The Calgary Flames have had quite the roster turnover from the start of the 2023-24 season to where they are now.
Since taking over as general manager, Craig Conroy has moved out several players in an attempt to retool his roster and turn his team into a contender for years to come. While most of the fan base seems to agree with the direction he has gone, it’s been difficult to see some familiar faces move on.
Here’s a look at how some of them are faring with their new teams.
Jacob Markstrom (New Jersey Devils)
- 2024-25 stats: 2.29 GAA, .909 SV%, 16-6-2
The Flames essentially handed the keys to Dustin Wolf by trading Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils this past offseason. The 34-year-old wound up spending four seasons in Calgary, compiling a 2.63 goals against average (GAA) and a .907 save percentage (SV%) through a combined 212 starts.
Markstrom’s first season with the Devils has been a success, as he’s played a big part in their Eastern Conference-best 21-10-3 record. You won’t find Flames fans complaining about him being gone, however, as Wolf has put together a phenomenal rookie season, while Kevin Bahl, who was acquired in the Markstrom deal, has been a great addition on the back end.
Elias Lindholm (Boston Bruins)
- 2024-25 stats: 33 GP, 4 G, 12 A, 16 PTS
Elias Lindholm’s final two seasons with the Flames were quite underwhelming, and things haven’t gotten better for him since. He was OK at best with the Vancouver Canucks after being dealt there by the Flames in late January and has been rather shockingly bad early into his Boston Bruins tenure.
Lindholm happened to score against the Flames at the Saddledome on Tuesday night, snapping an 11-game goal drought. It’s early, but his seven-year, $54.25 million deal he inked in the summer has to have Bruins fans feeling uneasy right now.
Oliver Kylington (Colorado Avalanche)
- 2024-25 stats: 8 GP, 1 G, 1 A, 2 PTS
Many Flames fans soured on Oliver Kylington after he chose to reject an extension in favour of testing the free-agent market this past summer. It was a bit of a strange scenario, given how well the Flames seemed to handle him during some personal struggles over the prior years.
Despite some varying opinions, Kylington was well within his right to test the free-agent market, though he may be regretting that decision. He’s currently on the shelf with an upper-body injury but had struggled to get into the lineup prior, even playing forward for a game.
Noah Hanifin (Vegas Golden Knights)
- 2024-25 stats: 31 GP, 3 G, 11 A, 14 PTS
The Flames knew they were parting ways with a very good defenceman when they traded Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights. The 27-year-old impressed with his new team to close out the 2023-24 season and has been every bit as good in 2024-25.
Hanifin is being used in all situations with the Golden Knights, seeing steady minutes at even strength, as well as on both the power play and penalty kill. His strong start to the season was enough for Team USA to select him to play at the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Nikita Zadorov (Boston Bruins)
- 2024-25 stats: 33 GP, 2 G, 6 A, 8 PTS
To little surprise, Nikita Zadorov’s strong offensive showing in the playoffs last season with the Vancouver Canucks has not carried over. The 29-year-old has regressed back to a more normal stat line with eight points through 33 games.
While prone to the big mistake from time to time, as Flames fans became well-accustomed to, he’s had a solid first season with the Bruins. His 19:48 minutes of ice time per game is third among all Bruins defenders.
Chris Tanev (Toronto Maple Leafs)
- 2024-25 stats: 32 GP, 1 G, 8 A, 9 PTS
The six-year contract the Toronto Maple Leafs chose to hand to the soon-to-be 35-year-old Chris Tanev could turn ugly near the end, but to little surprise, it’s worked out well so far.
Just as he was throughout his Flames tenure, Tanev has continued to be an excellent shutdown defenceman. He leads the Leafs in both short-handed ice time and blocked shots.
Andrew Mangiapane (Washington Capitals)
- 2024-25 stats: 30 GP, 7 G, 4 A, 11 PTS
If it wasn’t already obvious enough before, it’s become quite clear that Andrew Mangiapane’s 35-goal outbreak in 2021-22 was a case of a player simply getting hot at the right time. The great season landed him a three-year, $17.4 million deal, which he has struggled to live up to.
Mangiapane’s final two seasons in Calgary were pretty underwhelming, and it’s been more of the same in his first season with the Washington Capitals. Still, he’s provided decent secondary scoring on a team that has surprised many with a 21-8-2 record.
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