The Flames have a number of young defencemen looking to establish themselves — and their goalies hold intrigue

Today, we’re finishing it off with the defencemen and goalies:

Rasmus Andersson

How will he handle the speculation about his future?

Andersson has done everything the Flames have asked of him and has never once expressed that he wants out of Calgary. That’s got to be said first. But with two years left on his team-friendly contract, his name is already popping up in trade rumours. Fair or not, a guy as talented as Andersson in the situation he finds himself in is going to get talked about. What team wouldn’t want him? For all intents and purposes, though, Andersson is the Flames’ No. 1 defenceman. He’s a leader in the locker room and a guy who can help establish the culture the Flames are looking for. They won’t be in a rush to flip him and it’s never fun to have constant speculation about your future swirling around. We suspect Andersson will handle it just fine.

Jonathan Aspirot

With all the youngsters in the Wranglers lineup, where does he fit in?

Aspirot played 66 games with the Wranglers last year, scoring six times and adding 27 assists. The 25-year-old is clearly a productive player at The AHL level who brings physicality and leadership, too. With Hunter Brzustewicz and Etienne Morin getting added to a Wranglers d-corps that already features a couple guys in their early 20s who are on the come-up, Aspirot’s experience absolutely has value. But getting him ice time without blocking the development of those younger blueliners will be a balancing act.

Kevin Bahl

Can he be the new Big Z?

Comparing Bahl to Zadorov just because they’re both tall is probably pretty lazy. But when two guys are 6-foot-6, it’s hard to ignore. Zadorov was traded away early last season and his physical presence was missed at times later in the season. In Bahl, whom the Flames acquired in the trade that sent Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils, they got a guy who might not put up the same offensive numbers as Zadorov did, but he was a plus-1 last season — Zadorov was minus-6 when they traded him — and is a 24-year-old who already has 148 NHL games to his name. He played all 82 games for the Devils last year, too, so he’s clearly capable. Bahl is one of the most intriguing players on the Flames roster.

Tyson Barrie

Can he make the team?

Barrie is at camp on a professional tryout contract, but it isn’t hard to imagine a world where he signs full-time with the Flames and becomes a valuable contributor. The 33-year-old has 809 games of NHL action to his name after all, and has scored 109 goals and added 396 assists. He’d instantly become the Flames’ most experienced defenceman and would be a proven option on the power-play. The Flames have competition for jobs, though, so he’ll have to have a strong camp.

Jake Bean

Can he rediscover the best version of himself?

Bean was a star with the Calgary Hitmen, but it’s never felt like it’s fully come together for him in the NHL. Part of that is opportunity, part of that is bad luck. The Flames signed him in free agency this summer and he’s going to have every chance to find his game and be a major factor. It’s not inconceivable that he’ll be third in ice time among Flames defencemen behind Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar. The hope is that coming home will help him rediscover some of the magic that he showed in junior and led the Carolina Hurricanes to pick him 13th overall in 2016.

Hunter Brzustewicz

How quickly can he impose his style of play at the pro level?

Artem Grushnikov

How far off is he?

Practically from the moment he was acquired from the Dallas Stars alongside draft picks in exchange for Chris Tanev, the Flames have been preaching patience with Grushnikov. They’re really high on his future and absolutely believe he can contribute at the AHL level, but the Russian leftie may still be a year or two away from pushing for a roster spot. He played 20 games with the Wranglers last year and picked up one point, while also making 44 appearances for the Texas Stars, Dallas’s AHL affiliate. His defensive work is his calling card; the only real question is how long it’s going to be before he’s competing for NHL playing time.

Joel Hanley/ Brayden Pachal

Which of these two is the frontrunner to be the sixth defenceman?

Pachal played 50 games last season. Hanley skated in 42. They’re both trusted, reliable blueliners who are capable of getting the job done for the Flames this season and you’d put your money on them playing games. The Flames have five defencemen — Weegar, Andersson, Bahl, Bean and Miromanov — who we expect to be locked in to regular minutes and Barrie could definitely claim a spot, too. But Hanley and Pachal will be in the mix.

Joni Jurmo

Can he make his mark?

Yan Kuznetsov

Can he find full-season consistency?

Speaking at the Wranglers’ end-of-season media availability last year, Kuznetsov talked about wanting to work on the mental side of his game over the summer and find a way to avoid in-season peaks and valleys. An issue he’d identified with his own game was that he struggled with finding a consistent level of play throughout an entire season. The 22-year-old has time on his side and it’s worth noting that he played well enough with the Wranglers over 63 games last year to earn a one-game call-up from the Flames in early January. If he can be his best and maintain that level, he’ll be giving himself the best chance at an extended NHL stay.

Daniil Miromanov

Are his injury woes behind him?

It felt like Miromanov barely scratched the surface of what he’s capable of after he joined the Flames as part of the trade that sent Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights. He was working his way back to form following major knee surgery, and while the Golden Knights’ depth chart at defence had limited his NHL playing time, he’d shown enough that Flames GM Craig Conroy not only targeted him in the trade, he immediately signed him to a two-year extension. In 20 games with the Flames, Miromanov scored three times and added four assists. With a full summer to rebuild his strength, though, he may look like a different player in 2024-25.

