The Calgary Flames are off to a horrid start, and despite playing two teams that many believed they'd be battling for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NHL Draft, they've been outscored 16-3 while posting an 0-3-0 record.
Given those numbers, it's tougher to see which has been a bigger struggle in Calgary; the 1.00 goals scored per game or the 5.33 goals allowed per game, both of which rank 32nd in the National Hockey League.
The latter will be hard to improve upon with no reinforcements coming, but the one goal per game can indeed be changed, and as a result, the team are still reportedly interested in a former 40-goal scorer.
Calgary Flames Keeping Tabs on Free Agent Patrik Laine
Obviously, the focus needs to be on the future, and after promoting both Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna on Wednesday, the Flames made it clear that the future of the organization is the priority in 2026/27.
That was addressed by Pierre LeBrun in his latest for The Athletic, as he reveals the Flames want to see what they have in their youth first, but if nothing improves, they could potentially take a look at Patrik Laine, citing his powerplay abilities as a fit for the Flames.
"The Calgary Flames were last in the NHL in scoring last year, but even more importantly, they were 31st on the power play, which is where Laine could help. My understanding is that the Flames have indeed talked about Laine internally, but I think for now they want to take a longer look at their younger guys early in the season."Pierre LeBrun
NEW for @TheAthletic,
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) October 7, 2026
Gretzky on Ovechkin (and Crosby) plus items on Patrik Laine, David Perron, Barkov/Panthers, Quinn Hughes, Team Canada next GM, Pavel Zacha and more in Rumblings ⤵️https://t.co/rNTFriMlqU
Could Patrik Laine Help the Calgary Flames?
Given that the Flames promoted both Suniev and Castagna, it's clear they'll be giving them a chance to make an impact, but the PP is still where the team struggle, and given that Joel Farabee is currently on the PP1 (could change with Suniev's arrival), Laine could be a fit.
Obviously, the preference among Flames fans is to see what the organization has in its young players, and if Laine were to take a top-nine spot from any of Honzek, Gridin, Coronato or Suniev, it would be a very unpopular move. However, that still leaves both Yegor Sharangovich and Farabee as players that could be replaced by Laine, and if the spark of two prospects arriving doesn't help, that possibility becomes all the more likely.
Ultimately, Laine could also be a player that's flipped at the deadline for a third or fourth round pick, and while the preference remains the youth in Calgary, if things don't turn around, taking a chance on Laine at the minimum could help the team in several different ways.
Add us as a preferred source on Google