3 questions facing Calgary Flames

NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Calgary Flames.

1. How will the Flames fare under coach Ryan Huska?

Huska, who was hired June 12, has never been an NHL coach before, but he did spend the previous five seasons as an assistant with the Flames, so he is more than familiar with their makeup.

That being said, his efforts to lead Calgary back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs will have to be done without the team's leading scorer from last season, forward Tyler Toffoli, who was traded to the New Jersey Devils for forward Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft on June 27. As a result, Huska will need to find a way for forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri to bounce back following their disappointing first seasons in Calgary.

2. How will Huberdeau and Kadri respond?

As mentioned above, Huberdeau is coming off a disappointing first season in Calgary, when he finished with 55 points (15 goals, 40 assists) in 79 games, a steep drop-off from the 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists) he had in 80 games with the Florida Panthers in 2021-22.

The 30-year-old has proven that he is a much better offensive player than what he showcased in 2022-23, so with him entering the first season of an eight-year, $84 million contract ($10.5 million average annual value), he knows it is time to "redeem" himself.

"I want to show myself and people that I still have it and have the confidence," Huberdeau told Flames TV on July 31. "A lot of it was mental, and this summer I'm getting my confidence back, and I feel good right now and ready to go for September."

Much like Huberdeau, Kadri will also be looking to regain his form after he had 56 points (24 goals, 32 assists) in 82 games with Calgary last season, down from the 87 points (28 goals, 59 assists) he had in 71 games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2021-22.

3. How will general manager Craig Conroy handle a roster with seven pending UFAs?

Forwards Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm, and defensemen Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, Jordan Oesterle and Dennis Gilbert are each entering the final season of his contract and can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2024.

Forwards Dillon Dube and Jakob Pelletier can also become restricted free agents after this season.

Conroy has said that he wants to integrate younger players into the Flames' lineup, so how many of those pending free agents receive an offer remains to be seen.

"You need what they bring day in and day out and it's nothing against the older players, but when you watch the League, you see what they're doing at 15, 16, 17 years old, and I can't even imagine doing that," Conroy said. "So, you have to bring that into your team, you have to give them a chance, you have to give them an opportunity."