The Calgary Flames are still early in their rebuild, and that reality is why the lack of elite talent around the roster has drawn so much criticism from opposing fans. The prospect group does have some real promise, though, and by 2026/27 the Flames will be counting on players like Simon Nemec, Matvei Gridin, Matt Coronato and Zayne Parekh to keep moving forward.
Of that group, Parekh is the one with the highest ceiling. He may not fully explode into a true star this season, but if he can start bringing more consistency to his offensive game, the long-term outlook gets a lot more interesting.
There is also the question of what that future might cost.
Parekh’s offensive track record with the Saginaw Spirit in the CHL was eye-opening, and while it could still take some time before that production shows up in the NHL, the hope for next season is a role that leads to at least 30 points. That kind of step would put him on a path similar to Zeev Buium, who was drafted three spots after Parekh in 2024 and then broke through in his first full season in 2025/26 with six goals and 26 points in 76 combined games for the Canucks and Minnesota Wild.
Vancouver then made a bold move, giving Buium an eight-year extension at a $9.38 million AAV. The Canucks’ decision was a clear bet on upside over finished product, and it may wind up setting the market for a player like Parekh as well.
8 MORE YEARS OF ZEEV! 🤩
General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that the #Canucks have agreed to terms with defenceman Zeev Buium on an eight-year contract extension with a $9.38 million AAV.
DETAILS | https://t.co/820PqgYgjb pic.twitter.com/KuP6jvfooB
- Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) September 4, 2026
That’s where the Flames have a decision to make. This summer, Calgary locked up Simon Nemec, a former No. 2 overall pick who has underperformed, on an extension with a much lower AAV. Now the front office has to choose whether to pay Parekh early based on projection or wait and pay him later after more development.
Waiting would make sense on paper, since he still has years before reaching RFA status at the end of 2027/28. But that route comes with danger, especially if the salary cap keeps climbing and Parekh’s price tag rises with it.
For now, the most realistic comparison for Parekh’s next contract looks a lot more like Buium’s deal than something closer to Lane Hutson’s $8.85 million AAV. The Flames would have loved to get him signed for that lower number, but with the cap rising, Vancouver may have just revealed the floor it could take to keep No. 19 in the fold.
In Other News...
The Flames Trade That Helped Build A Stanley Cup Team
Long before the Flames lifted the Stanley Cup, Cliff Fletcher made one of the defining moves in franchise history, a Sept. 6, 1988 deal that reshaped Calgarys forward group and helped set the table for a championship run. Doug Gilmour arrived from St. Louis in a four-player return package, joining a group that also brought in Steve Bozek, Michael Dark and Mark Hunter, and the move quickly proved to be more than just another roster shuffle.
Gilmour spent parts of four seasons in Calgary and became one of the key pieces behind the clubs 1989 title, giving the Flames the kind of impact player every contender needs when the games tighten. The trade has lingered in team lore ever since, not only because of what Gilmour did in red and gold, but because it stands as one of the most consequential transactions in Flames history, even after he was later dealt to Toronto in 1992. [Read more 🡒]
Matvei Gridin Is Giving Flames Fans Another Huge Reason For Hope
Matvei Gridin gave Calgary another meaningful reminder that the rebuild is starting to produce real young talent. The Flames opened the 2025-26 season with two teenagers on the roster, and Gridin was part of that wave before his year became a blend of top-level chances and steady work in the minors. Across both leagues, the skill set that made him such an intriguing prospect kept showing up, and his production offered a snapshot of a player beginning to match his promise with results.
His AHL numbers were strong enough to justify a longer look, and his NHL stretch showed he could hold up once the opportunity arrived. For Flames fans, the encouraging part is not just what Gridin already did, but how much room there still seems to be for him to grow before the 2026-27 season. If his development keeps trending this way, he may be more than just another young name in the pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Camp Could Reveal Who Really Matters In This Rebuild
A shortened training camp and pre-season are putting the Calgary Flames in a familiar but revealing spot as they head toward the 2026-27 season: with the club focused on youth development, every practice and exhibition game will carry a little more weight than usual. The rebuild is expected to be judged less by the standings than by which young players begin to separate themselves as legitimate pieces of the future, and this is the kind of fall that can start sorting out who belongs in the conversation.
Abram Wiebe and Tyson Gross are among the names worth tracking most closely, while Jonathan Castagna, Andrew Basha and Axel Hurtig also fit into the group the Flames will want to evaluate carefully. Most of those players are still likely to spend the season in the AHL, but camp should still offer a useful glimpse at how far along they are and which prospects are beginning to make the organization think bigger about what comes next. [Read more 🡒]