Grading Every Flames Player’s Performance in 2023-24

Anyone who watches the Flames closely knows there is far more to Andersson’s game than just offence, so ranking him poorly based on the decline in points isn’t justifiable. That said, while he was by no means horrible, he is capable of providing more on both ends of the ice than he did this season.

Grade: C

#8 Chris Tanev

Prior to being traded to the Dallas Stars, Chris Tanev was providing more of the same for the Flames, which is an elite defensive presence who is willing to put his body on the line at any given time to help his team win. They will certainly miss his warrior mentality moving forward.

When first signed to a four-year, $18 million deal by the Flames, there were some concerns given his age and injury troubles during his time with the Vancouver Canucks. Neither proved to be much of an issue during his time in Calgary, making his signing nothing but a great deal.

Grade: A-

#10 Jonathan Huberdeau

You can’t help but feel for Jonathan Huberdeau at this point. Fans were hoping that he could bounce back and prove that his 2022-23 season was nothing more than a bump in the road. That has proven to be far from the case, however, as his numbers regressed even further in 2023-24.

Huberdeau finished the season with 12 goals and 52 points. For a young player or perhaps one on a fair deal, that could be looked at as very successful. For a player commanding $10.5 million, it is nothing short of a disaster.

Grade: D

#11 Mikael Backlund

After a career-high 56 points in 2022-23, a regression was expected in terms of offence from 35-year-old Mikael Backlund. That was the case, though his numbers were quite consistent with what he has done throughout the rest of his career with 15 goals and 39 points.

While the offensive dip was to be expected, Backlund’s defensive play also took a major hit, which nobody saw coming. He was irrelevant far too often this season, which is certainly a concern given his age. He’ll need to be much better in 2024-25 to justify the two-year, $9 million extension he was given ahead of training camp.

Grade: C-

#15 Dryden Hunt

There were very few expectations for Dryden Hunt this season, though he was able to crack the opening night roster thanks to a strong training camp. He did wind up spending some time in the American Hockey League, but was back up with the Flames to close out the season.

Hunt is a fringe NHL player at best, but is fine as a depth piece. He was just that this season, providing an option for head coach Ryan Huska to throw in the lineup whether it be due to injuries or others struggling. He finished the season with three goals and eight points in 28 games.

Grade: C-

#16 Nikita Zadorov

Nikita Zadorov played in just 21 games with the Flames this season before being traded to the Canucks. The big Russian defenceman requested a trade shortly prior, as he was unhappy with his role. A fifth or sixth blueliner on most teams, his absence didn’t have much impact on this team.

Prior to being dealt, Zadorov was doing fine in a third-pairing role, as he had done throughout the majority of his Flames tenure. When on, he is a tough player for opposing teams to go up against. Sometimes, however, he tries to do too much based on his skill set, and it can result in some blatantly horrendous plays.

Grade: C

#17 Yegor Sharangovich

The first trade general manager Craig Conroy made was when he chose to move Tyler Toffoli to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round pick. The deal was met with criticism at the time given that Toffoli had led the Flames in scoring in 2022-23. That narrative has since changed in a big way, however.

After a slow start to the season, Sharangovich caught fire and ended up with a team-leading 31 goals. Both his 31 goals and 59 points serve as a career-high for the 25-year-old. While you’d love to see him add a bit more consistency, you have to be happy with what you saw from him this season if you’re a Flames fan.

Grade: B+

#18 A.J. Greer

A waiver claim from the Boston Bruins ahead of the season, there weren’t a ton of expectations for A.J. Greer when he first arrived in Calgary. He was playing quite well in limited minutes before a gruesome foot injury caused him to miss a good chunk of time. After returning, he struggled to get back to the level he had shown earlier in the season.

Overall, it was a solid season for Greer, who was nearly AHL-bound right from the get-go. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent, but is a player the Flames may look to bring back on a cheap deal to help round out their roster for the 2024-25 season.

