Training camp began with a crowded room and plenty of players circling NHL chairs.
Now the music is slowing.
The Calgary Flames cut 16 players from camp Friday, leaving 27 — three goaltenders, eight defencemen and 16 forwards — competing for the places available when the regular season opens Thursday against the Seattle Kraken.
A few chairs still must be removed. A few players are making strong cases to remain seated. And when the music stops, every decision will carry extra meaning as the Flames begin the Saddledome’s farewell season.
For veterans, prospects and bubble players alike, this is the stage of camp when one mistake can feel louder than an arena horn.
Calgary assigned forwards Andrew Basha, Jonathan Castagna, Will Dineen and Tyson Gross, defencemen Hunter Brzustewicz and Axel Hurtig, and goaltender Arsenii Sergeev to the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers.
Those moves should not be confused with final judgments. Basha and Brzustewicz remain prominent prospects, while all seven players will have a better opportunity to develop through meaningful AHL minutes than occasional NHL press-box duty.
The waiver wire added another wrinkle.
Defencemen Michael Benning, Andreas Englund and Jake Livingstone joined forwards Dryden Hunt, Ben Jones, Rory Kerins, Sam Morton and William Stromgren on waivers for the purpose of assignment to the Wranglers. Detroit claimed Englund on Saturday, while the other seven cleared.
Forward Chase Harrington, Calgary’s first-round pick in June, was returned to the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs. His first NHL camp offered the Flames a look at his potential, but junior remains the proper place for him to play major minutes and continue developing.
Kerins may inspire the most discussion among the cuts. His AHL production has pushed him into the NHL conversation, but getting through an early camp round and winning an opening-night job are different challenges. His reassignment keeps him close, and recent Flames history suggests the road from the Wranglers’ dressing room to the Saddledome will remain busy.
That applies to nearly everyone sent down. Losing a camp chair does not mean leaving the picture.
Injuries, slumps and trades constantly rearrange NHL rosters. Coaches change combinations, look for specific skills and summon reinforcements. One good month with the Wranglers can put a player back into the circle when the music starts again.
The cuts are therefore only half the story. The players still standing have created the more immediate intrigue.
Aydar Suniev remains in camp after making a determined push for work on the wing. His shot and offensive instincts have demanded attention during the preseason, giving Calgary another option while it searches for scoring.
Every additional practice and exhibition appearance matters for a young player trying to move from interesting prospect to opening-night possibility. Suniev has lasted long enough to make the remaining decisions uncomfortable, which is precisely what the Flames should want from their youth.
Jonathan Huberdeau’s absence also affects the final arrangement. General manager Craig Conroy confirmed before camp that the veteran winger would miss the opener while recovering from hip surgery. Calgary begins the season without an important offensive player, but his absence creates an opportunity for somebody else to claim a place.
That competition matters for a club trying to get younger. Prospects cannot simply arrive with promise and wait politely for their turn. They must press veterans, force difficult conversations and give head coach Ryan Huska reasons to trust them when games begin to count.
Calgary’s final preseason test did not provide a storybook finish. The Flames lost 4-1 to the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, a reminder that September optimism disappears quickly when regular-season pace exposes loose details.
But exhibition hockey is never primarily about the record. It was an audition, and the closing questions were always more important than the final scores.
Who can help immediately? Who needs more development time? Who could force another conversation after a strong month with the Wranglers?
The first answers will arrive with the opening roster. They will not be permanent. NHL lineups change with health, form and necessity, and some players cut this weekend will be back.
Opening night still carries symbolism. Somebody will earn a first lap beneath the Saddledome lights in its final season. Somebody will take a seat in the press box. Others will begin their seasons across town, knowing the next call can come quickly.
For now, the circle is smaller, the tension is greater and the last few chairs are still in play.
The music has not stopped.
It is just close enough that everyone can hear the final notes.
