6. RHD Hunter Brzustewicz
The Calgary Flames blue line has recently undergone a transformation, and while that focus is on Carson Carels, Zayne Parekh and Simon Nemec, Hunter Brzustewicz is not someone that can be underestimated or overlooked. In his final OHL season, the right-shot defenseman had 92 points in 67 games with the Kitchener Rangers, and while his production hasn't been that impressive at the pro level, the 21-year-old is developing nicely.
In 34 games for the Flames after being given a permanent role on the blue line, Brzustewicz tallied 2 goals and 7 points with a +0 goal differential, and as his developments continues, he starts to show the vision, the hockey IQ and the confidence that we saw with the Kitchener Rangers. Given the development of the Flames top-4, it's likely that he'll be stuck on the third pairing in Calgary unless something changes, but given the offensive potential and the balance to his game, he'll be a good player in Calgary for years to come.
5. C Cole Reschny
The 2025 NHL Draft could pan out as one of the Flames best in franchise history, and perhaps the biggest reason for that was pick No. 18 when the team landed centre Cole Reschny, who is shaping up as a high-end 2C at the NHL level. He started his 2025/26 season in college slow with North Dakota, but when he made adjustments we saw the high-end skill and two-way play come out, as he ended the year with 6 goals and 35 points in 36 games played.
At 5-11, 183 pounds, there's question marks over his size at the next level, but he's highly skilled and has the ability to drive play at the next level, and after putting up 4 goals in 7 games for Canada at the World Juniors, he showed how clutch he can be. Right now, there's no telling what Reschny's ceiling can be, but with the Flames hoping to add another high end centre in the 2027 NHL Draft, the hope is that he can be a very, very good 2C for the organization in the long-term.
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