Calgary Flames season has been a huge success, although many consider hockey writers – Calgary Flames

Calgary’s Flames won’t make the playoffs this season. This is not surprising, as many expect the team to finish the top five in the 2025 draft before the campaign begins. Instead, they competed in Game 81 of 2024-25, but were finally eliminated Tuesday night after St. Louis Blues and Minnesota Wild won their respective games.

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Disappointingly, with the flames very close, they didn’t have enough entry. Now, many people say this season is a failure and the team is stuck in the middle of the standings. They will not have a high-end first-round pick to help with their rebuilding, and they will lose the first of two first-round picks to the Montreal Canadiens in the draft. While it is understandable to feel frustrated, this season is far from a failure.

Young player in flames strode forward

Entering this season, one of the biggest concerns in the roster is the network. Most people know that Dan Vladar can’t rely heavily on, but they also question how Dustin Wolf played in his first NHL season. After all, he struggled for most of the 17 games, ending the 2023-24 season.

Instead, Wolf stood up and brought the flames to the playoffs as much as possible. The 23-year-old is undoubtedly the team’s MVP, drawing an average of 2.64 goals (GAA), a savings percentage of .910 (SV%) and a 29-16-8 record. While Flames fans have been high on him for several years, few people imagined him becoming so good so quickly.

Few expected Wolf competes in the Calder Trophy. He is more than just a trophy. Whether he wins or not, he proves that despite his tiny figure, he is still a starting goalkeeper at the NHL level. He has real superstar potential in the league at his most important position. The Flames need to improve other areas, but goalkeepers like him can help them become competitors sooner rather than later.

Another impressive season for Matt Coronato. After becoming a tween between the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) in 2023-24, he proved that he also has star potential this season. After only 34 games in the Flames a season ago, he is back, making 24 improvements and 46 points in 76 games this season. The 22-year-old has all businesses for the next 40 goalscorers.

The flames are also able to add Morgan Cream, which gives them the central choice they desperately need. He was sometimes inconsistent, but started showing his life at the end of the season, scoring four and four in the last five games. He is still settling in his new environment, but his skill level is undeniable. Flames fans should be happy to see what he can offer after training camp with the new team in 2025-26.

Meanwhile, Connor Zary struggles to stay healthy, but he is able to adapt to his strong two-way game. He is still only 23 years old, and while he may never be a major opinion producer, his two-way ability shows that he will be a top six forward for a long time.

Last but not least is Kevin Bahl, an unknown player entering the season. Soon it became obvious why the flames valued him so much in the Jacob Markstrom trade. He has never stood out in the top four this season and still has room to grow at the age of 24.

Other flame prospects

Flames have several interesting prospects that they will soon have an impact at the NHL level. We will meet both of them on Thursday: Zayne Parekh and Aydar Suniev. Parekh has a legitimate shot at breaking the Flames’ blue line next season and, like Wolf, has the potential of a superstar.

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Another dark horse to focus on is Matvei Gridin. Flame loves him in training camp, he doesn’t have the remaining tons to prove him. He is likely to break the roster next season and will give the team another winger to score that they can use to a large extent. Whether he is in Calgary next season or not, he, Parek, Sun Ye and some others point to the bright future of the organization.