Identifying the Future Core of the Calgary Flames

Identifying the Future Core of the Calgary Flames

Let’s be honest, Flames fans—the last few seasons have felt like a rollercoaster you can’t quite get off. Just when you think you’re climbing, there’s a sudden drop. With a mix of veteran contracts, promising youth, and a team in clear transition, one question looms larger than any other at the Scotiabank Saddledome: Who exactly is the future core of this team?

Identifying that core isn't just armchair GM fun; it’s the essential blueprint for GM Craig Conroy and head coach Ryan Huska. It dictates every draft pick, trade, and contract negotiation. It’s about separating the foundational pieces from the supporting cast, the players you build around from the players you build with. As we navigate the 2023-24 NHL season and look beyond, let’s dig into the players who are shaping up to be the heart and soul of the Calgary Flames for the next era.

What Does "Future Core" Even Mean?

Before we name names, let’s define our terms. In the National Hockey League, a "core player" isn’t just your best guy. It’s a combination of skill, contract status, age, and intangible impact. A future core player typically:

Is under team control for the foreseeable future (either through a long-term deal or being young/under team control via RFA status).
Is in, or entering, their prime performance years (generally ages 22-30 for skaters).
Plays a premium position (Top-6 center, top-pairing defenseman, starting goalie) or brings an elite, irreplaceable skill.
Embodies the identity the team wants to play with, both on and off the ice.

With the Flames’ competitive window in flux, the focus is shifting from an "all-in" veteran core to a new, younger group. Let’s break down the candidates.

The Established Pillars: The Bridge to the Future

This group carries the heaviest contracts and expectations today. Their performance and leadership are critical in mentoring the next wave while keeping the team competitive in the tough Pacific Division.

Jonathan Huberdeau & Nazem Kadri: The big-ticket veterans. Their massive, long-term contracts mean they are inextricably part of the Flames' future, like it or not. The mission for Huska and his staff is to unlock Huberdeau’s elite playmaking consistently and allow Kadri to be the swiss-army-knife, two-way center he was signed to be. They are less "future" in age, but absolutely core in terms of cap allocation and on-ice responsibility. Their success is the single biggest factor in the Flames avoiding a lengthy rebuild. For more on Kadri’s specific role, check out our deep dive into his leadership profile.

Jacob Markström: When he’s on, he’s a Vezina-caliber wall. A starting goalie of his caliber is a core piece by default. The question is his age (34) and term (two more years after this season). The Flames' transition timeline may not perfectly align with Markström’s peak, but his presence provides stability and a chance to win any game, which is invaluable for a developing team.

The Emerging Heartbeat: The Under-25 Contingent

This is where the real excitement—and the true future—lies. These are the players on affordable, team-friendly deals who are proving they belong.

Connor Zary: The revelation of the 2023-24 NHL season. Zary didn’t just make the team; he injected it with pace, skill, and a relentless work ethic. He looks like a future top-6 fixture, potentially at center. His ability to drive play and produce offense makes him a prime candidate for a foundational piece. He’s exactly the type of homegrown talent the Calgary Flames need to build around.

Matt Coronato & Jakob Pelletier: Both high-skill, first-round wingers with something to prove. Coronato has a shooter’s instinct the team desperately needs, while Pelletier’s tenacity and hockey IQ are undeniable. Their development into consistent top-9, and eventually top-6, wingers is a key storyline for the Flames' offensive future.

Dustin Wolf: The heir apparent in net. His dominance at the AHL level is historic, and the only question is when the crease becomes fully his. Wolf represents the future in goal, and managing the transition from Markström to him is one of Conroy’s most delicate and important tasks.

The Critical "Prove It" Group

These players have shown flashes of core potential but need to establish consistency or define their ultimate role.

Yegor Sharangovich: Acquired in the Tyler Toffoli trade, he’s been a pleasant surprise with his goal-scoring. Is he a complementary top-6 scorer or a core piece? This season is his audition to show he can be a primary offensive driver.

The Young Defense (Andersson, Weegar, Kylington): Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar are the current top pairing and are signed long-term. They are core pieces in the present. Oliver Kylington’s triumphant return adds a unique element of mobility and offense. The future defensive core likely revolves around this group, but the Flames desperately need a top-pairing, left-shot defenseman of the future to emerge, whether from within (Yan Kuznetsov, Jeremie Poirier) or via trade/draft.

The Pipeline Promise: Names to Know

The future core isn’t only on the NHL roster. The prospect pool, while not considered elite, has intriguing potential core pieces.

Samuel Honzek (2023, 1st Rd): A big, skilled power winger with top-6 potential. His development is crucial.
Lucas Ciona (2021, 6th Rd): A throwback power forward who could become a fan favorite and a physical, bottom-6 cornerstone.
* Akim Aliu (Just kidding! But seriously, the 2024 & 2025 Drafts): The most important future core players for the Calgary Flames might not be in the organization yet. With multiple first-round picks in the coming years, Craig Conroy has a golden opportunity to add elite, blue-chip talent.

How the Future Core is Being Built: A New Philosophy

Gone are the days of trading first-round picks for immediate help. Under GM Craig Conroy, the strategy has visibly shifted toward accumulation: accumulating draft picks, accumulating young players, and accumulating financial flexibility. This is a patient, build-from-within approach that acknowledges the competitive landscape of the Western Conference.

The focus is on drafting and developing, as seen with Zary’s emergence and the patience with Coronato and Pelletier. This is the essential work of building a sustainable contender, and you can follow all these evolving stories in our dedicated player profiles and development hub.

Practical Tips for Spotting a Core Player

As fans, how can you evaluate who’s a true building block? Look beyond the points column.

1. Watch Their Minutes: Who does Ryan Huska send over the boards to protect a lead or chase a game? Trust in key situations is a huge tell.


2. Look for "Driver" Traits: Does the player create offense on his own, or does he primarily finish plays others create? Core players are often drivers.


3. Observe the Intangibles: How do they handle adversity? Are they vocal on the bench? Do they elevate their linemates? The response after a loss in the Battle of Alberta can be very revealing.


4. Check the Contract: A player on a long-term deal below market value (a "bridge deal" before a breakout) is often a sign the team sees a core piece.

Conclusion: A Core in the Making

The future core of the Calgary Flames is not a finished product. It’s a photograph still developing. It features established veterans like Huberdeau and Kadri who must lead the way, exciting young talents like Zary and Wolf who represent the new dawn, and key pillars on defense like Andersson.

The path forward requires patience from the front office, effective teaching from the coaching staff, and continued passion from the C of Red. There will be growing pains, but for the first time in a while, there is a clear, youth-oriented direction.

The identity of the next great Flames team is being written now. It will be built on speed, skill, and a collective work ethic—a team that can once again make the Scotiabank Saddledome the most feared building in the National Hockey League.

What do you think, Flames fans? Who is YOUR untouchable player for the future? Is there a dark horse prospect you believe will become a cornerstone? Let us know—the conversation is just getting started. And for more analysis on how this young core will develop its game, explore our thoughts on troubleshooting the Flames' power play development.