As the entire NHL knows, the Calgary Flames are in the midst of a rebuild, and while a developing prospect pool has the organization and their fans filled with excitement, the lack of proven talent at the NHL level is very, very clear.
Sure, the team saw some young players develop in 2025/26, with the likes of Matvei Gridin and Matt Coronato emerging as genuine top-six players in the NHL moving forward, but as of right now, it's just not enough to be even thinking about the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2026/27 or even 2027/28.
So, how does that reflect in the teams rating on the annual EA NHL video game? Well, the top-300 players were recently revealed, and while the Flames have some promise, their lack of an elite level player has never been more noticeable.
Calgary Flames Have no Player Rated in the 90's
Teams like the Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, Carolina Hurricanes and other contenders all have at least two, if not three, four or five players rated in the 90's, but for the Calgary Flames, there's no such thing, with the last player to be rated 90 or better in the video games being Jonathan Huberdeau and Jacob Markstrom back in NHL23, released ahead of the 2022/23 season.
This year, the Flames top rated player is deservedly Dustin Wolf, who appears to finally be getting recognized on a national level, as he was honored with an 87 overall, rating him 10th among goaltenders in the National Hockey League. Last season may not have been the 25-year-old's best in the NHL, but clearly, his production at both the AHL and NHL level, which has consistently improved in recent years has gotten him notoriety, as he's deservedly recognized among the best net minders in the NHL.
How Many Calgary Flames are in the Top-300?
Things may look dire for the Flames ahead of their second season into a rebuild, but that doesn't mean they have no presence beyond Wolf in the top-300, as a further five Calgary players feature on the list.
Those players are as follows:
Matt Coronato - 85 Overall
Morgan Frost - 85 Overall
Simon Nemec - 85 Overall
Jake Middleton - 85 Overall
Mikael Backlund - 84 Overall
Right now and for the past few seasons, Flames fans have been complaining that the team is simply 'mid', meaning they have some good players, but not good enough to be a post-season contender, while also not being bad enough to force their way into the No. 1 overall pick in the NHL Draft conversation. Once again, this roster is reflective of that, but after the team have traded the likes of Mackenzie Weegar, Nazem Kadri, Rasmus Andersson, Chris Tanev, Noah Hanifin and Elias Lindholm, it's going to take some time to escape that stigma.
Ultimately, this isn't the worst roster we've ever seen in the NHL video games, but it's a very, very mediocre one, so for Flames fans hoping for a contending squad, it's going to be a number of years before the prospect pool can prove themselves enough for this to be a great team to play with on the video game.
So, with these six making the NHL's top-300, we ask you Flames fans, do you think EA got their ratings right here? Is there anyone they missed out? Is there anyone you believe among this group to be rated too high?
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