New player-friendly culture could lead to Flames surprising in 2023-24

Since Flames players began reporting back to Calgary in late August, one phrase has remained constant: “It’s fun to come to the rink again.”

It’s a sentiment many players didn’t feel during the disappointing 2022-23 NHL campaign – the team missed out on a wild-card playoff spot by just two points, finishing with a 38-27-17 record. That result led to Flames general manager Brad Treliving resigning and head coach Darryl Sutter getting fired.

Although seriousness and hard work are always expected at the rink, new general manager Craig Conroy and new head coach Ryan Huska have made it a point to make the Saddledome a positive environment that’s enjoyable to be in every day. 

“You want them to have fun around the rink, that’s important, but they also have to come with a focus to get better each and every day,” Huska said at his introductory press conference in June. “You want to create something where the players are there to enjoy each other and push each other to get better.”

The players have noticed the change in vibe ahead of their season-opener at home Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets.

“More fun here, more smiles,” said blueliner MacKenzie Weegar.

“A bit looser, but at the same time, still competing, showing up, doing your job everyday at the highest level. That hasn’t changed.”

“Fresh is a good way to put it,” forward Blake Coleman said.

“Anything new is usually pretty exciting and it’s been good…it’s fun to come to the rink again.”

That renewed, player-friendly culture has already paid tangible dividends off the ice. After being very publicly noncommittal following last season, Mikael Backlund, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent after this summer, only had to spend a couple days in Calgary to see the changes and sign a two-year extension and was named team captain. 

“Everyone is excited to come in this year and has a little chip on their shoulders,” he said.

“That alone brings a lot of energy.”

The organization has also invested in upgrades around the Saddledome, including renovations to the Flames dressing room.

On the ice, the Flames of this season look entirely different than the Flames of last season. During practices, there is far more communication between players and coaches. They practice special teams much more frequently. Calgary has already practised three-on-three overtime more this season at home than all of last season, where they went 5-12 in the extra frame and led the league with 30 one-goal losses. Flames players are allowed to celebrate a goal during practice and play music following wins.

During training camp, centre Nazem Kadri had an idea for a breakout and the team tried it that same week. New assistant coach Marc Savard has given his forwards the freedom to create in the offensive zone, as well as a bevy of new set plays. Those moments just didn’t exist a season ago under Sutter and his staff.

“I let them be creative,” Savard explained.

“When you get guys involved like that, I think they’re hungrier to help out.”

Star forward Jonathan Huberdeau, coming off a 55-point campaign in 2022-23 after scoring 115 points the previous season with the Florida Panthers, looks and feels far more confident and at ease in his second season in Calgary, the first of an eight-year, $84 million contract he signed last year.

“I feel really good right now on the ice,” he said.

“I feel good personally and just have to let loose and have fun out there.”

The Flames could be the most intriguing NHL team in 2023-24 because no one quite knows what they are yet. Are they the group that underachieved last season, or the one that on paper looks like one of the better teams in the Western Conference? That newfound enjoyment of coming to the rink is palpable. Add in the possible bounce-back campaigns from the likes of Huberdeau, goalie Jacob Markstrom, Kadri and others, and Calgary just might surprise the hockey world. Players believe they can be that sleeper team and are comfortable playing the role of the underdog a season after many expected them to win the West. 

“There’s just got to be a lot of accountability with players,” Coleman said.

“Staff set the standard with what they expect, and it’s on our leadership group and guys that have been around long enough to make sure we hold each other to it.”

5 QUESTIONS

Jonathan and Jacob

Huberdeau and Markstrom have more pressure on their shoulders than any other players. Huberdeau’s 60-point dropoff from 2021-22 to 2022-23 is the biggest in NHL history, and Markstrom is coming off an .892 save percentage season where far too often he allowed early goals. The Flames’ playoff hopes depend on those two rebounding to their career averages. 

Who plays with Huberdeau?

The early candidate is Dillon Dube, who again placed first in team fitness testing in training camp. Newcomer Yegor Sharangovich and Andrew Mangiapane didn’t fit with Huberdeau and Elias Lindholm at camp. Dube brings more speed than those two players and can back defenders off, opening up passing lanes for Huberdeau, but doesn’t have the shot that others in the top nine have. The team wants Huberdeau to shoot more, however, and Dube is good at driving the net and hunting rebounds. 

Where does Sharangovich end up?

Sharangovich was acquired from the New Jersey Devils for forward Tyler Toffoli, who had a career-high, 73-point season to lead the Flames in scoring. Early on, they’ve bounced Sharangovich on the left and right sides on the top three lines. He has a good shot and is a solid penalty killer, but the team felt he would mesh better on that top line early on. He’ll start with Kadri and Matthew Coronato, and the former 24-goal scorer could be an under-the-radar contributor if he finds his game. 

Will youth serve?

Huska and Conroy have been adamant that young players will have opportunities in this era of Flames hockey and been true to their word. Twenty-year-old Matthew Coronato is set to start the season in a top-six role, 24-year-old Adam Ruzicka will anchor the fourth line and see second unit power-play time, and 25-year-old Walker Duehr will also suit up. Reigning AHL goalie of the year Dustin Wolf is back with the Wranglers and winger Jakob Pelletier is on the injured reserve with a preseason shoulder injury. By the end of the season, just how much will these players, all 25 years old or younger, have contributed? Will they reward the organization’s faith in them?

How will the offence be unleashed?

Savard had other career options, including as a head coach, but chose to come to Calgary as an assistant under Huska. He’s arrived with an arsenal of set plays, energy, and a philosophy of allowing his players freedom to create. Calgary’s offence and power play last season was very stagnant and predictable. Under the former Flame, just how different will they look (and how many more goals will they score)?