The Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames meet Tuesday, September 22, in a preseason matchup where the final score matters less to fantasy hockey managers than who gets the premium minutes.
For Vancouver, I’m watching Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek whenever they are in the lineup, but the more interesting preseason questions involve Braeden Cootes, Jonathan Lekkerimaki and the battle for offensive and power-play opportunities. Cootes scored and added an assist in Vancouver’s 4-2 preseason-opening loss to Seattle, while Lekkerimaki recorded two assists. Calgary has its own intriguing group led by Matt Coronato, Morgan Frost, Matvei Gridin and offensive defenceman Zayne Parekh. Calgary also opened the preseason with a 4-2 loss to Seattle, with Aydar Suniev scoring both Flames goals.
My biggest fantasy question tonight is simple: which young players are trusted alongside established NHL talent and on the power play? In preseason, that deployment can tell us considerably more about October fantasy value than one exhibition-game box score.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames Game Information
The game is slated for 7:00 p.m. MT at Scotiabank Saddledome, which converts to 9:00 p.m. ET and 8:00 p.m. CT. The game can be seen on Sportsnet One in Canada. Calgary’s radio home is QR Calgary 770 AM.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames Fantasy Hockey Matchup Outlook
Because the regular season has not started, the best statistical baseline is 2025-26 rather than pretending one preseason game establishes a meaningful trend. Calgary finished 34-39-9 with 77 points, scoring 208 goals and allowing 256. Vancouver went 25-49-8 with 58 points, scoring 210 and allowing an NHL-high 314. Calgary averaged only 2.54 goals per game, while Vancouver was barely higher at 2.56.
Special teams tell a different story. Vancouver’s 21.79% power play was noticeably better than Calgary’s 16.16%, but the Flames owned the stronger penalty kill at 80.41% compared with Vancouver’s 71.49%. For fantasy purposes, that makes Calgary’s new power-play combinations especially interesting. If Parekh, Simon Nemec, Coronato, Frost or Gridin can improve that unit, there is unused fantasy value available.
The previous regular-season matchup also leans Calgary’s way. The Flames won two of three meetings in 2025-26 and outscored Vancouver 13-10. Calgary won the most recent meeting 7-3. I would not treat that as predictive of a preseason game with dramatically different lineups, but it helps explain why Vancouver’s defensive structure is one of the areas I want to evaluate under new coach Manny Malhotra.
NHL Fantasy Players to Watch in Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames
Elias Pettersson remains Vancouver’s highest-ceiling fantasy forward. He led the Canucks with 51 points last season despite finishing with only 15 goals. What interests me more than a preseason point total is whether Vancouver can establish more consistent offensive-zone possession around him and which wingers receive meaningful minutes on his line.
Brock Boeser scored 22 goals and remains one of Vancouver’s most natural finishing options. Filip Hronek is just as important from a fantasy perspective after producing 49 points from defence last year. Any indication of how Vancouver divides power-play quarterback duties between Hronek and Zeev Buium deserves attention.
Then there are the young players. Cootes immediately produced a goal and assist in Vancouver’s first preseason game, while Lekkerimaki had two assists. Neither exhibition production nor one lineup card guarantees an NHL role, but repeated top-six or power-play deployment would strengthen their fantasy cases.
Calgary’s most interesting cluster is Coronato-Frost-Gridin. Coronato led the Flames with 45 points last season, Frost scored a team-high 22 goals, and Calgary has used Frost with Coronato and Gridin during camp. Gridin’s opportunity is particularly intriguing because a permanent top-six role beside those two would give him a much higher fantasy ceiling than his raw 2025-26 totals suggest.
On defence, Zayne Parekh is one of my biggest watches. Calgary needs more offence from the blue line and a more dangerous power play. If Parekh consistently earns first-unit looks, his fantasy stock changes quickly.
Goaltending is much harder to project. Preseason clubs frequently divide workloads, and no starting goalie had been officially confirmed when this article was prepared. I would not treat Dustin Wolf, Kevin Lankinen or any other goalie as a confirmed starter until the teams announce it.
NHLTradeRumor.com Fantasy Matchup Projection
NHLTradeRumor Fantasy Watch
Top Five Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames Fantasy Scorers From Last Season
The scoring totals underline an important fantasy difference. Vancouver had three players between 48 and 51 points, while Calgary’s team lead was only 45. Calgary’s offseason changes also matter: Nazem Kadri appears in this index because he was one of Calgary’s five leading scorers last season, but he is no longer part of the Flames’ active roster.
