6 key Calgary Flames players who need to be better in 2026-27

The Calgary Flames 2025-26 season was always expected to be a long one, and that turned out to be the case.

The Flames, who are still in the relatively early stages of a rebuild, won just 34 of 82 games and wound up finishing 29th in the NHL standings with 77 points.

Despite the disappointing season, the vast majority of the fan base is more than okay with the course this organization is taking right now. In fact, they may very well find themselves in the draft lottery once again next year, which would only help improve their future even further.

That said, while the Flames weren’t expected to be a good team this past season, there were several players who seemingly regressed. These six lead the way in that regard, and will need to find a way to get back on track in 2025-26.

1. Jonathan Huberdeau

• 2025-26 stats: 5o GP, 10 G, 15 A, 25 PTS

After taking a step in the right direction in 2024-25, Jonathan Huberdeau’s struggles resurfaced this past season.

In defence of the 32-year-old, he was playing through a nagging hip injury, which eventually required season-ending surgery. Still, averaging just 0.5 points per game isn’t acceptable for a player carrying a $10.5 million cap hit.

While the chances of Huberdeau ever returning to the level of player he was with the Florida Panthers are slim to none, the Flames need him to get back to the level of offensive production he showed in the 2024-25 campaign. Whether he’s able to do that following hip resurfacing surgery remains to be seen.

2. Connor Zary

• 2025-26 stats: 74 GP, 12 G, 13 A, 25 PTS

Once thought of as a major piece of the Flames’ future, Connor Zary hasn’t been able to provide the same impact he did as a rookie in 2023-24. Of course, two separate knee injuries sustained during the 2024-25 campaign haven’t helped.

Zary, who was juggled around the lineup all season long, never seemed to be able to get anything going offensively. Making matters worse, his overall two-way play has slipped over the past two seasons.

While it’s far too soon to write Zary off, the 24-year-old is going to need to give the organization a reason to continue viewing him as part of the long-term solution. Plenty of questions will begin to arise about his future with the Flames should he struggle once again next season.

3. Yegor Sharangovich

• 2025-26 stats: 78 GP, 15 G, 14 A, 29 PTS

If anybody has any idea what’s happened with Yegor Sharangovich since his breakout 31-goal campaign in 2023-24, the Flames organization would sure like to know.

The 27-year-old could do no wrong in his first season with the Flames, and was subsequently rewarded with a five-year, $28.75-million extension. So far, it hasn’t gone to plan.

Sharangovich’s play has dipped in each of the past two seasons, though it’s not just his offensive totals that have caused headaches. He needs to figure out a way to be more competitive on a nightly basis, something which, to his credit, he admitted during his season-ending media availability.

4. Matt Coronato

• 2025-26 stats: 80 GP, 18 G, 27 A, 45 PTS

Matt Coronato was by no means horrendous in 2025-26, though he undoubtedly took a step back from an impressive rookie campaign the season prior.

Coronato’s slight decline isn’t something the fan base should be overly worried about at this point, as it isn’t at all uncommon to see players fall into a sophomore slump. That appears to be what happened to the 23-year-old this past season.

Whatever the case, Coronato will need to have a good offseason in order to get his game back on track and continue his upward trajectory. After all, this team needs to find a way to score more goals, and he’s going to need to play a big part in that.

5. Dustin Wolf

• 2025-26 stats: 57 GP, 2.99 GAA, .899 SV%

Similar to Coronato, Dustin Wolf’s 2025-26 campaign was by no means a disaster, but it was a step in the wrong direction following a rookie season that saw him finish second in Calder Trophy voting.

Wolf’s GAA climbed from 2.64 in his rookie season to 2.99 in 2025-26, while his SV% dipped from .910 to .899. While the league average SV% did dip this past season, the Flames will need their young goaltender to get back to looking like one of the best in the position in 2026-27.

There’s plenty of reason to be optimistic that Wolf can get back to being just that. The 25-year-old has dominated at every level he’s played, making this past season appear to be nothing more than a blip on the radar. That said, if he produces similar stats in 2026-27, there may be some concern amongst the fan base.

6. Martin Pospisil

• 2025-26 stats: 22 GP, 1 G, 2 A, 3 PTS

Martin Pospisil can’t really be faulted for his struggles this past season. The 26-year-old wasn’t able to make his debut until January due to an upper-body injury sustained during exhibition play.

As a result of missing so much time, Pospisil never seemed to be able to get back up to speed in the 22 games he played. That isn’t at all uncommon for players who are forced to sit on the sidelines for such lengthy stints.

With an entire offseason to get caught back up in terms of conditioning, the expectation is that Pospisil will get back to being his usual self. The offensive totals will never wow anyone, but as long as he can become a physical force once again, fans will be pleased with the Slovakian forward.

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