Projecting the Calgary Flames' Opening Night Roster

We're now less than three weeks from the start of the NHL season. Teams are finalizing their rosters and signing their RFAs, and players are beginning their training camps. The Calgary Flames were disappointed with the result of their 2021 season, which saw them finish well outside of the playoffs in a Canadian division that should have seen them flourish. Newly acquired starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom struggled to have the same impact with the Flames that he had in Vancouver, and the team's stars weren't able to show up when they were needed. As such, questions swirled around the Flames this summer regarding what steps the team should take to elevate themselves to the next level. Making matters worse, their captain Mark Giordano was claimed by Seattle in the expansion draft, leaving a big hole on defence for the Flames to fill. Some new faces were brought in, some familiar faces departed. Let's see how the Flames lineup looks heading into the season. We'll start with the forwards:

Johnny Gaudreau - Sean Monahan - Matthew Tkachuk

Andrew Mangiapane - Elias Lindholm - Blake Coleman

Dillon Dube - Michael Backlund - Tyler Pitlick

Milan Lucic - Brad Richardson - Brett Ritchie

Trevor Lewis

Martin Pospisil

The addition of Blake Coleman allows the Flames some much-needed flexibility in their top 6, and indirectly makes improvements to their depth at centre. With the RW covered, Elias Lindholm can move to the middle, which allows Backlund to drop into the 3C spot. Backlund would be a top 6 forward on most NHL teams, so having him on the 3rd line shows the depth the Flames have built up front. Monahan currently still projects as the 1C, but he'll be on a short leash. If he has another off-year, expect to see Lindholm and even Backlund leapfrog him right out of the top 6. Meanwhile, while Calgary's bottom 6 looks a bit sparse outside of Dube and Backlund, the additions of Tyler Pitlick and Brad Richardson add some veteran experience that was lacking previously. Pitlick's health is always in question, and Richardson, is now in his late-thirties, so Trevor Lewis may slot into the lineup on any given night. Pospisil had a good showing with the Stockton Heat last season and is looking good so far based on his two rookie matchup games against the Oilers, and he will likely be the first callup from the AHL should injuries occur, especially with Connor Zary already suffering a minor injury himself.

The Flames' situation is less exciting on defence, with the loss of their captain and little available to  replace him:

Noah Hanafin - Rasmus Andersson

Nikita Zadorov - Chris Tanev

Juuso Valimaki - Oliver Kylington

Erik Gudbranson

Connor Mackey

Michael Stone

There is no question that the loss of Mark Giordano has left a void in the Flames defensive core, just as the loss of T.J. Brodie did last season. Bringing in Nikita Zadorov as a replacement is an adequate solution, but doesn't do much to push the team forward. Similarly, they are still searching for a player to take over the top spot on RD. It could be Andersson, who turns 25 at the end of October and may be ready to take the next step in his game. Perhaps Kylington makes some big strides this year and wins himself that spot. There is lots of potential in the Flames' defence, but not a lot of certainties.

In net, the Flames still have their go-to starter in Markstrom, but questions remain about who will be his support:

Jacob Markstrom

Dan Vladar

Adam Werner

Both Vladar and Werner are unproven commodities. Vladar showed very well during his loan to the Cezch league, and during his time with the Providence Bruins of the AHL, but in his brief stint in Boston last season he was only ok, eventually being outplayed by Jeremy Swayman which led to Vladar being traded to the Flames. Meanwhile, Werner has played well in the AHL previously but didn't have a great season last year, either in the American League or on loan to the HockeyAllsvenskan Swedish League. Either player has the potential to win the backup job in Calgary, but as with David Rittich who they are attempting to replace, there are questions about both of their consistency at the NHL level. This may be another season where Markstrom is forced to carry the majority of the workload in goal, and should he get injured, the Flames could be in trouble.

What do you think of this Flames' lineup, and what would you change?

Photo credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports