D Mace'o Phillips
Over the past few years, we've seen many players make the jump from the CHL to the college game in the United States, but this year, we'll see a player make the opposite move, as Mace'o Phillips will jump from the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers to the WHL, where he will report to the Medicine Hat Tigers.
At the Flames recent prospect camp, Phillips stood out immensely, and while he's always had the physicality to be an impactful defender, the offensive game and the smooth skating continue to develop. In the USHL, Phillips tallied 11 points across 44 games to go along with 187 penalty minutes, and while he'll need to maintain that edge moving forward, if he can develop any offensive game, the Flames may have a very good blue liner in 3-4 years.
C Egor Barabanov
Egot Barabanov was another late round pick for the Flames that's showed immense potential, and while he was a double overage player in the draft, making him 20-years-old at the time he was selected. However, it was a risk worth taking for Calgary after he made a huge leap last year, posting 28 goals and 91 points across 68 games with the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL after failing to catch on in the USHL for three straight years.
This season, he'll be taking his talents to the college game, pairing with Trejbal and Max Curran at the University of Massachusetts, with the hope that he can catch on and quickly build on a solid 2025/26 season. With good size and skill, Barabanov will make it to the professional level in the years to come, and whether or not that's the NHL, only time will tell, but for now he's one to keep an eye on at UMass.
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