The Calgary Flames are now home until the holidays.
The Flames, after finally earning a win in their road whites with Tuesday’s 4-3 triumph in Nashville, will play five straight at the Saddledome before Santa loads up his sleigh.
That is a big opportunity for a team that has rolled to a 10-3-1 record in their own barn. A few more Ws are on the wish list before the break.
As the Flames prep for Thursday’s showdown with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Postmedia beat reporters Danny Austin and Wes Gilbertson answer your questions in our latest edition of Hot Topics …
We’ll start with a social media submission from Kevin, who asks: “What are the pros and cons of keeping/trading Rasmus Andersson?”
GILBERTSON: Half of this answer is really easy for me. The con is that you’d no longer have your best defenceman. I don’t think it’s a secret that I’m a big fan of Andersson’s game. If he was traded, it would leave a huge hole on the Flames’ roster. There’s a reason that Andersson plays nearly 25 minutes a night. There’s a reason that I believe the 28-year-old will be their next captain. Now, I understand the ‘pro’ side of the debate too — workhorse blue-liners don’t grow on trees and especially because of Andersson’s bargain contract, the Flames could command a massive haul in trade talks. Maybe that ultimately helps the rebuild. But as long as Andersson is willing to extend before his deal expires at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, I’d be keeping him.
Brendan asks, “Without a single player within the Top 100 in league scoring, how important is it for the Flames to add a ‘star,’ whether that be at the deadline or before next season?”
AUSTIN: The answer to this one depends on what the immediate goals are for the organization, right? It’s pretty clear to me that long term, the Flames need a young centre who can drive offence, but those guys are typically found through the draft. That means that trading any of the prized picks you’ve acquired over the past year and a half at the deadline is counterproductive unless there’s a home-run deal available that nets you a star in the middle who is in his early 20s. Free agency is a different story, of course, and the Flames do have the cap space to go after impactful players next summer. But by and large, the Flames are doing what they set out to do this year. They’re not getting blown out every night and allowing a losing culture to set in. Riding that out and building through the draft still makes the most sense to me, at least.
Justin wonders if he should be worried about Calgary’s rookie puck-stopper. He asks, “With three straight losses and a 4.79 GAA and .847 save percentage in his last three games, has the league started to solve Dustin Wolf or is this just a bad streak?”
GILBERTSON: I remember watching Dustin Wolf’s first pro start, back in 2021 when the Flames’ farm team was based at the Saddledome due to the challenges of crossing the border during the pandemic. Wolf was hooked early after surrendering five goals on 11 shots. In the press box, I was guilty of thinking, ‘Oh jeez, he might be in over his head.’ I was wrong. My other memory from that day is they gave the kid the option to pass on post-game media, not uncommon for a netminder who has just been shelled. But Wolf was willing to chat and assured me that it was nothing more than a tough day at the office. What’s the point of that story? 1) Goalies are going to have rotten games and rough stretches. 2) One of Wolf’s strengths is his ability to maintain his confidence when things are not going his way. I just rewatched all 14 goals that he has allowed during this three-game span and while there are a couple of groaners, like that puck-handling gaffe in Dallas, I see more deflections and odd-man rushes than I see evidence that the league has figured him out. I wouldn’t fret.
JJ also wants to talk netminding. He asks, “At what stage do you pick your No. 1 goalie and give him the reins? How can Wolf become the goalie we hope he will be if he’s only playing half the season?”
AUSTIN: This season? I don’t think the Flames are ever going to feel any pressure to make that decision. I love watching Wolf as much as anyone, but he’s only 23 years old and his next start will equal his career-high total from last year. If we look at the stats around the NHL, no goalie his age in the entire league has played as many games as Wolf has. He’s started the 31st-most games and is the youngest goalie in the top 50 in minutes played. Most guys his age are still honing their skills in the AHL, so if he plays half the season, that’s a big investment the Flames will have made in his development. I’d be more worried about overworking Wolf than I would be about stunting his development by having him split starting duties with Dan Vladar.
Let’s wrap with a two-parter, also from social media: When is it time to take a look at Rory Kerins and how much upside does the organization still feel Jakob Pelletier has? Can he be a 50-point scorer?
GILBERTSON: Let me tackle the first part … Kerins, who is currently skating as the Wranglers’ first-line centre, has been one of the best stories in the AHL this season. Heading into Wednesday’s home date, the 22-year-old had racked up 27 points in 24 outings. He was tied for the minor-league scoring lead with a dude who has nearly 400 games of NHL experience. So how soon does Kerins get his first look at the top level? He’s definitely rocketed onto the call-up radar with his scorching start. Remember, he wasn’t tapped for any exhibition action this fall, usually a sign that you’re buried on the organizational depth chart. I get the sense the Flames would prefer to leave him in a key role with the Wranglers for now, but he’d be the obvious candidate in case of injury to one of their top three centres.
AUSTIN: I’ll handle the Pelletier part of this question. At this point in his career, I don’t know that Pelletier is trending towards being a 50-point player, but I don’t necessarily think that means he isn’t going to be a good, useful NHLer. He’s scored and added an assist in four games since being called up from the Wranglers, but it was head coach Ryan Huska installing Pelletier on the penalty kill that caught my eye. It coincided with a team-wide improvement when the Flames are shorthanded and showed confidence in his effectiveness in an important part of the game. If the expectation is that Pelletier is going to one day become a first-liner, that’s misplaced. But as a third or fourth-line player who is responsible in his own end and can bring energy every night while also playing on the PK? It’s a small sample size, but Pelletier looks back on track to becoming that player.
Is there a Hot Topic that you’d like Danny Austin and Wes Gilbertson to discuss next week? Send your idea to [email protected] or [email protected].