With the Calgary Flames in rebuild mode, they’ve become a team with a wealth of young players who will be looking to make an impression at training camp this season.
There is plenty of opportunity for young players, especially on the blueline, to wow the coaching staff and really push to make the team. In years’ past this hasn’t been the case as the Flames’ blueline has been fairly set in stone from the get go. However, with the departures of guaranteed NHLers Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Nikita Zadorov, and Oliver Kylington, there are spots available.
We know that MacKenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, Jake Bean, Daniil Miromanov, and Kevin Bahl will be on the NHL roster. From there, Brayden Pachal has the best shot of rounding out the top-six, however it’s not a guarantee. The seventh defence slot is also wide open, as Joel Hanley is not good enough to block a young up-and-comer.
Here are the players in the mix.
The offence-first defencemen
The Flames now boast a long list of high flying defenders capable of transitioning the puck up the ice in a hurry.
Etienne Morin
Etienne Morin just signed his entry-level contract with the Flames at development camp and is in the mix to claim a spot on Team Canada’s World Juniors roster for this year. He’s a smooth transition defenceman who got his first taste of professional hockey last year with the Calgary Wranglers.
Morin is a long shot to make the team as he has almost zero pro experience, but the Flames like him and he’s made huge strides the past 12 months.
Likelihood of making the team: 1/10
Jeremie Poirier
Jeremie Poirier had one of the most unfortunate seasons in 2023-24 with the Wranglers. A brutal laceration sidelined him for most of the year, and he ended up playing just 23 games. Poirier was one of the last cuts at last year’s training camp and looked poised to have a monster season in the AHL, with potentially his first taste of NHL hockey mixed in as well. Now that he’s back healthy, Poirier will be challenging hard for a spot on the big club.
Like most tweeners this year, Poirier will have to really force the coaching staff’s hand to make the team, but he has a better chance than most.
Likelihood of making the team: 3/10
Hunter Brzustewicz
The newly acquired rearguard who came over in the Elias Lindholm trade, Hunter Brzustewicz is coming off a banner year in the OHL. He was second in OHL scoring by a defencemen, eighth overall in scoring, and won a bunch of awards including team MVP, best defenceman, and best teammate. He showed extremely well in development camp and brings a cerebral transition style of play that the Flames desperately need.
Still, he’s best suited for the AHL unless he blows the doors off in camp.
Likelihood of making the team: 2/10
The defence-first defencemen
On the other side of playing styles, the Flames have three defence-first blueliners who will be pushing hard in camp.
Ilya Solvyov
Ilya Solovyov has come a long way since being drafted as an overager in the seventh round of the 2020 draft. He played his first NHL games last year after rocketing up the Wranglers’ depth chart the past two seasons, and showed quite well in his 10 NHL games. His youthful exuberance is easy to see on the ice and as a big bodied guy who plays a big bodied game, his presence was noted every time an opposing player would try to cut around hm near the boards.
Solovyov has the most NHL experience out of this group of players and has the best chance of making the team out of camp. He is without a contract right now, but should sign soon. He’s also the only player on this list who is not waiver eligible this year.
Likelihood of making the team: 6/10
Artyom Grushnikov
Another trade acquisition from last season, this time from the Dallas Stars in the Chris Tanev deal, Artyom Grushnikov is highly touted as one of the best shutdown defenders in the system. He’s a 2021 second round draft pick, and played his first AHL season last year split between the Texas Stars and the Wranglers. He only had five points, but was a very effective defensive player, and the Flames are very high on him. Grushnikov is just 21 years old so he still has lots of development left at the AHL level, but is waiver ineligible so he can come and go between the AHL and NHL without risk.
Likelihood of making the team: 2/10
Yan Kuznetsov
Yan Kuznetsov is probably the second most likely NHL-bound player from this list as he was given his first taste of NHL action last year. He only got into one game, but was called up multiple times and spent a decent amount of time with the big club. Kuznetsov has been an impressive shutdown defender at every level so far, including being a dominant force on the back end of the UConn Huskies in the NCAA as the youngest player in the league at the time. He’s played games in four separate AHL seasons and looks ready to flirt with taking that next step.
Likelihood of making the team: 3/10
The wild cards
Just one player on this list, but I think he has the best chance to make the team out of camp, regardless of whether that ends up being a long term fit or not.
Zayne Parekh
The Flames’ shiniest new player, their first selection from the 2024 draft, Zayne Parekh, has a legitimate shot at making the team out of camp. Right now, Parekh is taking part in Team Canada’s World Juniors selection process, looking to play on the most prestigious team a Canadian teenager can play on. He’s the real deal. His elite skill was on display at development camp, and many have him penciled in to the World Junior roster already.
Parekh is going to be one of the most important players in the franchise very soon, and while he’s probably not ready for full-time NHL action just yet, he is eligible to play nine games for the Flames without burning the first year of his entry-level deal. Usually, this sample period is reserved for the best of the best, and Parekh fits the bill.
There are a lot of benefits to getting Parekh a taste of NHL hockey, showing him what’s in store for him and what he needs to work towards, before returning him to the Saginaw Spirit to defend their Memorial Cup championship.
I fully believe that Parekh will be on the Flames’ opening night roster, play nine games with the team, and then go back to the OHL with the expectations of an even more dominant season than the one before.
Likelihood of making the team: 8/10