Grade: C

#20 Blake Coleman

Coming into the season, you would have found a fair bit of Flames fans that would have said Blake Coleman was overpaid at his current $4.9 million cap hit. He wasn’t bad through his first two seasons in Calgary, though the long-term deal he signed with a relatively big salary left many fans hoping for more.

Coleman certainly brought more this season, as he exploded for a career-high 30 goals and 54 points. Pair that up with his very strong defensive play and great leadership, and you have what was a very strong season. Whether he can duplicate it remains to be seen, but he deserves a ton of credit for his play in 2023-24.

Grade: A

#21 Kevin Rooney

Much like Hunt, few expected Kevin Rooney to have a role with the Flames after spending the 2022-23 season in the AHL. His chances seemed to decrease even further when he was forced to undergo shoulder surgery after an injury suffered in exhibition play.

While he did briefly go to the AHL, Rooney was called up quickly by the Flames once healthy, and wound up playing 33 games with them. He provides little to nothing in terms of offence as shown by his three goals and four points, but is very solid on draws and proved to be a good penalty killer.

Grade: C

#25 Jacob Markstrom

For a good portion of the season, Jacob Markstrom looked like he could end up as a finalist for the Vezina Trophy. The Flames were somehow remaining in the playoff hunt for a long time, and the 34-year-old was undoubtedly the biggest reason why. Unfortunately, his play took a massive dive following the trade deadline, likely due to all the speculation surrounding his own future.

Markstrom ended the season with a pedestrian 2.78 goals-against average (GAA) and a .905 save percentage (SV%), though he was better than those numbers suggest. Had it not been for him, this team would have had a much better shot at landing the first-overall pick. While fans may have preferred that to be the case, you have to respect what Markstrom was able to do for a large chunk of this season.

Grade: C+

#27 Matt Coronato

Matt Coronato split his time between the NHL and AHL at roughly 50/50 this season, which isn’t a surprise considering that he is just 21 years old. He proved how bright his future is with the Calgary Wranglers, but struggled to make much of an impact with the Flames.

To his credit, he did begin to look much more confident with the Flames late in the season, which bodes well for his outlook in 2024-25. By no means was it an incredible year, but for his rookie season, it’s hard to complain. His future remains very bright.

Grade: C

#28 Elias Lindholm

While some would blame trade speculation on why Elias Lindholm struggled prior to being traded to the Canucks, he wasn’t very good in 2022-23 either. The 29-year-old, who for several years was one of the Flames’ best players, was invisible more nights than not in his 49 games in Calgary this season.

By the time he was traded, Lindholm had just nine goals and 32 points, totals that are a far cry from what he had proven capable of in past seasons. It was a disappointing end to what was an overall very solid tenure with the Flames.

Grade: C-

#32 Dustin Wolf

After finally making his first NHL start a season ago, Dustin Wolf was given a bigger opportunity in 2023-24, appearing in 17 games with the Flames. While he didn’t blow the roof off the building, he looked more and more comfortable as the season went on, and ended it on a personal four-game winning streak.

Wolf’s 3.16 GAA and .893 SV% are far below the league average, but considering it was his real first test in the NHL, he fared relatively well. He will almost certainly be in the NHL for the entirety of 2024-25, where the Flames will look for him to improve on his numbers.

Grade: C

#47 Connor Zary

As much talk as there was heading into the season about the Flames youth, it seems that very few expected Connor Zary to have much of a role in the NHL this season. He started in the AHL, but was quickly called up due to some injuries, and gave the Flames zero reason to send him back at any point.

Though he won’t be a top-three finalist, Zary will be getting some Calder Trophy votes this season. He looked the part of an NHLer from start to finish, which bodes very well for the future of the Flames. In 63 games, he finished with a very respectable 14 goals and 34 points.

Grade: A-

#48 Dennis Gilbert

While most would have expected Dennis Gilbert to only be relied upon in injury situations, he spent his entire season with the Flames. Injuries and healthy scratches limited him to just 34 games, but from a personal standpoint, he has to be quite happy with how his season went.

Though he is very limited in what he can provide at the NHL level, Gilbert held his own when called upon in a third-pairing role. He also added some toughness to the lineup which was a nice bonus given all the youth they had this season.

