2. Matvei Gridin, RW/LW
The 2024 NHL Draft may go down as one of the best in Calgary Flames history when it's all said and done, and in 2025/26, it was winger Matvei Gridin that showed just what elite potential he has at the NHL level. While the overall numbers (6G, 20P in 37 games) don't look elite, late in the season, Gridin found his groove after he got comfortable, with 4 goals and 16 points over his final 25 games of the 2025/26 campaign.
On top of that, Gridin is still just 20-years of age, and with the size at 6-foot-1, it's hard to believe that he lasted all the way to the No. 28 pick in the 2024 draft. There's no guarantees that he will turn into the Nikita Kucherov type player that Flames fans are no doubt hoping for, but after such a promising rookie campaign, with another full training camp and hopefully 82 games to come, he could turn into a key top-six piece for Calgary for years to come.
1. Zayne Parekh, RHD
The Calgary Flames landed the No. 9 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, and somehow, former Saginaw Spirit superstar Zayne Parekh fell to that spot, finishing the final two years of his OHL career with an incredible 66 goals and 203 points in 127 games played. That production comes on the back of immense puck skill, confidence, IQ and skating, and in 2025/26, he was expected to arrive at the National Hockey League level.
Unfortunately, things didn't get started on the right foot, and after taking some tough hits, he spent months on the sidelines ahead of an incredible performance at the World Juniors where he posted 5 goals and 13 points in just 7 games played. Then, things clicked, and down the stretch when he was given consistent opportunities, allowing the 20-year old time to get comfortable in the NHL.
Over Parekh's last 14 games of the year, he picked up 4 goals and 6 points, and while he didn't begin dominating games like the Flames and their fans had hoped, it's well known that it takes time for blue liners to adjust in the NHL. Next season will be key for Parekh, and with 38 games now under his belt, the hope is that he can establish himself as a true star and an impact player for the Flames moving forward.
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