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The Athletic Sees Several Future All-Stars in Flames System
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- The Athletic Sees Several Future All-Stars in Flames System
Everyone knows the Calgary Flames are rebuilding and have been fortunate enough to select some great prospects like Carson Carels and Zayne Parekh in recent NHL Drafts. However, Scott Wheeler from The Athletic doesn't see any top-tier players in the organization's pipeline; instead believes there are several All-Star, Star, and Support-level talents.
In his latest rankings of the Top 145 NHL Prospects, released on September 3, Wheeler discussed only eight Calgary prospects, with two standing out above the rest.
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The All-Star Level Prospects
When Parekh played in the OHL, he performed at a level unseen in decades. He drew comparisons to Bobby Orr as one of the game's most offensively gifted defensemen of his generation. As the ninth overall pick from the 2024 Draft , he has yet to find his groove in the NHL, with just 10 points in 38 games over three seasons. It's been an adjustment, to say the least, for the 20-year-old, who compiled 240 points in just 177 games in the OHL.
Interestingly, Parekh ranks below future defensive partner Carson Carels, whom the Flames just selected sixth overall at the 2026 Draft . Although he didn't put up the same statistics in the WHL as Parekh, he had 111 points in 125 games. Carels was one of the highest-ranked defenders in his draft class, and he happened to be available for the Flames for their first pick.
The Star Level Prospects
In June 2026, the Flames made a deal with the New Jersey Devils to acquire 22-year-old Simon Nemec , who is the second overall pick from the 2022 Draft. Through four NHL seasons, he's scored 16 goals and 49 points in 155 games. Many hope that a change of scenery and a chance to be a top-pairing defenseman will help his development, especially in Calgary, which signed him to a long-term extension.
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Meanwhile, the only other possible star in the Flames prospect pipeline is Matvei Gridin, a 20-year-old winger who is projected to be one on the team's top line to begin the 2026-27 season. The former 28th overall pick from the 2024 Draft just finished his first season of professional hockey and scored 16 goals and 50 points over 74 games with the Flames and Calgary Wranglers.
The Supporting Cast Members
Of the prospects Wheeler grouped into the Support category, the Flames find most of their future players. First is center Cole Reschny, a 19-year-old whom Calgary drafted 18th overall in 2025. Right now, he's still playing in the NCAA, where an injury derailed his 2025-26 campaign, and he failed to duplicate the 92 points he scored the previous year.
Next on the list is Hunter Brzustewicz, a 21-year-old defenseman whom many in the C of Red are wondering will ever reach his potential . Since making his professional hockey debut in 2024-25, he's bounced between the Flames and Wranglers, scoring just 52 points in 139 games. Heading into the new season, Brzustewicz will once again begin the year in the AHL, waiting for another call-up.
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Given that Calgary is missing a true No. 1 center, Wheeler doesn't believe Cullen Potter, the team's second first-round pick in 2025, is the answer. As a kid who developed through the United States National Development Program, he's still skating in the NCAA and still looking for his first career 20-goal campaign.
Meanwhile, Ethan Wyttenbach, a 19-year-old winger the Flames drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 Draft, is another NCAA prospect with significant upside after back-to-back 20-goal campaigns in the USHL and at Quinnipiac University.
Finally, the very last prospect ranked by Wheeler is 18-year-old Tobias Trejbal. The 6-foot-4 goalie from Czechia came to the Flames as a second-round pick in the 2026 Draft and is committed to the University of Massachusetts this year. During his one season in the USHL, he was 30-9-3 with a .916 SV% and could find his way into the Wranglers' system before the end of the decade.
Do you agree with Wheeler's rankings? Is there someone he missed? Let us know what you think in the comments.
