Up ahead, on the horizon, Iginla sees nothing but possibilities for the franchise he only recently left.
"There's a lot of really good players there, guys with a lot of great seasons ahead of them. They're going to look back on this season as 'one of those seasons,' I'm sure.
"Sometimes you have to go through them. I know."
Another component of the shift , naturally enough, is Sutter.
"Darryl,'' laughs Iginla, "is still Darryl. Same guy. With more tan.
"There's that intensity, that fire, of course. Comes game day, it's all business, and you can see him ratcheting up another level. I don't think he's going to change much.
"Every coach has a different style, a slightly different way they deliver messages.
"Coming here, I already knew. So there's a comfort level in understanding the messages. Walking into any new locker room is an adjustment. But that familiar part, with him, is a positive."
During their previous two and a half years together in a superstar-coach dynamic, of course, Iginla tasted his greatest collective success, the Flames' run to the 2004 Stanley Cup final.
"When he was coaching, they were very successful years for the team. You don't mind being pushed. At the time you're going through it, it's not always easy. But as you get older, you see why he does things. Staying intense, being competitive.
"Those days when it's not going well, those kicks in the pants - I don't mean literally - are part of trying to help you.
"I always thought our relationship was good. He's just never wanted people to get comfortable with not winning. And that's not a bad thing."