There were many storylines around the Calgary Flames heading into the 2025/26 season, but the biggest of all was the arrival of 2024 No. 9 overall pick Zayne Parekh, with his incredible offensive upside giving Flames fans plenty of optimism for the future of the blue line.
However, his season was full of ups and downs due to injuries, a lack of playing time and the inability to be sent down to the AHL for true seasoning, but given that he's still just 20-years-old, there's plenty of hope and optimism for the talented young star heading into a new season.
2025/26 was a Rollercoaster for Rookie Zayne Parekh With the Flames
Parekh finished off the 2024/25 season with the Saginaw Spirit by posting 33 goals and 107 points across 61 games played, and after making his debut in Game No. 82 by posting his first ever NHL goal, the hope was that he could immediately jump in and start producing in 2025/26.
Unfortunately, early in the season Parekh went through some consistency issues, and after suffering a few injuries due to some brutal hits, he was in and out of the lineup, not finding a consistent partner or role on the team. As a result, he had some time off before the World Juniors where he dominated for Canada, netting 5 goals and 13 points in 7 games as he was clearly the best player on the ice for Canada.
Then, he had a stint down in the AHL and succeeded there too with 2 goals and 5 points in 4 games played before returning to the NHL, finding himself getting more and more comfortable down the stretch. We're yet to see him dominate offensively, but in game 82, he scored one of the best goals of the entire 2025/26 season, putting the league on notice ahead of his second season.
What Will Zayne Parekh's Role be in 2026/27?
Last season, the biggest issue with Parekh beyond the injuries was his lack of a defined role, and heading into 2026/27, that definition needs to be a priority for Ryan Huska along with the Flames front office.
They've got that opportunity following the acquisition of Jake Middleton, as he makes the perfect partner for Parekh on the Flames second pairing, and with significant time on the top powerplay unit, he could finally start showing off the offensive game that made him such an exciting prospect coming out of Saginaw.
However, it's going to take time for him to start producing at an elite level, and while he should be fairly productive on the powerplay, given the lack of elite level talent around him, this year should be seen as a building block before other young prospects arrive ahead of the 2027/28 campaign.
Final Predictions for Parekh in 2026/27 (based on the assumption of 82 games of health): 11 goals, 26 assists, 37 points.
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