Flames Playing Better After Lindholm Trade & Huberdeau Is Back
Plus, how good of a season is MacKenzie Weegar having?
Welcome to the THW Calgary Flames Substack newsletter, with all the latest from our team of Flames writers.
In today’s edition, the Flames have been playing much better since moving Elias Lindholm, what’s sparked their 5-game road winning streak, and is Jonathan Huberdeau back? Plus, MacKenzie Weegar is having a historically good 2023-24 season.
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Flames’ Huberdeau Getting Back to Being a Star-Calibre Player
February 12, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
It took quite some time, but Calgary Flames fans will gladly admit, later is better than never. It really appeared as though Jonathan Huberdeau’s struggles may simply be a player who just lost the talent he once had. The 30-year-old recorded just 55 points in his first season with the Flames, and was even worse through the first half of 2023-24.
As bad as Huberdeau was this season, he is now playing his best hockey as a Flame. With two points in Saturday afternoon’s win over the New York Islanders, he now has 15 points through his last 15 games. It isn’t as if he is simply lucking out on secondary assists, either, as he has been very noticeable on the ice on plenty of occasions throughout the stretch.
Flames’ Weegar On His Way To Historic 2023-24 Season
February 12, 2024 by Derek Olsen
One Flame who isn’t getting enough attention is defenceman MacKenzie Weegar, who is in his second season with the team after being acquired from the Florida Panthers in the infamous Matthew Tkachuk trade. He also isn’t going anywhere anytime soon after inking an eight-year, $50 million contract with the Flames. After a solid 2022-23 season and a magnificent showing in the offseason with Team Canada at the World Championship, many fans and media expected Weegar to take a step forward in 2023-24.
Boy, were they right. The 30-year-old is currently leading the NHL in goals by defencemen with a remarkable 15 in 52 games played. Not bad for a former 206th overall draft choice. Weegar’s high level of play thus far is more than worthy of a closer look, as he has the potential to etch his name in the Flames’ record books should he continue it.
3 Reasons the Calgary Flames Have Won 5 Straight Road Games
February 11, 2024 by Gary Pearson
Don’t look now, but the scorching-hot Calgary Flames, after beating the New York Islanders 5-2, have won five on the bounce in enemy environs. A plethora of factors have contributed to their recent road success, but three primary reasons stick out, like Andrei Kuzmenko‘s larger-than-life personality. Nobody reading this will be surprised to see Jacob Markstrom’s name topping the list. The Flames’ ace has enjoyed arguably his best stint of the season in the last handful of road contests.
His indomitable presence between the pipes has galvanized the collective, raising each player’s level. Kevin Rooney’s return has also injected a surge of energy, while Kuzmenko’s first few games have been awe-inspiring. Both players have been influential, but the power play and the team’s sizzling starts deserve accentuated acclaim.
Flames Appear Rejuvenated After Lindholm Trade
February 10, 2024 by Rupert McDonald
The Calgary Flames are right back in the playoff hunt. Thanks to Thursday night’s 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils, the Flames are just one point shy of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They are currently riding a three-game winning streak and have looked like an entirely different team post-All-Star break.
The ironic part about all of this was that the Flames were expected to be worse moving forward. Last week, they sent arguably their most complete forward in Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks. It was a move that marked the beginning of their selling period, as they are also expected to move on from Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. While those moves could have some serious implications on their playoff hopes, it seems that the Lindholm one has actually helped.