Chase Harrington has given the Calgary Flames enough to make them pause.
After a strong showing at the NextGen Rookie Showcase, the 2026 second-round pick is sticking around with the NHL club for now, while several other prospects were sent back to their junior teams. That decision doesn’t guarantee Harrington a game in the regular season, but it does say plenty about how the Flames view him heading into camp.
At 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds, Harrington already looks the part of a player who could force the issue earlier than expected. He stood out in Calgary’s 6-1 loss at the Rookie Showcase, and his size gives him a more pro-ready frame than most prospects at this stage. The Flames, at least for the moment, are giving him a chance to stay close to the big club and work alongside the NHL group.
Calgary announced the following players were released to their respective junior teams: Riley Boychuk, Joe Iginla, Simon Katolicky, Bode Laylin, Jakob Leander, Brett Olson, and Mace’o Phillips.
That leaves Harrington in a different spot than most of his draft-class peers. He still may be headed back to the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs once camp winds down, but he’s earned a look that few expected this early.
The appeal is obvious. Harrington plays with edge and force, and he backed that up a year ago with 28 goals and 57 points in 61 games for Spokane in 2025/26.
There’s offense in his game, not just contact and disruption, but the next step is sharpening the full package. The Flames believe there’s more there, and that’s why his path is worth watching.
For now, the likeliest outcome is simple: practice with the NHL team, absorb everything he can, and then return to junior. But if he keeps turning heads, the Flames could give him a preseason chance or two.
With a shortened preseason, the window is small. Still, this camp could be the kind of experience that helps Harrington take a major step with the Chiefs this season.
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Simon Nemec does not really fit that conversation in the same way as the others, since the organization views him as a core defensive prospect it would not be looking to waive. For the rest of the group, the issue is less about talent than timing, NHL experience and how much room the Flames have when the roster starts to tighten, with Benning among the players most likely to get caught in that squeeze. [Read more 🡒]