Grade: C

#52 MacKenzie Weegar

After a slow start to his Flames career a season ago, MacKenzie Weegar really rebounded in the second half and gave fans plenty of reason to be excited about what he could provide in 2023-24. That said, nobody could have predicted just how good of a season he was going to have.

Weegar, who entered the season with a career-high eight goals, found the back of the net 20 times while also adding 32 assists. He was just as strong defensively as well, and would certainly be getting some Norris Trophy votes if the Flames were playoff-bound. It was a terrific season for what has become the Flames’ best defenceman.

Grade: A+

#55 Noah Hanifin

While Weegar was the Flames’ best defenceman all season long, Noah Hanifin wasn’t too far behind before being traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 27-year-old had several solid seasons with the Flames, but was playing at an even higher level through his 61 games prior to being shipped out of town.

Over those 61 games, Hanifin scored 11 goals and 35 goals, while being used in all situations. He is a very good NHL defenceman, hence the eight-year, $58.8 million extension he was signed to recently by the Golden Knights.

Grade: A

#57 Nick DeSimone

Like several others on this list, Nick DeSimone didn’t finish the season with the Flames, as he was claimed off of waivers by the New Jersey Devils in late January. The claim came as a major surprise, as the 29-year-old only had 27 career NHL games under his belt, 23 of which had come with the Flames this season.

Signed two seasons ago as a depth defenceman in case of injury, DeSimone served as just that during his time with the Flames. Things worked out well for him, as the Flames did wind up needing his services more often than anyone would have expected this season. While he is a very good AHL defenceman, he really struggled when called upon by the Flames in a third-pairing role.

Grade: D+

#58 Oliver Kylington

There was no better feel-good story for the Flames, and perhaps the entire NHL, than when Oliver Kylington made his return to the lineup in January. The 26-year-old missed the entire 2022-23 season, and the first half of 2023-24, as he was going through some personal struggles in regards to his mental health.

Prior to his absence, Kylington was really coming into his own, with a breakout 2021-22 season where he recorded 31 points in 73 games. Given the amount of time he was away, he didn’t play big minutes this season, though it was quite impressive how he was able to step in and not show any signs of rust. He wasn’t as good as he was two seasons ago, but with a full summer of training, he can certainly get back to that level in 2024-25.

Grade: C+

#62 Daniil Miromanov

When Flames fans learned that Daniil Miromanov was the only NHL player coming back in the Hanifin deal, they were rightfully disappointed. The 26-year-old only had 29 NHL games under his belt at the time, but made a bold prediction that he would soon become one of the league’s best defencemen.

While he still has a ways to go to reach that level, he has been able to change the perspective of Flames fans on the trade that brought him to town. He has some great offensive instincts, and provides a big presence on the back end at 6-foot-4. He will be an intriguing player to watch in 2024-25.

Grade: B

#63 Adam Ruzicka

Heading into training camp, many thought this was Adam Ruzicka’s final opportunity to prove himself for the Flames. After a great start in 2022-23, he was horrible to close out the season, which gave him a pretty short leash this time around. Sure enough, he was placed on waivers after scoring just three goals and nine points in 39 games.

Ruzicka has the skillset to be an NHL player, but on more nights than not, he lacks the intensity to be impactful. His time with the Flames was disappointing, given that it felt at times that he was on the brink of becoming a reliable top-nine forward.

Grade: D-

#71 Walker Duehr

Walker Duehr was able to log 27 games with the Flames in 2022-23, and quickly became a solid fourth-line forward thanks to his physical presence. He provided some solid secondary scoring in that time as well with seven goals and 11 points. Those hoping that would continue into 2023-24 were left extremely disappointed.

Duehr was a complete nonfactor this season, appearing in just 40 games with the Flames. The games he did dress, he often logged less than 10 minutes of ice time, as he failed to gain the confidence of Huska. He still has one year left on his contract, but could be in tough to make the Flames out of training camp next season.

