The Calgary Flames closed out 2025 on a high note, dismantling the Philadelphia Flyers 5–1 on New Year’s Eve to get back to .500.
At 18-18-4, the Flames have steadied their season after an uneven start, riding a dominant home-ice presence to get there. Calgary has been one of the NHL’s toughest outs at the Scotiabank Saddledome, posting a 12-5-2 record while winning three straight games and seven of their last ten overall.
Those results have pulled the Flames directly into the Western Conference playoff conversation. With 40 points, Calgary is tied with the Nashville Predators and sits just one point back of a tightly packed group that includes the Utah Mammoth, Seattle Kraken, and Los Angeles Kings. In a conference where the margins are razor-thin, the Flames have reinserted themselves at precisely the right time.
Given how the season opened, that alone is noteworthy.
Early inconsistency, injuries, and questions about direction painted the Flames as a team likely headed toward a transitional year. Instead, they’ve leaned into structure, resilience, and an identity that has allowed them to bank points despite ongoing change. Goaltending has stabilized the lineup, home ice has become a legitimate advantage, and perhaps most importantly, the room has embraced a culture that values compete level and accountability on a nightly basis.
That identity, however, exists alongside a long-term plan that hasn’t wavered.
General manager Craig Conroy has been clear about the organization’s direction: get younger, accumulate assets, and build a sustainable core for the future. That vision naturally places veteran pieces like Rasmus Andersson, Blake Coleman, and Nazem Kadri at the center of trade speculation. Moving any—or all—of them could accelerate the rebuild by bringing in prospects and draft capital, potentially even before the Olympic break.
But success has a way of complicating plans.
If the Flames continue to climb and find themselves holding a playoff spot, the calculus changes. Is a postseason appearance enough reason to stay the course with the current roster? Does winning now justify keeping key veterans, or even exploring an extension for Andersson, who has been instrumental on the back end? These are the questions that emerge when progress arrives sooner than expected.
The irony, of course, is that without those very veterans, the Flames wouldn’t be in this position at all. Their leadership, consistency, and ability to steady younger players have been critical to Calgary’s resurgence. That reality strengthens both sides of the argument—whether to cash in assets or push forward with a group that has proven it can compete.
As the calendar flips and the playoff race tightens, the Flames find themselves at a crossroads shaped by success. Plans can change. Timelines can shift. What remains clear is that Calgary has given itself meaningful games in January—and perhaps a decision that’s far more complicated than anyone anticipated.