4 Calgary Flames players who need to step up their game

An impressive four-game winning streak from the Calgary Flames came to an end on Wednesday following a 4-0 loss to the Edmonton Oilers.

While things had been better on the scoring front as of late, the Flames’ offensive difficulties reappeared against the Oilers, as they struggled to generate chances against Tristan Jarry.

By no means does Wednesday’s loss mean there’s reason to panic. The Flames have looked drastically better in recent weeks, and many would argue the score did not reflect the effort they put forth against the Oilers.

Despite looking better in recent weeks, however, they still have a number of players on their roster who haven’t yet lived up to expectations. If they hope to remain competitive, they’ll need these four individuals in particular to be much better.

Dustin Wolf

• 2026-27 stats: 6 GP, 4.81 GAA, .834 SV%

While a number of Flames players haven’t been great this season, Dustin Wolf’s start has undoubtedly been one of the most frustrating. He’s stumbled out of the gates, resulting in Devin Cooley starting the team’s last five games in a row.

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The Flames will need Wolf to step up his game now more than ever, as Cooley suffered an injury on Wednesday night against the Edmonton Oilers. One would imagine Wolf snaps out of this funk sooner rather than later, but if not, fans may start to lose faith in a goaltender who was once viewed as one of the organization’s most promising young players.

Jake Middleton

• 2026-27 stats: 12 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS

For Jake Middleton, it’s not the offensive statistics that are causing concern. That’s never been a strong suit of his game. What is concerning, however, is how lost he’s looked in his own end of the ice.

Middleton struggled to begin the season on a pairing with Zayne Parekh and hasn’t looked much better since being placed with Zach Whitecloud. It’s still early in his Flames tenure, but as of now, his $4.35 million cap hit through the 2028-29 season doesn’t look ideal.

Mikael Backlund

• 2026-27 stats: 10 GP, 2 G, 1 A, 3 PTS

The effort put forth by Mikael Backlund on a nightly basis can never be questioned. Even at the age of 37, he continues to be the man to hop over the boards whenever opposing teams’ top stars hit the ice. While he’s remained reliable in that regard, he’s a player this team needs more from offensively.

While Backlund has never been a massive point producer over his career, he’s typically been good for around 15 goals and 40 or more points per season. Given his consistency over the years, things should turn around, but it certainly hasn’t been an ideal start for the Flames captain.

Morgan Frost

• 2026-27 stats: 12 GP, 3 G, 4 A, 7 PTS

Flames head coach Ryan Huska told reporters heading into the offseason that Morgan Frost needed to find a way to become a more consistent player. That’s been an issue throughout his NHL career, and it’s remained a concern through the first 12 games of the 2026-27 season.

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While his point totals aren’t horrendous, more is expected from a player who has spent plenty of time on the first line this season while also playing on the top power-play unit. Frost has continued to show flashes of what he’s capable of when at his best, but he’ll need to find a way to produce more consistently if the Flames hope to keep their recent momentum going.