While anything can happen in a league with such parity, the consensus is that the Calgary Flames will struggle in 2024-25. Though general manager Craig Conroy has said tanking isn’t part of his plan, the struggles are somewhat by design as the organization heads for a rebuild in hopes of long-term success.
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As with many rebuilding teams, the Flames elected not to spend much money in free agency and now have over $20 million in cap space. This presents a great opportunity for many players to compete for spots on the opening-night roster, with open positions ripe for the taking. Here are seven Flames who will be fighting for a spot on the Flames this season.
Matt Coronato
The Flames do not need to rush their young talent, which could work against Matt Coronato. The 21-year-old boasts top-six forward potential, and management will avoid doing anything that could negate potential.
Coronato impressed in the American Hockey League (AHL) last season, posting 41 points in 42 games. Unsurprisingly, the NHL proved to be a much more difficult challenge, as he had just nine points in 34 contests. It will be up to him to show in training camp that he’s put in the work over the summer to help him contribute further at the NHL level.
Adam Klapka
Adam Klapka’s stock has risen dramatically since he signed with the Flames as an undrafted free agent ahead of the 2022-23 season. His biggest asset has always been his size, at a whopping 6-foot-6, 235 pounds. What many didn’t see coming is the strong development of his offensive game.
Klapka was a great power forward with the Calgary Wranglers last season, scoring 21 goals and 46 points in 61 games. While he doesn’t project to be a 20-goal scorer at the NHL level, another uptick in his offensive abilities could land him in a spot on the Flames’ fourth line come opening night.
Walker Duehr
An impressive 27-game stint to close out the 2022-23 season was enough for the Flames to reward Walker Duehr with a two-year, $1.65 million extension. He began the 2023-24 season with the Flames but was assigned to the AHL after compiling just one goal through 19 games.
Duehr was recalled later in the season but finished with just two goals and seven points in 40 games. The step back from an outbreak campaign in 2022-23…
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