Training camp for the Calgary Flames is nearly upon us.
While nobody is predicting that the Flames are going to be in the mix for a Stanley Cup this year, there’s still plenty of intrigue around the team and how the roster is going to shake out.
Will there be surprises on Day 1 of the regular season? Will a crafty veteran or a rising young gun earn more playing time than we might be expecting?
Here’s Part 2 of our series of questions for every player who we’re expecting to see at Flames training camp.
Dryden Hunt
How important is his leadership for the young guys?
Last year, Hunt split his time between the Flames and the Wranglers, playing in 28 NHL games and recording three goals and five assists. He’s a fourth-line option this season, to be sure, and his ability to slot in on the penalty kill should see him get opportunities. Hunt’s value goes beyond what he does on the ice, though. You’ll regularly hear young prospects talk about the help and guidance Hunt is willing to provide them, and as the organization has gotten younger over the past year or so, it needs guys like Hunt to provide that invaluable leadership to guys trying to find their way as pros.
Nazem Kadri
Is he happy being the best player on a bad team?
Nazem Kadri was everything the Flames could have asked him to be last season. On a team that was trading away veterans seemingly every week, Kadri kept his head down and took on the responsibility of helping young Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil find their feet in the NHL. He scored 29 goals and added 46 assists, and his 75 points were the most of any player on the Flames’ roster. It was a wildly impressive season, but it’s also led to questions about whether he might want out. Kadri hasn’t ever said anything publicly that suggests he does, but a centre putting up those sorts of numbers? What contender wouldn’t want to add that? He’s 33 years old and provides invaluable leadership for the Flames, but if the right offer came in, the Flames would have to consider moving him, wouldn’t they? It’s not fair to Kadri that this is the question, but it’s impossible to ignore.
Rory Kerins
Can he follow Connor Zary’s lead as a guy who needed to improve his skating to take advantage of his skill set?
Drafted in the sixth round in 2020, Kerins proved last season that he could absolutely contribute at the AHL level. He scored 16 goals and added 16 assists in 54 games, after all, so he’s shown that he’s adapting to the speed of the pro game. He’s still only 22 years old, so there’s time for him to develop, and the priority there is probably his skating. The same was said a few years ago about Zary, and after putting in the work he burst onto the scene with the Flames and established himself as an everyday NHLer last season.
Justin Kirkland
Is he the dark horse to win a job at centre?
The only sure things at centre for the Flames heading into the season are Kadri, Backlund and Kevin Rooney. There’s speculation about Martin Pospisil getting a look there, and Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary are options, too. But don’t forget about Kirkland. Back for a second go-around with the organization, Kirkland was one of the AHL’s top faceoff men last season and is a penalty killer you can trust. We’ll be paying attention to him at training camp, where a strong showing could put him right in the mix.
Adam Klapka
Is this the year he breaks through?
Since signing as a relatively unknown free agent in 2022, Klapka has come a long way. He was a “project” in his first season with the Calgary Wranglers, but last year emerged as an offensive force and even got called up for six games with the Flames, scoring his first NHL goal in their final regular season game. At 6-foot-8 and weighing in at 235 lbs., there’s no doubt Klapka will always be one of the biggest guys on the ice and he’s done a nice job adding tools to his game since turning pro. It should surprise nobody to see the Czech winger get a much longer look with the Flames this year — the only real question is how soon that opportunity arrives.
Andrei Kuzmenko
Can he show that he does more than just score goals?
There’s no question Kuzmenko can put the puck in the back of the net. In 2022-23 with the Vancouver Canucks, he potted 39 goals. He was also sixth in goals scored for the Flames last season and didn’t even play his first game with the team until February. Acquired as part of the deal that sent Elias Lindholm to Vancouver, the knock on Kuzmenko has always been the other parts of his game — particularly in his own end. You’d feel comfortable about Kuzmenko leading the Flames in goals this season, but nobody would be surprised if he’s flipped to a contender at the trade deadline, either. If he shows that he’s committed to the parts of his game that don’t involve scoring, though, Kuzmenko will be an extremely valuable player.
Ryan Lomberg
Is he still the same player Flames fans fell in love with five years ago?
The answer to this question is almost certainly ‘Yes.’ It’s not like Lomberg disappeared since leaving the Flames in 2019 — he won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers last year and was a fan favourite in Sunshine. Lomberg plays at a million miles a minute and is an expert at getting under opponents’ skin, so he’ll bring a level of excitement to the rink every night and could be a mentor to a guy like Martin Pospisil when it comes to playing with edge but not stepping too far over the line. Nobody’s expecting Lomberg to score 30 goals, but if he can go into the dirty areas and bring some physicality to the Flames’ forward group, Calgarians are going to love it.
Anthony Mantha
Can he bring out the best in Huberdeau?
From the moment he signed a one-year deal worth $3.5 million with the Flames on the first day of free agency, this was the question everyone was asking. The two worked with the same Montreal-based skill and skating coach in the off-season, and Conroy openly acknowledged that pairing Mantha’s shot with Huberdeau’s passing skills was intriguing to him. At 6-foot-5 and weighing in at 234 lbs., Mantha brings a lot more to the ice than just slick finishing, but you can’t help but wonder if he might be part of the solution for a Flames team that needs more out of Huberdeau.
Sam Morton
At his age, is he a prospect who can realistically push for a job sooner rather than later?
After completing his NCAA career with Minnesota State-Mankato in March, Morton signed with the Flames and wasted absolutely no time making his mark with the Wranglers in the AHL. He scored five goals and added two assists in 13 games and was one of the best players on the ice at this weekend’s Young Stars Tournament, recording two goals and an assist in two games. At 25 years old, you’d ideally like to see him pushing for a gig with the Flames pretty quickly. There’s no reason to doubt that he can, and a strong training camp could have him knocking on the door sooner rather than later.
