2. Figure Out Their Long-Term Defensive Pairings
Heading into the 2026/27 NHL season, we know the Flames top defensive pairing will likely be Kevin Bahl and Simon Nemec, but beyond that, the team have plenty of talent with roles that are yet to be defined. On the right side, Calgary have Zayne Parekh, Zach Whitecloud and Hunter Brzustewicz, and on the left the likes of Jake Middleton, Abram Wiebe and Yan Kuznetsov, and given the duo of Joel Hanley and Brayden Pachal as depth, there's plenty to be figured out.
While deciding on the 2026/27 pairings will be important, the Flames have Carson Carels waiting in the wings, and as a result, the team should be looking to define their future pairings beyond this season. For the most part, the belief is that Carels and Parekh should make up the second pairing beyond the 2026/27 campaign, and if that's the way the team are thinking as well, there's things they can do this season to prioritize building their future pairings.
Ultimately, the blue line is going to be a critical piece of the Flames rebuild, and with all of the pieces in the organization, the team need to spend the next eight months figuring out how they all fit together if they are to build future success.
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