Heading into the 2026/27 regular season, the expectations around the Calgary Flames are known around the league, with the team likely to be among the three worst squads in the National Hockey League given their lack of elite level talent.
Sure, there's excitement for the future, with many key prospects expected to make their debut following the 2026/27 NCAA campaign, but beyond the likes of Matvei Gridin, Matt Coronato, Zayne Parekh, Dustin Wolf and Simon Nemec, there's very little to look forward too.
That means that training camp won't be too newsworthy in Calgary, and while the team is likely set in stone, with potential trades and injuries, the following five players could potentially push to take a spot ahead of the regular season.
5. Abram Wiebe
Arriving in the Rasmus Andersson trade, Abram Wiebe had his best campaign at the NCAA level with North Dakota a year ago, posting 5 goals and 29 points as a defenseman across 40 games in his final college season. Due to injuries, he was quickly thrust into the Flames lineup late in the season, and while he had limited opportunities in four games, that experience will be invaluable to him in the years to come.
At 6-foot-3, 206 pounds with a very mobile frame, Wiebe has the potential to be a very good bottom-pairing defenseman in the NHL, but with the Flames adding Zach Whitecloud in the same deal and Simon Nemec in the summer, spots on the Flames blue line are very limited.
More likely than not, Wiebe will start the season as one of the Calgary Wranglers most important players, but with Yan Kuznetsov's role on the third pairing not yet set in stone, there's a chance that we see the 23-year-old Wiebe push to take over his role.
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