Flames eliminated, didn't overcome subpar play from Markstrom, Huberdeau

The Calgary Flames were eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention when they lost 3-2 in a shootout to the Nashville Predators and the Winnipeg Jets defeated the San Jose Sharks 6-2 on Monday.

The Flames (37-27-17) will miss the playoffs for the second time in three seasons and one year after winning 50 games, the Pacific Division and advancing to the best-of-7 Western Conference Second Round, a five-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Two losses down the stretch will persist well into the offseason: 4-3 at home to the Chicago Blackhawks on April 4 and 3-2 in a shootout at the Vancouver Canucks on April 8.
The Blackhawks, last in the NHL (.350 points percentage), had lost eight in a row. The Canucks, also eliminated from playoff contention, were 0-2-2 in their prior four games.
Here is a look at what happened in the 2022-23 season for the Flames and why things could be better next season.

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Milan Lucic, F; Nick Ritchie, F; Trevor Lewis, F; Troy Stecher, D; Michael Stone, D
Potential restricted free agents: Walker Duehr, F
Potential 2023 Draft picks: 5

What went wrong

Off the Mark: One season after Jacob Markstrom was a runner-up for the Vezina Trophy awarded to the best goalie in the NHL, the 33-year-old will likely finish with the highest goals-against average and lowest save percentage in a full season of his NHL career. Markstrom is 23-21-12 with a 2.92 GAA, .892 save percentage and one shutout in 59 games (58 starts); his nine shutouts in 63 starts led the NHL last season. He's started 20 of 22 games since Feb. 25 after sharing time with Dan Vladar for much of the season and is 8-7-5 with a 2.90 GAA and .898 save percentage in that stretch. He has a 3.21 GAA and .886 save percentage in 12 starts since March 15.

Huber-No: Jonathan Huberdeau has 15 goals and 55 points in 78 games, the 29-year-old forward's first season in Calgary after he was acquired with defenseman MacKenzie Weegar in a trade with the Florida Panthers for forward Matthew Tkachuk on April 22. Huberdeau signed an eight-year, $54 million contract Aug. 4. In 2021-22, he was the first Panthers player to reach 100 points in a single season and finished with 115 (30 goals, 85 assists) to tie former Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau for second in the NHL behind Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers, who had 123. But Huberdeau did not come close to that production with the Flames this season. To make matters worse, Tkachuk has an NHL career-high 108 points (40 goals, 68 assists).
Johnny B. Gone: Production plummeted after Gaudreau left the Flames to sign a seven-year contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 13. The Flames are averaging 3.15 goals per game (tied for 18th), down from 3.55 (sixth) last season, and the power play has fallen from 22.9 percent (10th) to 19.9 percent (21st). Tyler Toffoli's 34 goals lead the Flames. Only two others (Nazem Kadri, 24; Elias Lindholm, 22) have at least 20. Three skaters scored at least 40 last season (Tkachuk and Lindholm, 42 each; Gaudreau, 40). Andrew Mangiapane has 17 goals after the forward scored an NHL career-high 35 in 2021-22.

Reasons for optimism

Holy Toffoli: One trade has worked: getting Toffoli from the Montreal Canadiens on Feb. 14, 2022, for Tyler Pitlick,
Emil Heineman
and two NHL draft picks. The forward had 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 37 games to help Calgary's run to the division title last season and this season at age 33 has NHL career highs in goals, assists (39) and points (73) in 81 games. Toffoli has scored 18 goals on the road since Dec. 18, tied with Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche for third behind McDavid (19) and Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak (24).
The rise of Rasmus: Rasmus Andersson evolved into the anchor of the Flames defense. The 26-year-old has NHL career highs with 11 goals and four game-winning goals and is one point from his career best of 50 set last season. He can become the fifth defenseman in Calgary/Atlanta Flames history with at least five game-winners in one season (Dion Phaneuf, seven in 2005-06; Dougie Hamilton, five in 2016-17; Paul Reinhart, five in 1984-85; Al MacInnis, five in 1993-94). Andersson is signed for three more seasons ($4.55 million average annual value).
New blood: The Flames need more playmakers and appear to have two who are poised for full-time roles as soon as next season. They signed Matt Coronato, the No. 13 pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, to a three-year, entry-level contract March 16 after the 20-year-old forward had 36 points (20 goals, 16 assists) in 34 games as a sophomore at Harvard University. Jakob Pelletier quickly took Coranato under his wing when the latter skated with the Flames 12 days later. Though the 22-year-old forward has been a healthy scratch for 10 straight games, Pelletier has seven points (three goals, four assists) in 23 NHL games this season and 36 (16 goals, 20 assists) in 33 games for Calgary of the American Hockey League. Pelletier was captain of Moncton and Val-d'Or of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, averaged 31 goals and 77 points in three seasons for Moncton, had seven points (three goals, four assists) to help Canada win a silver medal at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship and enjoyed a productive first pro season (62 points; 27 goals, 35 assists in 66 games) at Stockton in the AHL in 2021-22.