As the 2024-25 NHL season approaches, the Calgary Flames find themselves amid a challenging rebuild. Unlike the Anaheim Ducks, who are also rebuilding but remain far from contention, the Flames have made some strides, accumulating intriguing prospects and players that can produce at a somewhat predictable level. However, for Calgary, especially when compared to their Pacific Division rivals, they might be fighting an uphill battle.
The Pacific Division remains fiercely competitive, with teams like the Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights, and Vancouver Canucks emerging as top contenders. The San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, and Los Angeles Kings are more of a toss-up, potentially having much better or much worse seasons than many predict.
The Ducks will struggle and this season might be more about changes than results.
The Top Teams In The Pacific Are Obvious
The Oilers, led by superstars like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, boast one of the league’s most formidable forward groups. With Zach Hyman, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Evander Kane, Adam Henrique, and newly acquired Jeff Skinner and Viktor Arvidsson, the Oilers realistically have as many as six 20-plus goals scorers in their top nine.
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Their defensive pairing of Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard has proven to be consistently good. If Darnell Nurse has a good season, he may never be worth his salary, but he can be extremely effective. Cody Ceci, Brett Kulak, and Philip Broberg round out the group.
The Oilers’ goaltending is still a bit unproven, but Stuart Skinner is finding his stride and is a legitimate starter in the NHL.
The Vancouver Canucks, another Pacific Division heavyweight, were good last season and should be good again. With a solid forward group led by J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Brock Boeser, and a defensive anchor in Quinn Hughes, the Canucks pose a serious threat. They have one of the better goaltenders in Thatcher Demko and the team has bought into Rick Tocchet’s system.
The Golden Knights are often near the top of the division, even though there is the possibility of regression. They have Jack Eichel and Mark Stone up front, with Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, and former Flames’ defenseman Noah Hanifin leading their group on the back end. This is a team that does everything they can to win. This coming season should be no exception.
The Middle of the Pack
The Los Angeles Kings and Seattle Kraken also appear to be in a better position than the Flames, but how they fare in the standings is a mystery. The Kings, with a balanced roster and a strong defensive unit, are likely to remain competitive, especially if an emerging talent like Quinton Byfield has a bigger season. They are still deep at center with Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala, and Phillip Danault and Drew Doughty has been among the league’s top minute-munchers for years. Still, their goaltending is suspect.
The Seattle Kraken, despite a step back in 2023-24, still have a solid blue line and promising young talent like Matty Beniers. They spent some money in free agency acquiring Brandon Montour and Chandler Stephenson, but it’s not clear if those gambles will pay off or if it was money poorly spent.
Will the Sharks take a big step thanks to their young stars? They lack elite-level stars, but they are trending in the right direction. For them, it’s more about when, not if these stars start to produce.
The Ducks Aren’t Expected To Quack Much
Anaheim has some good young players and a mix of veterans, but not much is expected of them this coming season. Trade talk surrounds Trevor Zegras and John Gibson, while the organization chooses to slow-play the development of future stars like Leo Carlsson. If they take a big step this season, it will surprise many.
What About the Flames and Their Roster?
In contrast to the rest of the division, the Flames’ roster lacks the depth and star power needed to compete at the same level as some of the elite teams. Jonathan Huberdeau, once a 115-point player, has struggled to regain his form and there is talk that Nazem Kadri might not be long for the rebuild.
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The team added some nice pieces as they sold off assets last season, but it’s debatable if Andrei Kuzmenko and Yegor Sharangovich can be enough at forward to make a real dent in the standings. Thinking they can compete with the more dynamic offenses in the Pacific is a stretch.
MacKenzie Weegar is Calgary’s top defenseman, and while Rasmus Andersson can be effective, injuries and trade rumors surround the blueliner. The team added Jake Bean, but the Flames defense is still a huge question mark.
Dustin Wolf, Calgary’s presumed starting goaltender, has just 18 NHL games under his belt. He could be great and he could struggle.
Given the Flames’ current roster and the strength of their Pacific Division rivals, a playoff berth seems unlikely. Calgary is likely to finish near the bottom of the standings as they navigate the growing pains of a rebuild. Their focus this season will be on development and future growth, rather than immediate success.
