Top Prospects: The NHL System Rankings

#2: Calgary Flames

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Number of Ranked Prospects: 38

Number of Forwards in the Top 50: 4

Number of Defensemen in the Top 50: 3

Average Rank of Top 10 Prospects in Pool: 47th

Top Forward Prospect in The System: Matvei Gridin (25th)

Top Defenseman Prospect in The System: Zayne Parekh (3rd)

System Score: 5

The Calgary Flames have missed the playoffs in three of the last four seasons, and only five times in the last fifteen years. However, they have collected and used fifteen top-three-round draft picks in the last five years, and have been (mostly) quietly building a quality stable of top prospects. Yes, the Flames may have traded or otherwise lost every first-round pick that the team made in the 2010s (Matt Tkachuk, Juuso Valimaki, Sam Bennett, Sean Monahan, Mark Jankowski, Sven Baertschi and the rest are all gone), but they have been tighter fisted in recent years and as a result have one of the best prospect pools in the league.

The Top of The Pool:

Defenseman Zayne Parekh (3rd overall in Hockey Prophets' top defender prospect ranking) is not only a Hockey Prophets favorite but is also one of the top blueliner prospects in the game of hockey. Drafted ninth overall in the 2024 draft (Hockey Prophets ranked Parekh fourth overall as the top-ranked defenseman in the draft), the 6'0, 185-pound offensive defenseman racked up an tremendous post-draft year for Saginaw in the OHL. Parekh posted 107 points (33 goals and 74 assists), leading all OHL defenders in scoring (second-place Sam Dickinson finished 16 points back with 91) and was fifth overall in scoring in the league. Although well short of the great Bryan Fogarty's all-time single-season OHL record of 155 points, Parekh's 107 (an incredible 1.75 points per game) is the best mark by a defender in the last 30 years.

Parekh is a superstar talent who combines elite skating and offensive skills with the confidence that comes from being among the very best players in his age group. His all-way mobility and defensive awareness allows him to cover the best forwards the opposition can send against him. He adjusts and flash-closes gaps with agility and darting quickness that halts attacks and creates turnovers. With the puck, Parekh is just a force to be reckoned with, making excellent short and long passes, controlling play in the offensive zone from the point or attacking the net. He is a sensational all-around player and future superstar. Parekh will almost certainly earn a spot in Calgary this fall, and fans will soon be lining up to watch him play for the Flames. 

Fellow defensive prospect Etienne Morin (22nd overall defender prospect ranking) is another critical piece in the Calgary prospect puzzle. At 6'1, 185 pounds, Morin is of similar size to Parekh, but plays more of a hard-nosed two-way style. Morin incorporates quality straight-line speed and edgework into a penchant for physical play, making him an effective hitter without giving up defensive positioning. He consistently makes good reads in his own zone, and as he continues to develop he will become a high-quality defender capable of stacking up against NHL forwards. On the offensive side, Morin lacks a bit of passing touch, too often trying to force passes into the correct reads when perhaps checking off to a second, safer option might be the better choice. He is willing to hold the puck and try to make the plays, though, so this tendency, too, is likely to improve as he matures. Morin is a bit further removed from the NHL than his stablemate Parekh, but he definitely has NHL abilities.

The top forward in the Calgary system is Matvei Gridin, the USHL's top scorer last season. Gridin has excellent offensive skills, particularly his ability to spin into a shooting motion and get a tricky shot on net. He has the speed and agility to get into open spaces and create problems for the defense. On the other hand, Gridin is not a puck hander. He will prefer to move the puck quickly, getting it on and off his stick in a hurry, sometimes with less-than-desirable outcomes as he quickly moves the puck to a teammate under pressure or missing the target. Gridin also needs to dramatically increase his energy at the defensive end of the rink if he is going to convert his considerable offensive skills into NHL opportunities. 

Samuel Honzek is a complete professional center, with size (6'4, 194 pounds), skating ability and a smart, two-way game. Playing his first year in the AHL, Honzek established himself as a reliable presence for the Calgary Wranglers while also posting 8 goals and 13 assists in 48 games playing in a bottom-six role on the well-stocked team. He plays with a high work rate and has been improving on his physical play and defensive-zone work. He might need one more year of AHL play, but could be a viable candidate to make the Flames roster in the fall as a role player who eventually develops into a top-six center.

Andrew Basha is a scoring speed demon of a player with a quality shot and intensity. Unfortunately, the 19-year-old left winger suffered a lower body injury this season and has missed significant time for the Medicine Hat Tigers. 

Return to the Team System Rankings

Below is the full list of the Calgary Flames' ranked prospects.

Top Forwards 

Top Defensemen