5 Things - Flames @ Oilers

1. Fire It Up!

It's here!

The 2025-26 regular season gets underway tonight in Edmonton, and what better way to kick things off than with a Battle of Alberta!

The Flames landed in Edmonton Tuesday evening with plenty of anticipation and excitement, as they get set to kick off a two-game trip against bitter Pacific Division rivals.

Head coach Ryan Huska met the media after a brisk practice Tuesday morning at WinSport and according to the bench boss, the energy and attitude in his dressing room is vigorous, and where it needs to be ahead of an opening-night test against the Oilers.

"I think you have a long camp and you go through eight exhibition games, the guys are antsy to play for real," said Huska. "I know the coaching staff is looking forward to (Wednesday), just as I know our players are."

As was the case in last season's opener in Vancouver, Wednesday night's affair in Edmonton could again feature an NHL debut for a former first-round pick.

Last year, it was Sam Honzek. This year, it's trending toward Matvei Gridin, the dangerous Russian winger selected at No. 28 in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Gridin skated Tuesday on a line with Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato (more on the line combinations below), and comes into the 2025-26 lid-lifter with a team-leading three exhibition goals under his belt, including a back-hand tuck against reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck in Friday night's preseason finale at the Scotiabank Saddledome.

But with a new campaign, comes new line fluidity - the verbage du jour with respect to an evolving Flames lineup - and a concept Huska seems open to as the campaign begins to percolate.

"I think you want to give them an opportunity to see if they can get going," he said of the line combinations that skated in Friday's shootout loss to the Jets and again Tuesday in practice. "But always during a game, if someone is really doing some great things for a team, you want to reward them and give them a little bit more so you can bounce around at certain times during a game for sure.

"But in a perfect world, everybody gets off to a great start and they have an opportunity to build some good chemistry together."

There's no time like the present, though, to build that chemistry.

Four of Calgary's first six games will be played away from home, and seven of the Flames' first nine games will be contested against clubs that reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs last spring.

But enough with the conjecture.

Let's drop the puck!

2. Know Your Enemy

The big news of the week in Oil Country came off the ice, with the announcement that Connor McDavid has extended his contract to the tune of two years and $25 million.

In fact, at least one local watering hole was offering specials to commemorate the deal, offering a pair of highballs for $12.50 - the average annual value of McDavid's new deal.

"Obviously, the city and the fans are important to us, and we want to win here," McDavid told media upon putting pen to paper on his new deal. "We want to bring it back here and make our city proud.

"But mostly, for the guys in this room, we've been through a lot together, and seeing it through together is important."

That lot includes back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, but clearly, the goal in Edmonton this season is for the third time to be the charm.

There's hope in the Alberta capital, for sure, and a lot of that hope revolves around franchise pillars McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Their captain is here to stay, and as a result, expectations in Edmonton might never have been higher.

3. Fast Facts

2024-25 Season Series

Calgary earned a win and an overtime point in the three meetings with Edmonton a season ago, earning three of a possible four points in their two visits to Rogers Place.

Justin Kirkland scored his first career NHL goal in the series opener - a 4-1 Flames road win Oct. 13 - while Rasmus Andersson led the way with a goal and two assists.

The Oilers scored a 4-2 win at the Scotiabank Saddledome three weeks later, before claiming a 3-2 overtime victory on home ice in the rubber match on Mar. 29.

Yegor Sharangovich - who has goals in each of the last two meetings with Edmonton - and Brayden Pachal were the goal-getters on that evening.

Did You Know?

If you noticed Morgan Frost a lot during the preseason, you're not alone!

Frost finished tied for the league lead in exhibition scoring with seven points (2G-5A), a sum that included an overtime winner at Rogers Place in the Flames' road preseason opener Sept. 21.

The 26-year-old is three points shy of 150 for his NHL career.

4. Lineup Notes

The Flames held their final practice before the 82-game regular season Tuesday morning at WinSport.

Here's how they lined up:

FORWARDS

Joel Farabee - Nazem Kadri - Adam Klapka

Matvei Gridin - Morgan Frost - Matt Coronato

Connor Zary - Mikael Backlund - Blake Coleman

Ryan Lomberg - Justin Kirkland - Yegor Sharangovich

Sam Honzek

DEFENCE

Joel Hanley - MacKenzie Weegar

Kevin Bahl - Rasmus Andersson

Jake Bean - Brayden Pachal

Zayne Parekh - Daniil Miromanov

GOALTENDERS

Dustin Wolf

Devin Cooley

Note: Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil were placed on injured reserve prior to Monday's roster deadline.

5. Players to Watch

Flames - Dustin Wolf

It's Wolf's crease, and he knows it.

After being named to the NHL's All-Rookie Team - and earning a nod as the Calder Trophy runner-up - it's safe to say everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what the young Californian has in store in 2025-26.

And after a summer of soaking up all that Calgary has to offer, needless to say, he's amped to make his season debut against a provincial rival.

"Anytime you play the Oilers, it’s a game full of fire, heart and intensity," Wolf said Tuesday. "I’ve gotten to play one of them so far in my career, I’m super-excited to play another.

"I know the boys are super-excited to one, get the season started and two, get this rolling against them."

Oilers - Andrew Mangiapane

The former Flame is expected to make his Oilers debut Wednesday after signing a two-year, free-agent contract with Edmonton in July.

Now 29, Mangiapane spent the 2024-25 campaign in Washington, where he tallied 14 goals and 28 points, while playing in all but one of the Capitals' 82 games.

He spent parts of seven NHL seasons in a Calgary sweater, recording a career-high 35 goals and 55 points during the 2021-22 campaign.