The Calgary Flames are a team that lack high end talent, and at this point in time, it appears as though they are committed to their rebuild, meaning that those future stars will come to Calgary through the NHL Draft.
What that means is that 2026/27 is going to be an ugly season in Calgary, and for the first time ever, the organization will be in a prime spot to land themselves a top-three pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. However, with that comes opportunity, and with the team having some young names, there will be chances for players to solidify themselves in roles for the Flames in the years to come through this rebuild.
That rebuild could take a long time, but for now, we'll take a look at the season ahead in Calgary and predict the Flames leaders in specific categories.
Point Differential: Mikael Backlund
Given how the Flames struggled last season, it's no shock that just three players who played the full season came in at a positive point differential, and this off-season, the Flames dealt their leader in Blake Coleman, who led the team with a +12 mark.
Right behind him was the ever consistent Mikael Backlund, and while he'll lose his linemate of several years heading into 2026/27, he'll likely be played alongside Joel Farabee who is ready made to replace Coleman in the lineup. While this doesn't mean that Backlund will dominate this upcoming season, he still posted a differential of +7 a year ago despite the fact that he consistently went up against the opposing best lines night after night.
The second winger on Backlund's line will play a key role in the success of what has been a consistent line for years now, but whether it's Connor Zary, Samuel Honzek or someone else, Backlund will once again be among the best Flames performers.
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