Grade: D-

#76 Martin Pospisil

It felt as though Martin Pospisil’s time as being viewed as a prospect with NHL potential was pretty much gone heading into the season. He had struggled in years past with injuries, which many felt impacted his development too much to ever become a full-time NHLer.

Pospisil completely changed that narrative, however, as he was called up to the Flames early this season and immediately made an impact. He brings some serious toughness to this team, with the ability to throw bone-crushing hits every game. His eight goals and 24 points through the 63 games he played were icing on the cake for what was a very good rookie season.

Grade: B

#80 Dan Vladar

For the second straight season, Dan Vladar really struggled in a backup role. As it turns out, injury may have played a part, as he was forced to undergo hip surgery roughly a month ago, and was said to have been dealing with the issue for well over a year.

While there seem to have been mitigating circumstances, the grades on this list are based on performance alone, and the fact of the matter is, Vladar was not good whatsoever. In the 20 games he played, he posted an ugly 3.62 GAA along with a .882 SV%.

Grade: D

#82 Jordan Oesterle

The Flames signed Jordan Oesterle to a one-year deal last summer with the expectation of him being their seventh defenceman. That’s how things played out early on, but he really struggled from the start, and wound up being bounced around between the NHL and AHL throughout the season as a result.

Oesterle wound up playing just 22 games with the Flames, which was far below what was expected when he first signed. In those two games, he managed just two assists while really struggling to limit opposing team’s offensive opportunities. This signing was one that didn’t work out at all for the Flames.

Grade: D-

#88 Andrew Mangiapane

After taking big strides through the first four seasons of his NHL career, Andrew Mangiapane regressed in a big way in 2022-23. Given what he had shown prior, it seemed as though it was nothing more than a bump in the road, and that a bounce-back season was in store for the 28-year-old.

That never wound up being the case, as Mangiapane struggled for the second straight season. After scoring 35 goals in 2021-22, he’s managed a combined 31 over the past two seasons, all while his notable strong defensive play has also dipped. He is a strong trade candidate this summer with only one year remaining on his contract.

Grade: D

#91 Nazem Kadri

One bounce-back season the Flames did get this year was from Nazem Kadri. The 33-year-old underwhelmed in 2022-23, fresh off signing a seven-year contract, with 56 points in 82 games. Fans worried that his contract was yet another issue this team had to deal with moving forward.

Kadri quickly proved that isn’t the case in 2023-24, as he was the Flames’ most consistent player all season long, and ended with a team-high 75 points in 82 games. He also emerged as a true leader for what is a relatively young group, and even wore a letter late in the season.

Grade: A+

#94 Brayden Pachal

In early February, the Flames claimed Brayden Pachal off of waivers from the Golden Knights, a move that many viewed as insurance for the Tanev and Hanifin deals that wound up occurring a short time later. Despite only having 29 games under his belt at the time he was claimed, the Flames weren’t hesitant to throw him into the lineup, and wound up having him suit up for 33 games.

Though he didn’t get a ton of minutes, Pachal was solid more often than not, and has a real shot to earn an everyday opportunity with the Flames in 2024-25. He’ll never be a difference-maker, but as far as waiver claims go, he has been a pretty successful one.

Grade: C

#96 Andrei Kuzmenko

Andrei Kuzmenko has turned out to be quite the addition for the Flames. The 28-year-old was acquired in a big trade with the Canucks that saw Lindholm head the other way. Having been healthy scratched more than once early in the season with Vancouver, he was seen as more of a cap dump in the trade than anything else. That has quickly changed.

After scoring just eight goals and 21 points in 43 games with the Canucks, Kuzmenko quickly found his footing with the Flames, and wound up scoring 14 goals and 25 points in 29 games. His defensive play leaves plenty to be desired, but with the offence he was able to produce, there is little room for complaints.

Grade: A

Some Impressive Individual Seasons

Despite team struggles as proven by their 38-39-5 record, the Flames had several individuals step forward with big seasons in 2023-24. That said, there were far too many passengers, which led to a less-than-stellar record. If they have any shot at getting back into the playoffs next season, they will need far more from the players who received low grades on this list.