For years, Calgary Flames fans pushed for a rebuild. Under GM Craig Conroy, they finally got it, and the early returns are hard to ignore.
The organization is still missing its 1C of the future, and the 2027 NHL Draft could be the place to find that piece. If the Flames land a top-five pick in 2027, they could add another elite prospect to a group that already looks deep enough to change the direction of the franchise.
That depth showed up in Scott Wheeler’s latest top-100 prospect rankings for The Athletic, where the Flames landed seven names on the list.
At the top of Calgary’s group is defenseman Zayne Parekh, who Wheeler placed No. 6 overall and in Tier 2. Joining him in that same tier is 2026 first-round pick Carson Carels, ranked No. 11 overall. With Simon Nemec and Kevin Bahl also in the mix, the Flames’ blue line pipeline is in excellent shape.
The forward group is stocked too, and much of that talent comes from Calgary’s last three drafts. Matvei Gridin checks in at No. 31, Cole Reschny at No. 38, and Cullen Potter at No. 86, all of them projected to be important pieces for the Flames down the line.
Hunter Brzustewicz is next at No. 90. He flashed his potential this past season with the Flames, though there are still questions about where he fits going forward, and the team is expected to make a major decision on his future.
Rounding out Calgary’s seven is Ethan Wyttenbach at No. 100. The former fifth-round pick turned heads with a breakout freshman season at Quinnipiac in 2025/26, and if he keeps building on that year, he could end up with some of the highest upside in the organization.
The Flames still need another piece or two before they can realistically talk about getting back into Stanley Cup Playoffs contention. But with seven prospects in Wheeler’s top 100 and more talent still coming, Calgary’s future looks a lot better than it did two years ago.
In Other News...
Flames Rebuild Feels Far From Over As More Moves Loom
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Morgan Frost remains one name still circulating in those discussions, while Zach Whitecloud is also drawing interest from teams that could see him as a useful addition. Nothing is done yet, which is part of the point for Calgary right now - the club appears comfortable keeping its options open, even if the next move does not come right away. [Read more 🡒]
Flames Power Play Reset Could Change Everything Next Season
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Matvei Gridin, Jonathan Huberdeau, Morgan Frost, Matt Coronato and Zayne Parekh are among the names expected to be mixed into those new looks, which gives the staff a lot of options but not necessarily a finished answer. Simon Nemec also looms as an important piece, and the bigger question is whether Calgary can build enough balance and shot variety to make the reset matter when the games start counting again. [Read more 🡒]
Matthew Tkachuk Just Revealed How Wild Edmonton Got During That Rivalry
Matthew Tkachuk has never been a stranger to the Battle of Alberta, but he recently revisited just how charged things felt when he was wearing a Flames sweater and heading into Edmonton. The former Calgary winger talked about the hostility he ran into from Oilers fans, a reminder that this rivalry went well beyond the usual boos and jeers and into something far more personal whenever he showed up at Rogers Place.
Tkachuk also put that era in perspective by noting how much attention and security the Flames needed around those visits, which says plenty about the temperature of the series at the time. Since then, he has moved on to Florida, and the Panthers have gone on to beat Edmonton in back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals, but his comments still underline how deep the edge ran in those Alberta showdowns. [Read more 🡒]