Etienne Morin

Can he separate himself from the pack of young Flames defenders?

Drafted in the second round, 48th overall, in 2023, Morin might not be getting the same attention that some of the young defencemen the Flames have acquired since are getting. It would be foolish to ignore him, though. The Flames signed him to an entry-level contract after development camp in June and it’s expected that he’ll be joining the Wranglers this year. His numbers dipped slightly last year with the Moncton Wildcats, but Morin is well-rounded and has a bright future.

Zayne Parekh

How soon can we expect to see him in Calgary full-time?

Expectations are understandably high for Parekh, whom the Flames took ninth overall in this summer’s NHL Draft. How high? We’re talking about a potential No. 1 defenceman who was named the CHL’s top defenceman last season and whose 96 points were the third-most by a 17-year-old d-man in CHL history. Parekh could be a genuine superstar, in other words. That doesn’t necessarily mean he needs to spend the season in Calgary, though. He’s still as young as they get at this level and might benefit from heading back to junior for another year leading a very good Saginaw Spirit squad as they look to defend their Memorial Cup.

Jeremie Poirier

Can he get some good injury luck on his side?

It’s hard not to root for Poirier to have an injury-free year. Last season, he dealt with an injury right before the start of training camp and then suffered a terrifying laceration early in the year for playing for the Wranglers that limited his ability to even close his hand for the rest of the year. That’s awful, plain and simple, and the 22-year-old deserves to have a little luck on his side this year. He’s shown he can be a dynamic offensive blueliner in the AHL and if he’s injury-free he should be on an upward trajectory that could eventually land him a look with the Flames.

Ilya Solovyov

Is there space for him on the roster this season?

Solovyov played 10 games with the Flames last year and got a four-game look towards the end of the season. He’s clearly on the bubble and after signing a two-year extension on Wednesday, right before the start of camp, he’s going to be around for a while. How much will he play for the Flames this year, though? At 24 years old, he’s at the age where you’d really like to see him getting more games, but there’s competition for the sixth job on the blue line.

Jarred Tinordi

Can he muscle his way into an NHL job?

The Flames signed Tinordi to a one-year, two-way deal in early September, and while it’s generally expected that he’ll be providing veteran leadership in the AHL most of the time, he could absolutely make some hay with the Flames, too. He’s 32 years old and has played 205 games, including 52 last season with the Chicago Blackhawks. He can play on the penalty kill, is extremely comfortable with the physical side of the game and is willing to drop the mitts with the NHL’s heaviest of heavyweights. The Flames aren’t exactly stacked with fighters, so the snarl in Tinordi’s game could be valuable.

MacKenzie Weegar

How important is he to this team?

We could ask about whether Weegar is happy being in Calgary, given that he’s a 30-year-old who scored 20 goals last year and would definitely have interested suitors if he wanted out of this rebuild. But we’re not going to ask that. Weegar has been exceedingly clear that he wants to be in Calgary and help the Flames rebuild. So instead, we’re just highlighting how important Weegar has become to this team. He’s one of the six leaders who head coach Ryan Huska highlighted on Thursday on the first day of training camp. With Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin gone, Weegar and Andersson are the undisputed leaders of the Flames blueline and Weegar will be hoping to be even better than his career-best season last year.

Goalies

Devin Cooley

Can he upend the expected NHL tandem?

Pretty much everyone is expecting Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar to split time between the pipes for the Flames this season, but don’t completely count out Cooley. The 27-year-old played six games with the San Jose Sharks last year, posting a not-great 4.98 goals-against-average and an .870 save percentage. Terry Sawchuk himself would have struggled in net for last year’s Sharks, though, so don’t hold those numbers against him. It’s not like Wolf or Vladar are proven NHL starters, either, so Cooley could work his way into the mix.

Waltteri Ignatjew

How quickly can he adapt to North American hockey?

The Flames signed Ignatjew to a one-year, two-way deal back in April and the Finnish shot-stopper carries a lot of intrigue into his first year on this side of the pond. He played in 45 games for Mora IK in the Swedish Allsvenskan League and posted a 2.34 goals-against-average and a .918 save percentage, earning himself goalie of the year honours. He could be a diamond in the rough who the Flames uncovered, but adjusting to North American ice and the pace of play is a process.

Dan Vladar

Is he a No. 1 goalie and how will he bounce back from hip surgery?

Dustin Wolf

Is it his time?

Dustin Wolf has been waiting for this opportunity. He was the best goalie in the WHL and then the best goalie in the AHL, and yet questions lingered about whether he could excel in the NHL because of his size. His 6-foot frame didn’t seem like a hindrance at the end of last season, though, when he won his final four games, and with Jacob Markstrom in New Jersey now Wolf will be in the NHL full-time after playing in 17 games last year. Will he be the No. 1? He’ll be fighting for that job throughout training camp. Either way, he’s an NHLer now.