With the conclusion of the Ontario Hockey League’s regular season, the 2024–25 OHL Coaches Poll on which players they thought were best was released earlier last week. There were improvements from last year’s poll, which only had two nods to Flames prospects, both for Hunter Brzustewicz.
This year, Flames prospects appeared on the OHL Coaches Poll a total of eight times. Each of the four recently drafted OHL prospects appeared at least once. Not too shabby for the Flames’ 2024 draft class. Let’s take a look at what this means for their development.
Results of the 2025 OHL Coaches Poll
Best Skater
Luke Misa – voted third-place in the Eastern Conference
Skating is fundamentally a core of Misa’s game in transition and zone play. The 2024 fifth-rounder likes to move quickly. His skating shines for his top-end acceleration, clean stride, agility, good posture, and fundamentals. This high-end skating will certainly translate to the NHL level.
As per The Win Column’s recent conversation with Misa, his skating is one of the elements he’s most proud of in his own game. So, it’s good to have coaches in his league acknowledge that hard work.
Zayne Parekh – tied for third in Western Conference
There’s little that the ninth overall pick does not do. Skating is another one of those categories that he excels in, with clean posture, fundamentals, agility, and top speed. Notable edgework also allows for greater evasiveness from the young defender.
Parekh makes the most of his rush and zone activations to generate high danger, high pace chances for. Judging by his 107 points this season, the young defender clearly executes on those chances.
Best Shot
Zayne Parekh – third in the Western Conference
He has quality deception, a stable release point power, and clean weight transfers. He’s a sniper from the blue line and an even more deadly sniper when he activates into space in zone. Flames fans have lots of offensive upside to look forward to when the organization thinks he’s ready for a regular role.
Best Stickhandler
Jacob Battaglia – tied for third in the Eastern Conference
This is an area in which the Kingston Frontenacs forward showed tremendous growth this past season. One of the elements that Battaglia has in his game is that of pressure absorption, and with better handling, control, and dekes and deception, he is better able to manipulate incoming defenders. This allows him to create more space and find better lanes.
That, combined with better offensive poise, shows that his game is on the upswing.
Zayne Parekh – tied for second in the Western Conference
Parekh’s offensive package includes skating, senses, shooting, and, unsurprisingly, stick handling. A large portion of this is just Parekh’s ability to manipulate defenders, create space, protect the puck, and generate chances. One of the elements that stand out in his puck skills is his legitimate deception with feints, fakes, and everything in between. He can leave defenders themselves wondering what happened.
It’s this manipulation, paired with his smooth passing and vision, that allows him to be such an effective stick handler.
Best Shootout Shooter
Jacob Battaglia – second in the Eastern Conference
When transition and skating aren’t a concern for the young forward, he displays quality creativity, handling, and finishing ability. He’s an offensive threat at 5v5 and an even larger one in the shootout.
Best Offensive Defender
Henry Mews – tied for first in Eastern Conference
Move over, Parekh; this prospect pipeline is big enough for two offence-driving defenders. He has pristine offensive senses (positioning, instincts, and deception, and finishing ability), mix this with quality skating, vision, and plentiful activations, and well you get a 82 point season.
Not as highly touted as Parekh, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that Mews is a legitimate offensive threat of the future at the NHL level.
Best Offensive Defender
Zayne Parekh – first in the Western Conference
This isn’t a Parekh appreciation post; he just blew the voters away, receiving 41 votes, with second place getting a mere 27. Simply put, he was a game-breaking offensive defender in the OHL last year, with every possible facet—minus physicality—that an organization could want. He is an instant upgrade for the offensively struggling Flames on that backend, and there are plenty of reasons why.
The Flames are looking straight at their offensive power play facilitator of the future. Between him, Brzustewicz, and Mews, the Flames’ blue line of the future is in good hands.
Flames’ 2024 draft already looking good
Very rarely do teams see as much immediate payoff from picks like the Calgary Flames have. Whether the players end up back in the OHL next season or secure a roster spot, the OHL remains a league where players develop, and the 2024 OHL draft class for the Flames proves this.
Do you think the coaches missed any prospects? Should any of the prospects have gotten more votes? Let us know in the comments below.
