The Calgary Flames’ 2026 prospect rankings are in, and the list shows just how much the pool has shifted over the past year.
Sixteen writers took part in the vote, each submitting a top 15 along with two honourable mentions. The final order was built from the average rankings, with ties broken first by total rank and then by how often a player appeared on a ballot. The result: a top end that stayed mostly stable, and a middle and bottom of the list that got plenty of fresh blood.
Zayne Parekh held onto the No. 1 spot, repeating as the top prospect after finishing first in 2025 as well. Behind him, the biggest change near the top came from Carson Carels, the Flames’ 2026 sixth overall pick, who surged straight into second. He was ranked in the top two by 15 of the 16 writers and even picked up three first-place votes over Parekh.
Cole Reschny stayed right in the mix at No. 3, while Matvei Gridin and Cullen Potter remained top-five names for a second straight year. Gridin moved up to fourth and Potter slid to fifth after both posted strong 2025-26 seasons in their respective leagues. Gridin also collected six top-three votes and one second-place vote.
The biggest story in the top 10, though, was the wave of newcomers. Five new names cracked that group, and three of them were 2026 draft picks.
Jack Hextall, another first-rounder, landed at No. 8 and appeared on all 16 ballots inside the top 10. Tobias Trejbal, the Flames’ 2026 second-round pick, checked in at No.
Ethan Wyttenbach made one of the sharpest climbs on the board. After failing to make last summer’s top 10 following his 2025 fifth-round selection, he exploded up the list thanks to a huge 2025-26 NCAA season. Every writer placed him in the top 10, and two of them put him inside the top five.
Sam Honzek also broke into the top 10, rising from honourable mention to No. 9 despite playing only 18 NHL games last season. His strong start before injury clearly left an impression on the voting panel.
There were also notable drops. Etienne Morin, Jacob Battaglia, and Luke Misa fell off the list entirely after appearing in 2025. Morin and Battaglia both struggled in 2025-26 and were traded, while Misa didn’t make enough of an impact at the NCAA level and was ranked by just one writer.
Among the players who stayed ranked, Hunter Brzustewicz took a tumble to No. 6. The 21-year-old still had a solid season and played 34 NHL games, but the rise of Gridin and Potter, plus the arrival of Carels, pushed him down.
Andrew Basha and Aydar Suniev also slipped after uneven AHL seasons, with Basha falling to 11th and Suniev to 12th. Henry Mews dropped to 13th after a season that started well before a knee injury ended it, and he also lost ground to newcomers like Hextall, Carels, and Trejbal.
The rest of the top 15 rounded out with Theo Stockselius at No. 14 and Mace’o Phillips at No. 15, both new additions to the list. The honourable mentions were Alan Shaikhilislamov and Kirill Zarubin.
Here’s how the full top 15 shook out: Zayne Parekh, Carson Carels, Cole Reschny, Matvei Gridin, Cullen Potter, Hunter Brzustewicz, Ethan Wyttenbach, Jack Hextall, Sam Honzek, Tobias Trejbal, Andrew Basha, Aydar Suniev, Henry Mews, Theo Stockselius, and Mace’o Phillips.
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