Potential Star at the Next Level
Ethan Wyttenbach, Cole Reschny, Carson Carels
While the Flames don't have a clear cut 1C or top level superstar in the system like Gavin McKenna, Connor Bedard, Matthew Schaefer or Macklin Celebrini, they have several players that, if developed well, could become potential top line/pairing players for a long time to come.
The obvious one is Cole Reschny, who showed his immense development at the 2026 World Juniors Summer Showcase, and while many had him tabbed as a good, if not great 2C, he showed the playmaking, two-way potential of a 1C during the event. Sure, there's still plenty of work to do, but after scoring 6 goals and 35 points in 36 games at North Dakota as a freshman, the potential is clearly rising more by the year, and with another good season in college, he could become the Flames long-term answer at 1C.
Next up is No. 6 overall pick from the 2026 NHL Draft, Carson Carels, who has that physical, two-way potential on the left side, and given his relationship with Zayne Parekh, the team are hoping that pairing can blossom into a long-term solution for the Flames blue line. While we're yet to see him in college, he'll pair up with Reschny at North Dakota this season, and given how physically mature he already is, if he can learn to play a responsible defensive game and continue working on the offensive skillset, he could be a two-way monster for a long time.
Finally in this category is Ethan Wyttenbach, and while he wasn't exactly hyped coming into his draft year, just over 12 months later, he's been the talk of the town in prospect world following an incredible 2025/26 campaign and another dominant performance at the World Juniors Summer Showcase. He's not the finished product yet, but he already showed improvements in his game with the playmaking over the summer tournament, and if he has another great year at Quinnipiac and with the USA's World Juniors squad, he could be a genuine top-line winger for the Flames one day.
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