1. Can Wolf take over as the No. 1 goalie?
Dustin Wolf was considered the goalie of the future for Calgary as long as Jacob Markstrom was on the roster. However, with Markstrom traded to the New Jersey Devils on June 19, the time has come for Wolf to show he can replicate the success he had in the AHL at the NHL level. He was named the best goalie in the AHL in 2022 and 2023 and was the league MVP in 2023. He played 17 games (15 starts) for Calgary last season and went 7-7-1 with a 3.16 goals-against average and .893 save percentage.
The 23-year-old likely will have to put up better numbers this season to be the No. 1 goalie. He'll have a younger defenseman group in front of him after Nikita Zadorov, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin were traded last season.
Wolf will be competing for playing time with Dan Vladar and Devin Cooley. Vladar, who will turn 27 on Aug. 20, was Markstrom's backup last season, when he went 8-9-2 with a 3.62 goals-against average and .882 save percentage in 20 games (19 starts). The Flames signed Cooley, 27, to a two-year contract July 1 after he was 2-3-1 with a 4.98 GAA and .870 save percentage in six games for the San Jose Sharks last season, his first in the NHL.
"I think if I'm a young goalie now, one of these three guys, nobody is going to work harder in the summer than these three guys," Conroy said. "They all want to think, 'That's my job,' and that's what we want. We want to bring in that competition. We're not giving it to anybody, but we expect them to come in and someone to take it."
2. Will Huberdeau return to his Florida form?
Forward Jonathan Huberdeau was expected to help make up for the departures of Matthew Tkachuk and Johnny Gaudreau following the 2021-22 season, but it hasn't gone to plan.
Calgary acquired Huberdeau in the trade that sent Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers on July 22, 2022, and the next month signed him to an eight-year contract that began last season. He had an NHL career-high 115 points (30 goals, 85 assists) in his last season with the Panthers but has scored fewer points combined in his first two seasons with the Flames.
Last season, Huberdeau had 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) in 81 games, and in 2022-23 he had 55 points (15 goals, 40 assists) in 79 games.
"There's no doubt in my mind that he's going to get back to the level he was at," new Flames forward Ryan Lomberg told NHL Network on July 27. "I'm excited to help be a part of that solution."
Lomberg, who signed a two-year contract with Calgary on July 1, will be reunited with Huberdeau after winning the Stanley Cup with the Panthers last season. The 29-year-old played with Huberdeau for four seasons in Florida (2017-19, 2020-22).
"I'm excited to get back with Johnny for sure," Lomberg said. "There's no doubt he's one of the best players in the League. His skill is world class, he's an amazing teammate. I'm probably most excited to get out there and cheer him on again and have ringside seats of seeing what he's capable of, all the plays he's able to make."
3. Can younger players contribute enough to make the Flames playoff contenders?
The Flames will be asking a lot from Wolf and forwards Connor Zary, who will turn 23 on Sept. 25; Yegor Sharangovich, 26; Martin Pospisil, 24, Andrei Kuzmenko, 28; and Matt Coronato, 21.
There are roster spots to be won going into training camp this season, and Calgary is counting on players to step up after recent key departures that included Markstrom and forwards Elias Lindholm (traded to the Vancouver Canucks on Jan. 31, signed with the Boston Bruins on July 1) and Andrew Mangiapane (traded to the Washington Capitals on June 27).
Calgary signed forwards Anthony Mantha (one-year contract July 1) and Lomberg to help up front but are counting on Sharangovich taking another step and hoping Zary, Kuzmenko, Pospisil and Coronato can continue their development.
"You want to bring in players that can help your club right now but also not block players in the future," Conroy said. "Who knows when guys are going to be ready? One thing we always talk about is we don't want to rush them in to rush them in. We want them to be ready. I think we want to be patient with our young guys, but we also want to give them opportunity at some point."
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