Zadorov sounds off on Flames’ early struggles

Stars not producing enough offence. Poor puck management. Outshooting the opposition but not winning.

Early on this season, the Calgary Flames are showing troubling similarities to the group that missed the playoffs under former head coach Darryl Sutter in 2022-23.

Off to a 2-3-1 start, blueliner Nikita Zadorov sounded off on Tuesday about the team’s recent play and lack of an identity. The Flames are coming off a 6-2 loss in Detroit on Sunday where Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri, the team’s two highest-paid players, had a combined minus-eight rating.

“We’re just not working as a unit,” the 28-year-old Zadorov said on Tuesday ahead of a game against the New York Rangers. “We have too many individuals playing as themselves…We have to figure out if we wanna play as a team or play as our own guy.”

This season’s roster is largely unchanged to the one from last season. While the group has a new bench boss in Ryan Huska, the struggles with individual play, chemistry, and finding an identity have continued.

The Flames were expected to improve from last season and play a more entertaining, up-tempo style. Instead, they have regressed in several categories, including goals per game, slot shots for per game, and power play percentage.

Still, Huska pushed back when asked about Zadorov’s comments.

“I wouldn’t say individual mentality in regards to effort,” he said. “The issue is…how we manage the puck sometimes and that’s something we have to do a better job of cleaning up. Oftentimes that falls on the individual, but I won’t say effort……sometimes it’s trying to do a little bit too much.”

Kadri, who has just one assist this season, chalked up the offensive zone individuality to players having the right intentions, but just not executing. 

“Everyone’s trying to make plays and sometimes I think when you’re down in games, you obviously have to be a little more risky,” he said. “It’s a work in progress. A lot of things have been different this season. Sometimes, it takes a little bit of time to adjust.”

Kadri, who the Flames desperately need to find his game, is trying to contribute away from the puck as his season-opening scoring drought continues.

“There’s other aspects [of my game] that I’ve really liked,” he said. “Drawing penalties, winning faceoffs, those types of things…trying to fight, whatever the case may be, I’m willing to do it all. That’s the most frustrating part, getting those looks and opportunities and knowing that I could probably have four or five [goals].”

Huska acknowledged this week that chemistry remains difficult to come by for these Flames, despite most of the roster having been together for more than 82 games now. Already this season, Huberdeau has had two centres and two wingers, and Kadri has had five wingers.

“I don’t think we’ve found that [chemistry] yet,” the first-year head coach said. “We’re still mixing and matching a little bit.”

Seventy-six games remain, but the urgency has ratcheted up for a team desperate to prove last season was an aberration. Zadorov put the onus on the players to get out of their malaise, saying they don’t have time anymore to figure things out.

The franchise is clearly aiming for another playoff appearance. The players have the new head coach and new environment they craved. At some point, that has to translate into points in the standings. Calgary is currently fourth in the Pacific Division and 22nd in the league in points percentage. 

“Last season was different,” he said, before pausing. “It was Darryl. Now there’s no Darryl, so there’s no excuses. You know what I mean? You guys don’t like hard coaches? You don’t like soft coaches? You don’t like good coaches? Fair. It’s a new-day league. You come up here, you play hard, and you leave everything on the ice. I think that’s how simple it is…we’re only six games into the season and we’re trying to figure out who wants to be here, who wants to play for who.”