The Calgary Flames are looking to move past what was an ugly 2022-23 season. While plenty of the blame for their struggles has been placed on the shoulders of Darryl Sutter, it can’t be ignored that the majority of their highest-paid players didn’t perform to their capabilities.
Due to some of their higher-paid players’ struggles last season, there is some worry that the Flames could have some ugly contracts on their hands for the next several years. That said, with a new coaching staff in place, there is optimism that they, along with the entire team, can bounce back in 2023-24. With that said, here are four Flames players who are making too much money based on last season’s play.
Jonathan Huberdeau
As bad as last season was for many Flames, none had a rougher go than Jonathan Huberdeau. After being acquired in a blockbuster last offseason for Matthew Tkachuk, fans were hopeful he could continue being the elite scoring winger he had been for so many seasons with the Florida Panthers.
Flames management was very confident he could do just that, so much so that they gave him an eight-year, $84 million extension. That deal hasn’t even kicked in yet, which is scary to think, given that Huberdeau saw a 65-point decline last season, the largest in NHL history. The 30-year-old could very well bounce back, but if he doesn’t, this deal has the potential to become one of the ugliest in the entire league.
Nazem Kadri
Kadri also made his Flames debut last season after inking a seven-year, $49 million deal last summer. Plenty of expectations were placed on him as well, as he was coming off of a season in which he had a career-high 87 points and helped lead the Colorado Avalanche to a Stanley Cup.
The 2022-23 season started well for Kadri, who was the Flames’ lone representative at the 2023 All-Star game. However, his play completely fell off in the second half of the year, which drew the ire of the Calgary fan base. Like Huberdeau, he is capable of a bounce-back season, but if not, this will be another ugly contract for this organization.
Jacob Markstrom
After being a Vezina Trophy finalist in what was an outstanding 2021-22 season, Jacob Markstrom fell off in a big way. The 33-year-old could never get into a rhythm this past season, ending the year with a 2.92 goals against average (GAA) and a .892 save percentage (SV%).
At his best, Markstrom is capable of being one of the better goalies in the NHL but has struggled to find consistency through his first three seasons as a Flame. They will look for him to recapture his form from two seasons ago as they look to get back into the playoffs.
Blake Coleman
Though he isn’t expected to be one of the team’s best players like the three above, Blake Coleman needs to perform better to justify his $4.95 million salary through his first two seasons as a Flame.
In 163 games as a Flame, Coleman has amassed 34 goals and 71 points. By no means has he been terrible, but more production was expected out of him by management and the fan base. He still has four more years remaining on his deal, meaning the organization doesn’t have a whole lot of options other than hoping he can start to rack up more points.
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