Flames miss playoffs for 4th straight season, offensive woes among factors

The Calgary Flames failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. 

The Flames (32-36-9) were eliminated from playoff contention with their 4-3 overtime loss at the Dallas Stars, and the Nashville Predators’ 5-0 victory at the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday. 

Calgary has not qualified since 2021-22, when it was eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Second Round. 

Here’s a look at what happened in the 2025-26 season for the Flames and why things could be better next season.

The skinny

Potential unrestricted free agents: Ryan Lomberg, F; Victor Olofsson, F; Jake Bean, D.

Potential restricted free agents: John Beecher, F.

Potential 2026 Draft picks: 11

What went wrong

Offensive issues: The Flames experienced difficulty scoring this season. They have the third-fewest goals per game at 2.57 which is better than only the Vancouver Canucks (2.56) and the Chicago Blackhawks (2.55). Forward Nazem Kadri led Calgary with 41 points (12 goals, 29 assists) in 61 games before he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on March 6. Morgan Frost (21 goals, 20 assists), Matt Coronato (17 goals, 24 assists) and Mikael Granlund (16 goals, 25 assists) also have 41 points, but that’s simply not enough production from the Flames’ top forwards. Jonathan Huberdeau, who had 62 points (28 goals, 34 assists) in 81 games last season, had 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 50 games before having season-ending hip surgery last month. 

Defensive deficiencies: Calgary has given up an average of 3.17 goals per game this season, the ninth-most in the League. Goalies Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley did their part trying to keep the puck out of the net, but neither received enough help from those playing in front of them; Calgary has allowed an average of 29.8 shots per game, the third-most behind the Blackhawks (30.3) and Toronto Maple Leafs (32.5). Wolf is 22-27-3  with a 3.09 goals-against average and .895 save percentage in 54 games (52 starts); Cooley is 10-9-6 with a 2.68 GAA and .911 save percentage in 30 games (25 starts). The Flames acquired veteran defensemen Zach Whitecloud, 29, from the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 18, and Olli Maatta, 31, from the Utah Mammoth on March 4, which helped stabilized their back end, but they were unable to make a playoff push.

Still rebuilding: Calgary still is rebuilding its roster and continued to do so once it became clear it was going to miss the playoffs. The Flames traded Kadri to the Avalanche on March 6, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Mammoth on March 4, and defenseman Rasmus Andersson to the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 18. The rebuild began after the 2021-22 season, when forward Matthew Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers, and Johnny Gaudreau signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets as an unrestricted free agent. The Flames have been forced to rely on younger players this season who are learning on the fly and simply weren’t ready to make the type of contributions necessary for Calgary to be a playoff team.

Reason for optimism

Young talent: The Flames have an abundance of young talent who have been given an opportunity to develop this season and will be a big part of their future. Forwards Coronato, 23, Connor Zary, 24, Matvei Gridin, 20, Adam Klapka, 25, along with defensemen Zayne Parekh, 20, Hunter Brzustewicz, 21, Yan Kuznetsov, 24, and Kevin Bahl, 25, are expected to make up the core of the roster moving forward. Calgary has given its young talent valuable ice time the past couple of seasons with the hope it pays dividends next season and beyond. Forwards William Stromgren, 22, Rory Kerins, 23, and Aydar Suniev, 21, are in the American Hockey League and knocking at the door.

Goaltending locked in: Wolf begins a seven-year, $52.5 million contract ($7.5 million average annual value) next season. A two-time AHL goalie of year (2022, 2023) and its most valuable player in 2023, Wolf has made a smooth transition to the NHL and gives the Flames a potential star in goal. He won’t have to do it all on his own with the emergence of Cooley, who proved to be a capable backup and will begin a two-year, $2.7 million contract ($1.35 million AAV) next season. With more help in front of them, the two can make up a strong tandem and will help a developing roster. 

Draft capital: Flames general manager Craig Conroy has stockpiled draft picks to potentially accelerate their rebuild. Calgary has two picks in the first round in each of the next three drafts and for the 2026 NHL Draft has four selections in the second round and two in the third. In total, the Flames have 26 selections throughout the next three drafts, including six in the first round. If they make good use of their draft capital, it will go a long way in returning to the postseason.