamo Christopher Tanev could be a formula for Calgary’s best combo.Ā 

That’d leave Nikita Zadorov and Oliver Kylington as another duo. Each had a career-year in many respects in 2021-22. The catch or caveat here is both shoot left and, while Kylington has played a little bit of his off-side in the past, it’s probably not the most desirable situation to have a pair comprised of two right-shots, and another with two left-handers.Ā 

This, of course, doesn’t take into consideration a trio of blueliners that’ll remain on one-way contracts this season. That’ll include Nicolas Meloche, Juuso Valimaki, and Connor Mackey. One could surprise and steal a job, similarly to Kylington’s ascent that began at last year’s camp.

In: MacKenzie Weegar, Nicolas Meloche
Out: Erik Gudbranson

Flames goaltenders

  • Jacob Markstrom
  • Dan Vladar

It doesn’t get any more straightforward than this when it comes to sorting through the lineup situation in Calgary. Markstrom is coming off a Vezina Trophy nomination after registering a 2.22 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. Vladar, 24, is likely to see more action behind Markstrom after making 19 starts a year ago.Ā 

Aaron VickersAaron Vickers

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