Everything in the Flames preseason should be taken with a grain of salt. No teams are playing with their full NHL rosters this early and players are still getting up to speed. For most teams, this is an opportunity to find chemistry and determine lines. While there are some players fighting for roster spots, many players are just trying to get ready and not injured. However, despite this, there are still reasons to watch, and storylines worth following.
Early Storylines For Flames Preseason
Goaltending
Dustin Wolf put together a near-perfect performance in the Flames preseason debut. The young team in front of Wolf played with energy, but Wolf provided stability and was a major factor in the 6-1 win. He stopped 33 of 34 shots and strengthened his case to be the day-one starter in Calgary.
Dan Vladar played just two periods during his first preseason start. He did nothing to hurt his stock but playing behind a veteran group against a weaker Edmonton squad meant he was not really tested. Vladar allowed one goal on 19 shots in a relatively quiet night. As of right now, Wolf has the edge in the preseason goaltender competition.
Young Players Make Their Mark
Matthew Coronato
Coronato had a great showing in the first preseason game. Scoring a first-period goal, and following it up with a gorgeous assist in the second period Coronato was an offensive driver for the Flames. He factored in on half of the Flames’ six goals and led the team with six shots on goal. Coronato showed the offensive skill that has had Flames fans excited when he signed out of Harvard. He followed his strong performance up with a two-goal game in Edmonton the following night, scoring on two nice wrist shots. Coronato may still end up starting the season in the AHL, but if he continues to play like this the Flames will be forced to make room for him.
Artem Grushnikov
Grushnikov isn’t the flashiest or most well-known Flames prospect. With prospects like Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, and others Grushnikov was likely a little forgotten heading into preseason. However, through two games he’s done a lot to raise his stock. He has played to his identity and shown he knows who he is. Through two games Grushnikov has been solid defensively and brought a strong physical presence. He got in a fight in Seattle defending his teammate William Stromgren after a questionable hit and has thrown 10 hits through his first two games. Grushnikov is a long-shot to make the Flames roster this season but through two games he’s done a great job showing what he can bring to the Flames.
Picking Up Where They Left Off
Connor Zary
Building off his strong rookie campaign, Connor Zary showed up in a big way in his first preseason game. He scored two goals and an assist in his first preseason game. Zary showed off his offensive skills by deflecting in a nice feed from Mikael Backlund. He followed it up with a beautiful toe-drag wrist shot off the rush in the second period. Flames fans are expecting a big year this season from Zary. So far so good with his three-point game to start the Flames preseason.
Yegor Sharangovich
Coming off a career year last season Sharangovich had a strong first preseason game for the Flames. Last season Sharangovich tallied 31 goals, and he continued his scoring ways against Edmonton. Sharangovich scored two goals, including a nice shorthanded goal in the third period. Sharangovich will be counted on to score for this Flames team, and after one preseason game, he appears poised to deliver.
Early Returns On Mantha
The biggest offseason signing for the Calgary Flames this past offseason was Anthony Mantha. The Flames were hoping Mantha could find chemistry with Jonathan Huberdeau and help him get back to the player they traded for in the 2022 offseason. In their first action together Huberdeau and Mantha took full ice two-on-one and converted it into a goal for Mantha. The pair would later both assist on a Rasmus Andersson powerplay goal. The first look was a good one for this pair and the hope that Huberdeau can have a better offensive season.
Flames Preseason Off To A Great Start
The Flames have won all three games to start the pre-season, outscoring their opponents 18-5. Young players are stepping up and new line combinations seem to have early chemistry. As mentioned in the introduction it’s not as though a good preseason means you can start planning a parade. However, this start is about as good as the Flames could have hoped to begin their new season. The games have been fun to watch and fans should be excited that this team could give them more to cheer about this season than they thought before the preseason began.
Main Photo: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
