The Calgary Flames are under fire after missing the playoffs last season. The pressure is on to bounce back, especially with some huge contracts on offense and in net.
The NHL doesn’t have too long of an off-season, but for varying reasons, NHL players and management are under pressure year-round. That pressure is what this THN.com hot seat series is all about, continuing today with the Calgary Flames.
In alphabetical order of teams, we’re identifying three individuals on one form of the hot seat or another. One player, coach, or GM will on the hot seat itself, labelling them as someone under major pressure to deliver positive results in 2023-24 or find themselves removed from their position. A second NHLer, GM or coach goes on the warm seat – a position signifying that, although a trade or firing isn’t imminent for them, there remains a possibility that individual’s time with the team ends sooner than later. A third person will be put on the cold seat, signifying an individual locked in with the franchise for the long term.
On we go to the Flames, who led the Pacific Division in 2021-22 but missed the playoffs in 2022-23.
Flames’ Hot Seat: Jacob Markstom, G
Calgary’s disastrous 2022-23 season can’t be laid completely at the feet of Markstrom, who, one year earlier, had posted terrific individual numbers. That said, there’s no question his subpar 2.92 goals-against average and .892 save percentage dug the Flames a hole they couldn’t get out of. If Markstrom continues to struggle this coming season, we can see new Calgary coach Ryan Huska turning to backup Dan Vladar or highly regarded prospect Dustin Wolf.
Per PuckPedia, Markstrom is under contract for the next three seasons at a cap hit of $6 million. But Calgary can’t afford to keep returning to Markstrom if he doesn’t rebound. Depending on the direction Flames GM Craig Conroy chooses for the team, we can see Calgary eventually trading or buying out Markstrom’s contract and going in a new direction between the pipes. The entire Flames team is looking to get back into the post-season, but with a defense corps that is likely to change at some point in the coming year, Markstrom and Vladar must improve.
Calgary can’t afford to keep running out Markstrom more nights than not simply because his salary says he’s the starter. Goalie success can be fleeting, and there will be many fans and media members prepared to move on from Markstrom if he can’t get back on track. He knows the heat is on – now, it’s about how he responds.
Flames’ Warm Seat: Jonathan Huberdeau, LW
Huberdeau’s first season as a Flame was thoroughly underwhelming, with the veteran winger generating just 15 goals (after scoring 30 the previous year) and 55 points (after amassing 115 in 2021-22). Compounding the pressure on Huberdeau is the fact his salary has almost doubled entering this season, moving from $5.9 million per year to a team-high $10.5 million now.
Huberdeau wasn’t the only Flame to underachieve in 2022-23. Calgary had only three players who scored more than 21 goals, and the only Flame who scored more than 24 times is the departed Tyler Toffoli – so they must see a turnaround from many players on the roster. That said, as Calgary’s biggest-salaried star, Huberdeau will have to deal with much of the spotlight and the backlash if he struggles again.
Having a new coach in Huska gives Huberdeau a chance to revitalize his game, but if he puts up another season of disappointing individual numbers, Huberdeau will be in trouble. His contract will make him essentially untradeable. He’s signed through the 2030-31 campaign, so Huberdeau could draw the ire of Flames fans, who will regard him as a financial albatross.
Huberdeau still has time to turn things around in Calgary, but the pressure on him will build very quickly if he doesn’t post a lot of points and the Flames don’t win a lot of games. That’s part and parcel of every highly paid player’s situation, regardless of the team. But long-suffering Flames fans want elite production from him, and anything less will keep the overall situation in Calgary sour.
Flames’ Cold Seat: Nazem Kadri, C
Like many Flames last season, Kadri chafed under the strain of playing for now-former Calgary coach Darryl Sutter. However, Kadri still placed second on the team in scoring with 24 goals in his first year on the squad, which is not bad at all.
Kadri’s contract – now in Year 2 of a seven-year, $49-million deal – makes him more difficult to trade, but his competitiveness and edge give him solid value for this Flames team.
If Conroy moves No. 1 center Elias Lindholm in a trade, Kadri will bump up a line, and his production will likely increase. He’s got too much term left on his contract to attract potential trade partners, but Kadri's no-move clause turns into a 13-team no-trade list in 2026-27, per PuckPedia. In theory, he could be moved under the right circumstances. Those circumstances won’t arise for a couple more seasons, though.
At age 32, Kadri is a Stanley Cup champion and someone who can be part of a winning organization. But given the limbo the Flames are currently in, he’s likely stuck in Calgary, in good times and in bad, until further notice.