Multiple Flames players could be moving on!

To say that the 2022-23 National Hockey League season was a difficult one for the Calgary Flames would be a major understatement. 

Fresh off their first postseason victory since their run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2004, the Flames underwent a series of massive changes last summer, starting with the stunning departure of Johnny Gaudreau to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Additionally, they traded All-Star forward Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, while also bringing aboard 2022 Stanley Cup winning forward Nazem Kadri. 

However, the entire team fell short of the expectations that they entered the campaign with. Huberdeau experienced a stunning drop-off in production as he struggled to adapt to the defensive playing system of hard-nosed head coach Darryl Sutter, while Kadri also saw a noticeable decline on the stat sheet. Goaltender Jakub Markstrom, who was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy last season, failed to come close to a repeat performance this year. This all along with other factors combined to result in Calgary missing the playoffs, sending them into an uncertain offseason. 

And right now, we're already seeing reports that there could be several players eventually on the move. Forward Elias Lindholm, who saw his point production drop by nearly 20 points from last season, didn't exactly sound committed to staying in Calgary beyond 2024. 

“I’ve got one more year and that’s all I can say,” he explained.

Meanwhile, forward Mikael Backlund admitted that this past season was the most difficult of his career, and like Lindholm, didn't commit to staying a member of the Flames for the long haul. 

"Definitely the hardest season I've played emotionally and mentally," he said. "We never met the expectations."

"We'll see what happens," he said of signing long term. "The year we had, I'm 34 years old. I wanna win the Stanley Cup."

Buckle up, Flames fans!