The Calgary Flames opened their annual training camp on Thursday, giving fans a clearer idea of how this year’s lineup could look.
With 64 participants in total, head coach Ryan Huska split the squad into three groups for the first on-ice session of the week.
As per Pat Steinberg of TSN 960, Group 1 featured a few notable line combinations.
Up front, a trio consisting of Connor Zary, Blake Coleman, and team captain Mikael Backlund was assembled.
Yegor Sharangovich, Nazem Kadri, and Andrei Kuzmenko also appeared as a line on the first squad.
#Flames training camp day one, group one:
Zary-Backlund-Coleman
Sharangovich-Kadri-Kuzmenko
Hunt-Bishop-Coronato
Honzek-Schwindt-Klapka
BashaWeegar-Miromanov
Hanley-Barrie
Tinordi-Brzustewicz
Grushnikov-KuznetsovWolf
IgnatjewThe bottom seven forwards are rotating.
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) September 19, 2024
On the backend, the talent was a little more separated as newly signed defenceman Jarred Tinordi skated on a pairing with 19-year-old prospect Hunter Brzustewicz. Meanwhile, top defender MacKenzie Weegar was partnered up with Daniil Miromanov.
In Group 2, Huska put together a competitive trio consisting of Jonathan Huberdeau, Martin Pospisil, and Anthony Mantha, who is new to the team.
And over on the blue line, veteran Rasmus Andersson played alongside Jake Bean, who the Flames signed as a free agent on July 1.
#Flames training camp day one, group two:
Huberdeau-Pospisil-Mantha
Lomberg-Rooney-Duehr
Stromgren-Morton-Gridin
Pelletier-Kirkland-Frk
CionaBean-Andersson
Poirier-Pachal
Solovyov-Parekh
AspirotVladar
CooleyBahl (lower body) not skating. Bottom seven forwards rotating.
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) September 19, 2024
Calgary’s goaltending tandem of Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf was split as both NHL-level netminders took control of their respective creases.
With Group 3 mostly consisting of AHL-level players, these are Calgary’s most NHL-ready lines as of today:
Forwards
Yegor Sharangovich – Nazem Kadri – Andrei Kuzmenko
Jonathan Huberdeau – Martin Pospisil – Anthony Mantha
Connor Zary, Blake Coleman – Mikael Backlund
Ryan Lomberg – Kevin Rooney – Walker Duehr
Defence
Jake Bean – Rasmus Andersson
Mackenzie Weegar – Daniil Miromanov
Jeremie Poirier – Brayden Pachal
Goalies
Dustin Wolf – Dan Vladar
The Flames will hit the ice again on Friday and Saturday before suiting up for their first of eight preseason games with a matchup against the Kraken in Seattle on Sunday, September 22.
They’ll finally get their regular season going on October 9 with a road game against the Vancouver Canucks.