Calgary is last in the league on four points with a goal difference of minus twenty. It also beat Carolina, the league leader, four days ago. What follows is the call, the team news and the Canadian odds.
How to watch
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Game | Minnesota Wild at Calgary Flames |
| Date | Thursday 22 October 2026 |
| Puck drop | 9:00pm ET / 7:00pm MT |
| Venue | Scotiabank Saddledome |
| Records | Minnesota 6-2-2, Calgary 2-6-0 |
National and regional listings are not always the same thing in Canada. Our how to watch the NHL in Canada page explains which applies to you.
Flames vs Wild odds
Moneyline prices from 4 Canadian sportsbooks, captured on 2026-10-21. American odds throughout.
| Sportsbook | Minnesota | Calgary |
|---|---|---|
| Betano (CA – ON) | −213 | +157 |
| PROLINE (CA – ON) | −244 | +165 |
| PlayNow (CA) | −200 | +170 |
| Sports Interaction (CA – ON) | −200 | +165 |
These are stored prices rather than live ones, and a hockey line moves the moment a starting goaltender is confirmed, so check before you bet. Our NHL betting sites page sets out which operates where, and who is expected in net is on our projected NHL starting goalies page.
Calgary is bottom of the league and beat the leaders on Sunday
The Flames are 2-6-0 with eight games played, fewer than most, and a goal difference of minus twenty that is the worst in the NHL by some distance.
Both wins have come against good sides. They beat Carolina 3-2 on 18 October and Anaheim 4-2 before that. The losses have been heavy: 6-2 at Vegas, 7-3 at home to Colorado.
Dustin Wolf has a .834 across five starts and Devin Cooley a .868 across three, which is the hardest number on this page to argue around. Jonathan Huberdeau is out until about 2 November with a hip injury and Mikael Backlund is day to day.
How they compare
| 2025-26 | Minnesota Wild | Calgary Flames |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 46-24-12 | 34-39-9 |
| Points | 104 | 77 |
| Goals for per game | 3.32 | 2.59 |
| Goals against per game | 2.93 | 3.16 |
| Power play | 25.2% | 16.2% |
| Penalty kill | 79.8% | 80.4% |
Minnesota finished twenty-seven points clear of Calgary last season, scored three quarters of a goal a game more and had a power play nine points better. The penalty kill is the one column Calgary won.
Minnesota is eighth and has lost its number one goaltender
The Wild are 6-2-2 and lost 4-3 in overtime at Edmonton on Tuesday, Kirill Kaprizov and Ryan Hartman scoring inside three minutes of the third to force the extra period.
Jesper Wallstedt has started nine of ten. Filip Gustavsson is out until around 19 November with a hip problem, so the 22-year-old has the job outright and has a .915 to show for it.
Six players are out. Brock Faber is on injured reserve with a skull fracture until early November, Jared Spurgeon until 27 October, and both Foligno brothers until the end of the month.
Calgary has won three of the last five at home
| Date | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jan 2026 | Minnesota 4-1 | Minnesota |
| 4 Dec 2025 | Calgary 4-1 | Calgary |
| 9 Nov 2025 | Minnesota 2-0 | Minnesota |
| 11 Apr 2025 | Calgary 4-2 | Calgary |
| 25 Jan 2025 | Calgary 5-4 | Calgary |
Calgary leads the all-time series 64 wins to 52 and has won three of the last five, all three at the Saddledome. Minnesota has won the two most recent meetings in Minnesota.
Those five produced 5, 5, 2, 6 and 9 goals, an average of 5.4. Only one of the five cleared a line of 6.5, and two finished at five or fewer.
Team news
| Club | Player | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Calgary | Jonathan Huberdeau | Out, hip, on injured reserve to around 2 November |
| Calgary | Mikael Backlund | Day to day, upper body |
| Calgary | Samuel Honzek | Out, lower body, on injured reserve |
| Minnesota | Filip Gustavsson | Out, hip, on injured reserve to around 19 November |
| Minnesota | Brock Faber | Out, skull fracture, to early November |
| Minnesota | Jared Spurgeon | Out, upper body, to 27 October |
| Minnesota | Marcus Foligno | Out, lower body, to late October |
| Minnesota | Nick Foligno | Out, upper body, to late October |
Who starts in goal is an open question. Minnesota Wild has split between Wallstedt (9 starts, .915) and Pickard (1, .800), and Calgary Flames has split between Wolf (5 starts, .834) and Cooley (3, .868). Form and selection are different questions, and only one of them is settled before the morning skate.
We keep the rest of the league on our NHL injury report.
Players to watch
Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota. Eleven goals already, and a goal and an assist in Edmonton on Tuesday.
Jesper Wallstedt, Minnesota. Nine starts, a .915, and the job to himself while Gustavsson is out.
Dustin Wolf, Calgary. A .834 across five starts. Calgary’s season turns on whether that is the goaltender or the team in front of him.
Score prediction
Minnesota Wild 4-2 Calgary Flames. Minnesota is the better side by a distance and Calgary’s goaltending has not held up.
Flames vs Wild prediction
Minnesota is the side we would take. Calgary is last in the league, minus twenty, and getting a .834 from its starter. The Wild have taken points from eight of ten.
The warning is that Calgary beat Carolina four days ago and has saved its best for the better opponents, and Minnesota is missing six including a first-pair defenceman in Faber. Our lean: Minnesota. At a total of 5.5 we would leave it alone. The last five meetings averaged 5.4 goals and sit right on the number, which is not an edge in either direction.
The NHL power rankings puts both clubs against the other 30, and the rest of Thursday’s games sits on the NHL schedule.
Puck drop is 9:00pm ET / 7:00pm MT on Thursday 22 October 2026 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary.
Last in the NHL. The Flames are 2-6-0 with four points from eight games and a goal difference of minus twenty, the worst in the league.
Jesper Wallstedt has started nine of ten at a .915. Filip Gustavsson is out until around 19 November with a hip injury.
Calgary leads the all-time series 64 wins to 52 and has won three of the last five, all of them at home.
Minnesota to win 4-2. At a total of 5.5 we would leave it alone.
19+ (18+ in AB, MB and QC). Picks are opinion, not advice, and odds change constantly. Availability varies by province. Please play responsibly. ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 for Ontario residents; see your province’s helpline for resources elsewhere.