Which forward can earn a Calgary Flames roster spot with Huberdeau out?

The Calgary Flames’ first preseason game on home ice saw a roster that resembled what their lineup will be for the start of the regular season.

Going up against a Vancouver Canucks team that iced plenty of prospects rather than veterans, the Flames walked away with a 3-1 victory. Here’s a look at how their lines looked during Tuesday’s outing…

Gridin – Frost – Coronato
Honzek – Backlund – Farabee
Zary – Strome – Sharangovich
Tsyplakov – Pospisil – Klapka

Bahl – Nemec
Middleton – Parekh
Kuznetsov – Whitecloud

Wolf
Zarubin

Aside from Kirill Zarubin backing up as opposed to Devin Cooley, there is a very strong chance this is the exact lineup the Flames go with for their season opener on Oct. 1 against the Seattle Kraken.

One obvious name who was not in the lineup on Tuesday was Jonathan Huberdeau. The 33-year-old is continuing to recover from hip resurfacing surgery and will not be available for the start of the regular season.

As a result, there is a vacant spot in the lineup for grabs. The question is, who grabs it?

Here’s a look at a few options the Flames may go with…

1. Aydar Suniev

Aydar Suniev was the Flames’ best player in their first preseason game against the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, scoring two goals in what was a 4-2 loss. It was a standout performance which certainly caught the attention of Ryan Huska and the rest of his coaching staff.

The 21-year-old Suniev spent the vast majority of his first pro season in the AHL, racking up 16 goals and 24 points in 57 games with the Wranglers. He has all the skill in the world to become a top-nine forward at the NHL level, and may get that opportunity to open the 2026-27 season should he continue what has been a strong camp so far.

2. Brennan Othmann

The Flames acquired Brennan Othmann from the New York Rangers at last year’s trade deadline in exchange for forward prospect Jacob Battaglia. The 23-year-old went on to record two points in two games with the Flames, along with another seven points in 14 AHL contests.

Othmann, who signed a one-year deal this past week, has as strong a chance as any to start the season on the Flames roster. He’s also no longer waiver exempt, which could help his chances.

3. Dryden Hunt

If the Flames instead prefer to go with a veteran in order to give younger players big minutes in the AHL, they may elect to go with Dryden Hunt on the opening night roster. The 30-year-old has been somewhat of a tweener throughout his pro career, but does have 238 games of NHL experience.

Hunt, who is entering the second year of a two-year contract, has logged a combined 36 games with the Flames over the past three seasons. He won’t provide much in terms of offence, but has the ability to play solid bottom-six minutes when needed.

4. Sam Morton

If there was ever a chance for Sam Morton to establish himself as a true NHLer, that time is now. The 27-year-old has been a very dependable two-way centreman for the Wranglers the past two seasons, but has logged just four games with the Flames.

Helping Morton’s chances is that he is a good penalty killer and is excellent in the faceoff dot. That could make him eligible to start the season on the Flames’ fourth line, though based on camp, it looks as though Huska may prefer to have Martin Pospisil start the season off as his fourth-line centreman.

5. Tyson Gross

Tyson Gross, who is celebrating his 24th birthday on Wednesday, was signed to a two-year deal out of college this past spring. He wound up dressing in six games with the Flames to close out the 2025-26 season, while chipping in with his first NHL goal.

Given his inexperience at the pro level, the Flames may want to give him some time in the AHL to adjust. That said, he’s a player to keep an eye on as camp carries on.

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