Did the Canucks Just Give the Calgary Flames a Glimpse Into Zayne Parekh's Future?

The 2026/27 Calgary Flames team have been lambasted by opposing fans for their lack of high end talent, and given that they're just truly getting going on their rebuild, the absence of star power should come as no shock.

The prospect pool is promising as a result of the direction this team has chosen, but in 2026/27, the team will be hoping that the likes of Simon Nemec, Matvei Gridin, Matt Coronato and Zayne Parekh all take leaps forward in their development.

Of all of them, it's Parekh that has the most potential as a star at the next level, and while he may not break out as a genuine star this season, if he can start to show some consistency with his offensive game, there's very high hopes for his future.

How Much Will Zayne Parekh Get Paid?

It may be a while until we see Parekh's dominant offensive game and historic numbers from the CHL with the Saginaw Spirit translate into the NHL, but next year, the hope is that we can see him post at least 30 points in a consistent role with the Flames.

If he can do that, it would be a similar trajectory to Zeev Buium, who was drafted three spots after Parekh back in 2024, as he took the leap in his first full season in 2025/26, posting six goals and 26 points across a combined 76 games with the Canucks and Minnesota Wild. Then, the Canucks made a shocking decision, handing him an eight-year, $9.38 million AAV extension, getting that final year now, as the eight-year deal will no longer be permitted by the beginning of the new season.

Clearly the Canucks front office has taken a major risk on Buium here, paying for potential rather than production, and given Parekh's rocky rookie campaign of 2025/26, this may end up being what the team need to do. So that begs the question, how much will Parekh get paid?

What Does Zayne Parekh's Next Contract Look Like?

This summer, the Flames signed Simon Nemec, an underperforming former No. 2 overall pick to an extension that carried a much lower AAV, and now, the Flames will need to make a decision: pay Parekh early on potential, or wait for him to develop and pay him then. The latter move makes perfect sense given that he's still got several years before becoming an RFA at the end of 2027/28, but that also carries risk, as he could then potentially be demanding a whole lot more due to the rise in salary cap.

Ultimately, Parekh's next deal shouldn't look too different from the deal that Buium just signed, and while it would have been great to get him on a deal similar to Lane Hutson ($8.85 million AAV), with the rising cap, the Canucks may have just shown the Flames the minimum amount it would take per season to keep No. 19 around.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow