Despite being just three games into the 2026/27 NHL season, the Calgary Flames have recently made some major moves, with one of the bigger stories of the year thus far being their decision to waive former first-round pick Connor Zary.
Surprisingly to some, unsurprisingly to others, the 25-year-old passed through waivers alongside Brayden Pachal, and now, looking to find his groove again, he'll play a key role with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers.
Now, the two recalls have been made ahead of Thursday's matchup with the Colorado Avalanche, and while Aydar Suniev made plenty of sense, the other name was up in the air, but now the announcement has been made official.
Calgary Flames Recall Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna
This pre-season, Aydar Suniev was the story of the Flames, as he proved that he's got high-end offensive upside, scoring multiple goals through the NexGen Rookie Showcase and two pre-season appearances. In two AHL games, Suniev had just one assist, but at 21-years-old, it was only a matter of time until he made the full-time leap to the NHL, and with that Connor Zary spot open, he should be played in the top-six almost immediately.
Forwards Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna have been recalled from the @AHLWranglers. pic.twitter.com/1jbbt6NjP8
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) October 7, 2026
The other name was always a mystery however, as the team could have gone 13F/8D, but instead, they chose another forward in Jonathan Castagna, and based on Episode 1 of The Chase, it was clear that Craig Conroy had high for the former third-round draft pick.
In two AHL games this season, Castagna has two goals and a +3 differential as the Wranglers have gone 2-0-0, and given his size (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) and his two-way abilities, it was a matter of when, not if we'd see him in the NHL. Long-term, he projects as a replacement for Ryan Strome, but immediately, it's more likely that we see him on the fourth-line, replacing any of Maxim Tsyplakov, Adam Klapka, Martin Pospisil or Brennan Othmann.
What Will the Flames Forward Group be on Thursday?
Right now, the Flames top line of Gridin-Frost-Coronato appears locked in, and for some reason, Ryan Huska appears unwilling to break up the duo of Mikael Backlund and Joel Farabee on the second line, but beyond that, anything is open to change. So, how should the Flames line up? While this may not be how things go, this is what we would do ahead of Thursday's clash with the Avalanche.
Matvei Gridin | Morgan Frost | Matt Coronato |
|---|---|---|
Samuel Honzek | Mikael Backlund | Joel Farabee |
Aydar Suniev | Ryan Strome | Yegor Sharangovich |
Brennan Othmann | Jonathan Castagna | Martin Pospisil |
On top of that, the Flames have had Farabee playing on the top powerplay group, and without much offensive upside, that role should be given to Suniev, who has shown ability as a finisher, making him a perfect fit with Frost, Gridin, Coronato and Zayne Parekh.
Only time will tell how Ryan Huska plays things out, but after being outscored 16-3 in their first three games, giving the youth an extended opportunity is the best play for this organization moving forward.
Add us as a preferred source on Google