In this Summer Coolers episode of NHL Wraparound, hosts Neil Smith and Vic Morren dive into the state of the Calgary Flames—a team coming off a surprising 2024–25 campaign that ended in heartbreak. Despite being one of the league’s feel-good stories down the stretch, the Flames missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season, falling short via regulation win tiebreaker to the St. Louis Blues.

With no major additions and two notable losses—Dan Vladar to Philadelphia and Anthony Mantha to Pittsburgh—the Flames opted to run it back with nearly the same lineup. The big question: Is that enough in an improving Western Conference?

The hosts break down what Calgary retained, highlight the need for scoring help, and examine whether Dustin Wolf can carry the goaltending load without proven backup support.

IN THIS EPISODE:

[00:00] Recap: Flames just miss postseason on tiebreaker

[00:38] No outside additions, just internal retention

[01:00] Breaking down the J.J. Peterka trade & what was lost

[01:45] Offensive challenges: 29th in NHL in goals per game

[02:00] Who’s back: Coronado, Kevin Bahl, Morgan Frost, Joel Hanley

[03:00] Jonathan Huberdeau’s contract vs. performance

[04:00] Goaltending outlook: Dustin Wolf as the No. 1

[04:30] Lack of experience behind Wolf with Devin Cooley

[05:00] Blue line leadership & future of Rasmus Andersson

[05:30] Zayne Parekh and the hope of future upside

[06:00] Why a wildcard is the best-case scenario

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Calgary’s quiet offseason is a head-scratcher, especially with $15M+ in cap space unused.

Dustin Wolf is the new starter in goal, but with no experienced backup, the position remains fragile.

Jonathan Huberdeau’s contract (still one of the NHL’s worst value deals) looms large until his production returns.

Rasmus Andersson’s future is a trade deadline storyline to watch as he enters the final year of his deal.

The Flames didn’t upgrade—and in a stronger Pacific Division, standing still might equal regression.

RESOURCE LINKS:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgBj1LV0-DMfBhcRPSJZLjA

X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/NHLWraparound

Neil Smith: https://twitter.com/NYCNeil

Vic Morren: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vic-morren-7038737/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nhlwraparound/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nhlwraparound

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61555451139787

#NHL #Hockey #Podcast #CalgaryFlames #DanVladar #AnthonyMantha #KevinBahl #RasmusAndersson #JoelHanley #MackenzieWeegar #JakeBean #MattCoronato #AdamKlapka #MorganFrost #JustinKirkland #JonathanHuberdeau #NazemKadri #DustinWolf #DevinCooley #ZayneParekh