The Flames are now in the back half of the season and, surprisingly, still in the hunt for the playoffs. And while the team on the ice in the NHL is performing above expectations, the prospects across various leagues are doing an outstanding job. Whether it is the Pacific Division-leading Calgary Wranglers in the AHL or the Flames’ prospects across the CHL’s three leagues, the future looks very bright for the Flames.
Before the start of the season, we ranked the Calgary Flames’ prospects, looking at both each player’s projected upside as well as the likelihood of them reaching there. Now, halfway through the year, let’s take a look at the current top 10 with an honourable mention.
Traditionally, a prospect is a player who is under 25 and has played less than 65 games. This means that players like Martin Pospisil, Matt Coronato, and Connor Zary are all excluded. However, because they are NHLers at this point, I’m also going to exclude Dustin Wolf and Jakob Pelletier.
Let’s get into it!
Honourable mention: Etienne Morin (previously 11th)
Etienne Morin has been underrated basically since he was drafted, but the smooth-skating blueliner is finally getting what he deserves, and was even on a number of mock boards for Team Canada this year.
He sits second in scoring among defencemen in the QMJHL with 39 points in 39 games and should make the jump up to the AHL next season. If all proceeds perfectly, he’s likely a second-pairing two-way defenceman.
10: Andrew Basha (previously 6th)
Before an injury took him out of the lineup for almost certainly the remainder of the season, Andrew Basha was off to an incredible start this season with 29 points in 23 games. He also signed his entry-level deal with the Flames and should make the jump up to the AHL next season.
A strong skater and scorer, the risks with Basha are both his injury history as well as having played on a deep team. If he continues this form in the AHL, the Flames have something special in him.
9: Samuel Honzek (previously 9th)
The former first-round pick of the Flames in 2023 has not progressed as fast as many had expected him to when he was drafted, and injuries have a big part to play in that. However, to be at a 0.55 point-per-game pace in the AHL as a rookie is really impressive.
The big-bodied forward is exceedingly smart, and if he can continue to put all the pieces together, he is likely to be a decent NHLer in a year or two.
8: Jacob Battaglia (previously 14th)
Expected to be a late first-round pick, Jacob Battaglia has taken the OHL by storm this year, putting up 53 points in 40 games for the Kingston Frontenacs. While his skating has continued to be an area to work on, Battaglia has been getting to the dangerous areas of the ice and creating chances for the Frontenacs. If he can figure out the footwork, he projects to be a middle-six winger at the NHL level.
7: Luke Misa (previously 12th)
Hailed as the biggest late-round steal of the draft, Luke Misa put up 81 points in his draft year before being scooped up by the Flames in the fifth round. He’s on track to put up even more points this season, assuming he remains on the same pace.
The smooth-skating centreman has a great head on his shoulders and reads the game very well, but he will need to add more muscle to his frame to really make it at the next level. However, Misa has the potential to be a centreman at the next level, and that pushes him ahead of Battaglia in the rankings.
6: Hunter Brzustewicz (previously 4th)
Initially expected to play NHL games this year, Hunter Brzustewicz is quietly developing well into a very good offensive defenceman in the AHL this season. His numbers have dropped from 92 points last season to 14 on the year, but transitioning to the much tougher AHL will do that.
He probably needs another season or so in the AHL, but the Wranglers have been trusting him more with difficult assignments and more minutes, which is a great sign for how they view him on a very busy blueline. Brzustwicz could be the power play quarterback for the Flames in a couple years.
5: Rory Kerins (previously N/R)
Once completely written off, Rory Kerins has managed to prove the doubters wrong and shown himself to be an NHLer. A gritty scorer who can play both on the wing and down the middle, Kerins has found a role for himself in the big leagues for the time being.
While the future is still uncertain, he could be a decent third-line option for the Flames going forward, but he likely isn’t worse than a replacement-level player.
4: Matvei Gridin (previously 8th)
Matvei Gridin had amazing numbers when he was drafted out of the USHL, but now he has moved up to Canada and continues to put up phenomenal numbers in the QMJHL. Through 39 games, Gridin has 50 points, good for eighth in the league in scoring and fifth among U19 players.
Like Matt Coronato, Gridin projects to be a high-end winger in the NHL and could be a strong top-six option for the Flames in a couple of years.
3: Aydar Suniev (previously 13th)
Most people who follow Aydar Suniev knew there was promise, but nobody had him being above a point-per-game and sitting just outside the top-10 in NCAA scoring on the year. His point-per-game is around the same as former first-round picks Matthew Wood and Gabe Perrault, which is really incredible to think about. For context, Matt Coronato finished his second and final NCAA season with 36 points in 34 games, just over a point per game, while Suniev has 27 points in just 23 games so far this year.
Suniev could complete his NCAA career as early as the end of this season and find his way to the AHL and then the NHL from there. He projects to be a middle-six winger at the NHL level, but with how he’s performing, it could be even better. He’s a name you need to know.
2: Henry Mews (previously 10th)
Last year’s third-round pick, Henry Mews, simply will not stop putting points on the board. He’s up to 57 points in 42 games on the year and leads all OHL defencemen in points. Since being traded from the Ottawa 67’s to the Sudbury Wolves, Mews has five points in two games. Just silly numbers.
Mews is on pace to put up 92 points this year, about the same as Brzustewicz in his 19-year-old season. Assuming he can take strides in his defensive game, the Flames may have yet another stud offensive defenceman in their ranks.
1: Zayne Parekh (previously 1st)
The undisputed number-one Flames prospect remains Zayne Parekh. The blueliner may not be on pace for as many points as last year, but he has been outstanding for the Saginaw Spirit in the OHL again and has even taken strides defensively.
Parekh is the highest ceiling prospect in the organization, likely a top pairing defenceman who can run a power play and a player who will almost certainly reach there in a couple of years.
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