Vancouver Canucks
Calgary Flames
Injuries and Absences That Could Affect Fantasy Value
Calgary’s biggest confirmed health concern is Jonathan Huberdeau. He underwent hip resurfacing surgery and did not begin training camp with the main group. PuckPedia currently lists him week-to-week with a hip injury. His absence creates additional offensive minutes for players such as Gridin, Farabee, Coronato and Calgary’s other top-six candidates.
That is why I am paying particular attention to Gridin. Calgary’s offence finished last in the NHL in goals per game last season. A young winger receiving sustained minutes beside Frost and Coronato has a genuine path to becoming fantasy relevant rather than merely an interesting prospect.
For Vancouver, Thatcher Demko is out with a hip injury and week-to-week status. That makes Vancouver’s goalie deployment especially important for fantasy managers. Kevin Lankinen becomes the most obvious veteran beneficiary if Demko is unavailable, while Nikita Tolopilo can earn additional preseason evaluation time. Tolopilo stopped 25 shots in Vancouver’s preseason opener.
Neither club had confirmed tonight’s starting goalie when this article was prepared, so any goalie projection should remain provisional.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames Salary-Cap Snapshot
Both clubs currently have considerable room below the NHL’s $104 million 2026-27 cap ceiling. We project Vancouver at roughly $87.04 million with $16.96 million in space and Calgary at roughly $89.12 million with $14.88 million available.
For fantasy managers, that flexibility matters because neither organization is forced into a completely rigid roster purely by the cap. If a younger player earns a job, management has room to make corresponding moves. That can help genuine camp breakouts turn into sustained NHL opportunities.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames Fantasy Hockey Prediction
MY SCORE PREDICTION: Vancouver Canucks 3 – Calgary Flames 4
I lean toward Calgary in a close, higher-event preseason game, but there is far more uncertainty here than I would attach to a regular-season prediction. Both clubs are evaluating young players, veterans can receive limited minutes, power-play combinations can change by period and goalies can split the game.
Calgary has the home-ice setting, had the better defensive and penalty-killing profile last season and won two of three meetings against Vancouver. I also like the fantasy upside around Coronato, Frost and Calgary’s young offensive defencemen if those players dress. Vancouver, however, owns several of the best individual fantasy names in Pettersson, Boeser and Hronek, so a veteran-heavy Canucks lineup would materially change my outlook.
The projected scoring environment is moderate rather than something I would automatically label a shootout. Vancouver surrendered 3.83 goals per game last season, but a new coaching staff and preseason personnel make that number context rather than a forecast. Calgary, meanwhile, desperately needs to generate more offence after scoring only 2.54 per game.
My fantasy takeaway: the development that matters more than the final score is power-play and top-six deployment. I want to know whether Parekh or Nemec emerges as Calgary’s preferred offensive quarterback, whether Gridin stays with high-end forwards, and how Vancouver divides premium offensive minutes between Hronek, Buium and its young forwards. Those clues can carry into fantasy draft decisions long after everyone has forgotten the exhibition score.
How to Watch Vancouver Canucks vs. Calgary Flames
Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2026
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. CT / 7:00 p.m. MT
Arena: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Alberta
Canada TV/stream: A definitive game-specific listing had not been officially confirmed by the clubs at publication time.
USA TV/stream: No verified national U.S. listing at publication time.
Radio: Calgary Flames games are carried on QR Calgary 770 AM. Vancouver’s regional radio partner is Sportsnet, but fans should confirm tonight’s specific feed before puck drop.
Preseason streaming is more likely than regular-season coverage to carry geographic restrictions. If the Flames or Canucks provide a regional stream, viewers outside the permitted territory may be unable to access it. Because preseason broadcast listings can change during game day, verify the official team schedule or your provider shortly before puck drop.
For more fantasy and broadcast information, check the Vancouver Canucks on TV today schedule and Calgary Flames on TV today schedule, follow the latest NHL point leaders for 2026-27 as the new season begins, and while you’re here, join our NHL Fantasy Hockey Pool to test your GM skills against other hockey fans and compete for ultimate bragging rights.
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