2025/26 Opening Night Lineup - Defense
LHD | RHD |
|---|---|
Joel Hanley | Mackenzie Weegar |
Kevin Bahl | Rasmus Andersson |
Jake Bean | Brayden Pachal |
Looking back, this is a defense that was never going to amount to much, and while the team had three solid pieces in Andersson, Weegar and Bahl, beyond that, there is nothing but players that would struggle to crack any other NHL rosters. Unsurprisingly, the team started off poorly, and given how many goals they were leaking, the team got proactive, moving several pieces of this defense, and with the opportunity to bring in younger players, they pulled the trigger.
On paper, this was clearly a roster put together for a team that wanted to push for the playoffs, but that was never going to happen, and looking back, it's tough to see so many ageing players on a roster that should have been prioritizing the future.
2026/27 Expected Opening Night Lineup - Defense
LHD | RHD |
|---|---|
Kevin Bahl | Simon Nemec |
Jake Middleton | Zayne Parekh |
Yan Kuznetsov | Zach Whitecloud |
This is where the Flames have undergone the most change, as just one opening night starter from last year will be on the Calgary blue line on opening night, with that being Kevin Bahl, who steps into the top-pairing role in 2026/27. Beyond that, everyhting has changed, with Simon Nemec and Jake Middleton, both being acquired this summer will take up top-four roles, and given the opportunities, they could both break out this season.
Then, there's top prospect Zayne Parekh, who flashed immense potential at the end of the 2025/26 campaign, and after putting on some weight this summer, there's a chance he can finally start to produce at a high level in the NHL.
Finally, the third pairing is as solid as any in the National Hockey League, with both Yan Kuznetsov and Zach Whitecloud being defensive minded players that will give Calgary stability, although the latter may be used as trade bait this season.
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