4. Connor Zary
Coming into the NHL, Connor Zary took the Flames by storm back in 2023/24 with 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games played, with the team seemingly finding a young, high-skill centre that they've been seeking for years now. Unfortunately for Zary, the coaching staff have not prioritized his development since then, and in combination with two unfortunate injuries, his standing in Calgary has taken a disappointing and drastic fall.
At 24-years-old, his future as a potential middle-six piece for the organization is up in the air, but as we saw in 2025/26, there's still immense talent and upside there, even if the speed and explosiveness have been limited due to injury in recent times.
With the injury to Jonathan Huberdeau, there's a middle-six role open for Zary if he can turn up to training camp motivated, but given that he's taken several steps back in the past 24 months, this may be one of his last opportunities to impress Ryan Huska and the staff in Calgary.
3. Simon Nemec
From the moment he was drafted No. 2 overall back in 2022, Simon Nemec has had plenty to prove, but in New Jersey, the talented right-shot defenseman simply hasn't been granted the opportunities to show off what he can do as a top-pairing blue liner in the National Hockey League.
However, in Calgary, Nemec will be given every chance to thrive, as he's likely to line up as the teams top RHD alongside Kevin Bahl, with Craig Conroy hinting in recent times that he could also share PP1 time with Zayne Parekh. This comes on the back of an Olympic tournament with Slovakia where Nemec ranked top-two in the tournament among defenseman in goal chances created, and for a Flames team with limited offensive upside, that will be a tremendous boost.
Ultimately though, Nemec still hasn't proved it over a full NHL season, and while he's going to get the chance in the regular season, a first impression is a lasting one, so given all the talent he's got, expect him to look to make an immediate impression and impact in training camp.
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