The Calgary Flames have extended defenceman Brayden Pachal. Claimed off waivers last season, Pachal was playing the last year of his contract with the team.
Pen to paper ✍️
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) December 17, 2024
Another two years of Brayden on the blueline! pic.twitter.com/jHqfDumiV1
Pachac was a very successful waiver claim for Calgary
After playing juniors with the Victoria Royals and Prince Albert Raiders, Brayden Pachal went undrafted. However, things changed when he was handed a contract by the Vegas Golden Knights when he was no longer draft-eligible. Pachal would spend two years between the Golden Knights’ AHL and ECHL teams.
On March 15, 2022, Pachal was recalled by the Golden Knights and was set to make his NHL debut. He played just over 10 minutes against the Winnipeg Jets. Six days later, he’d face off against the Minnesota Wild before being reassigned to the Henderson Silver Knights. Pachal had become the captain of the Silver Knights as well, continuing to show the leadership he had in juniors.
2022–23 was a big year for Pachal as he played 10 more NHL games and served as a black ace in the playoffs. His first and only playoff game so far came against the Winnipeg Jets in Round 1. The Golden Knights would go on to win the Stanley Cup. Despite, Pachal not meeting the criteria, he got his time with the Cup and his name on it as well.
The following season, Pachal did not have a great start with the Golden Knights. He played 17 games and was not looking good despite scoring his first NHL goal. So, Henderson was his preferred destination. However, he had to clear waivers which he did obviously not. The Flames swooped in and claimed Pachal, stealing him from the Golden Knights. Joining the Flames, Pachal’s performance completely flipped and locked in a solid job on the third pair. He played 33 games, scoring his second career goal and six points.
That brings us to this season where Pachal was going to have to fight off many veterans for a spot on the team. That is exactly what he did. Pachal made the opening roster and lineup. The first game against the Vancouver Canucks saw him pick up his first point of the year. Then, it took him a while to get his second point, scoring his first season goal just only a week ago. Despite that, Pachal’s physical and defensive game has kept him in the lineup for all games. He’s one of four Flames defencemen to not be scratched alongside MacKenzie Weegar, Rasmus Andersson, and Kevin Bahl.
Pachal locking down his third pair role and becoming a very solid option for the Flames has made the organization love him. This has become extra clear with his well-deserved two-year extension.
