Division rivals can make or break an entire NHL team’s year, whether it’s in the regular season or the second round of the playoffs. That’s why the Vancouver Canucks are undoubtedly keeping tabs on all seven of their fellow Pacific Division teams.
Throughout July, we’ll take a look at a new Pacific rival, and how they fared last year, how they’ve improved in the offseason, and what to expect from them in 2024-25. Today we’ll be looking at the Calgary Flames.
It’s amazing what a difference a few years can make. The Calgary Flames are a prime example of just how quickly a championship window can slam shut on you.
Over the last two years, Calgary has been forced to say goodbye to Matthew Tkachuk, Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan, Chris Tanev and Jacob Markstrom, with not a whole lot coming down the pipeline. And it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that this wasn’t the original plan; replacing Tkachuk and Gaudreau with Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri has completely backfired standings-wise.
The Flames’ downfall was a key contributor to the Canucks’ upswing in more ways than one. Vancouver took three of four contests against Calgary in the season series, and without Craig Conroy electing to launch a rebuild, the Canucks wouldn’t have been able to add both Nikita Zadorov and Elias Lindholm for their playoff push.
There’s still plenty of talent on the roster even with all the departures. Yegor Sharangovich had a breakout 59-point season, and was rewarded with a five-year extension on July 1. Kadri, Huberdeau and Blake Coleman led by example with 50+ point seasons, while 22 year-old Connor Zary potted 34 in his rookie campaign. Defender MacKenzie Weegar has proven to be the undisputed key return from the Tkachuk trade, notching 52 points.
The Flames have brought in reinforcements through free agency in Anthony Mantha and recent Stanley Cup champion Ryan Lomberg, but they shouldn’t be enough to push Calgary back into the playoff conversation.
But there’s only one Flame that Canucks fans care about: Andrei Kuzmenko.
After being acquired in the Lindholm deal, Kuzmenko outscored his 21-point pace in Vancouver, racking up another 25 in 14 less games. While some might point to that statline as proof of a mistake by the Canucks’ front office, it’s worth noting that Kuzmenko was receiving more opportunities as Calgary fell farther out of contention, and that’s when he wasn’t healthy scratched by head coach Ryan Huska.
For Calgary, the next three seasons are about weathering the storm until their brand new arena opens in 2027. The Flames are undoubtedly aiming for their next core’s window to open with the arena doors, with goalie of the future Dustin Wolf already getting reps and the likes of Zary, Matt Coronato, and new arrival Kevin Bahl slated to take on bigger roles this year. But that means another year of selling high on veterans ahead of the trade deadline and restocking the cupboard.
This rivalry has had a lot of juice in season’s past, but the Canucks’ roster should be fortified enough to take care of business against the Flames in 2024-25. And with Calgary on the docket for the season opener October 9, Vancouver will need to prove that and set the tone for the gauntlet ahead.
Positional Advantage
Forwards: Canucks
The Canucks had three forwards with more points than the Flames’ leading scorer (Nazem Kadri, 75 pts), and a fourth was only two points behind. This is barely a contest.
Defence: Canucks
Last season this battle would’ve been a lot closer with Chris Tanev playing 20 minutes a night, but now the Flames have a lot of new faces learning the ropes while the Canucks are almost running back an identical blue line.
Goaltending: Canucks
Dustin Wolf could be really good some day! But he and Dan Vladar are no match for the Demko/Silovs machine right now.
Bold Prediction
The Canucks will sweep the season series against the Flames this year. Now promise not to bookmark this and send it to me on social media if things go south.
Season Series
October 9 @ Rogers Arena
November 12 @ Rogers Arena
December 31 @ Scotiabank Saddledome
