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Last Man Standing: Backlund Is the Last Flame From Calgary's 2022 Playoff Team
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- Last Man Standing: Backlund Is the Last Flame From Calgary's 2022 Playoff Team
The Calgary Flames last played a Stanley Cup playoff game on May 26, 2022 , against their provincial rival, the Edmonton Oilers , in a 5-4 overtime loss in Game 5 of their second-round playoff series. Barring a miracle run to the playoffs this year, that game may be the last postseason contest ever on Saddledome ice.
In the over 1,500 days since the Flames lost that overtime game, the roster has undergone a complete overhaul. Whether it was a superstar forward, a solid defenseman, or the best goalie the franchise has employed in almost a decade, every single one of them is gone, except one.
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As the longest-tenured Calgary player in franchise history, approaching his 19th season, current captain Mikael Backlund is the only skater still in the 2026-27 lineup to have played in a Stanley Cup playoff game with the club.
Where did everyone go? Here's a quick look at what happened to the Flames' lineup from May 26, 2022.
July 2022
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Johnny Gaudreau signs with the Columbus Blue Jackets for seven years and $68 million as a free agent on July 13.
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Erik Gubranson, on the same day as Gaudreau, agrees to a deal with the Blue Jackets for four years and $16 million.
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Calle Järnkok leaves the club two days after Gaudreau and Gubranson, agreeing to a four-year deal worth $8.4 million with the Toronto Maple Leafs .
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Matthew Tkachuk informs the Flames that he will not re-sign with the club and is traded to the Florida Panthers on July 22. Calgary receives Jonathan Huberdeau , MacKenzie Weegar , Cole Schwindt , and a first-round draft pick in 2025.
July 2023
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Trevor Lewis re-signed as a free agent in July 2022 and played one more season in Calgary before returning to the team he won two Stanley Cups with, the Los Angeles Kings , on a one-year deal.
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Milan Lucic , one of the few players ever traded between Calgary and Edmonton, returns to the Boston Bruins on a one-year deal.
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Michael Stone played out the 2022-23 season, retiring on July 5, 2023, and immediately moving into a role with the Flames' player development team.
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Nikita Zadorov was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on November 30 for a fifth-round pick in 2024 and a third-round pick in 2026.
January 2024
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Dillion Dubé requests an indefinite leave from the team. Eventually, Dubé was implicated in the 2018 World Juniors scandal and left the NHL to play in the KHL.
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Elias Lindholm was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in January 2024 in a deal that saw the Flames acquire Hunter Brzustewicz , Joni Jurmo, and Andrei Kuzmenko , plus 2024 first- and fourth-round picks.
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Tyler Toffoli finds a new home with the New Jersey Devils after the Flames deal him for Yegor Sharangovich and a third-round draft pick in 2023.
February 2024
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Chris Tanev got dealt to the Dallas Stars in a three-team trade involving the Devils. The Flames received Artem Grushnikov and a second-round pick in 2024.
March 2024
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Noah Hanifin leaves the Flames in a three-team deal that also involves the Philadelphia Flyers and ends up with the Vegas Golden Knights . In the exchange, Calgary received Daniil Miromanov , plus a first-round pick and a third-round pick in 2024.
August 2024
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Oliver Kylington took a mental health break from the Flames at the onset of the 2022-23 season and wouldn't skate in the NHL again until January 2024. Following a brief return, he signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche in August.
June 2024
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Andrew Magiapane is traded to the Washington Capitals for a second-round draft pick in 2025.
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Jacon Markström is dealt to the Devils for Kevin Bahl and a first-round pick in the 2025 Draft.
January 2026
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Rasmus Andersson is traded to the Golden Knights, reuniting with Hanifin for a first-round and second-round pick in 2027, plus Zach Whitecloud and Abram Wiebe.
July 2026
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Blake Coleman , the second-to-last player from the 2021-22 team, is traded to the Minnesota Wild along with Olli Määttä for Jacob Middleton , plus three draft picks in 2027 (third round), 2028 (fourth), and 2029 (second).
Backlund is signed through the end of the 2027-28 season, which would give him a chance to become the only player in Flames history to play 20 seasons with the franchise.
However, the team is focused on rebuilding and loading up with young talent these days, meaning that no matter when the captain leaves, whether it's a trade before his deal is up, or he skates into retirement, there's a chance that he remains the last Calgary player to participate in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
