The Calgary Flames’ rookies may be getting a different kind of break this fall.
Under the first year of the new collective bargaining agreement, the NHL preseason has been trimmed to four games from the usual six to eight, and veteran players with more than 100 NHL games can appear in only two of them. For a Flames team that already leans young, that changes the whole setup.
It also opens the door for players trying to force their way into bigger roles. Matvei Gridin, Zayne Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz and Connor Zary are among the names who could benefit most from the extra runway. With veterans unavailable for as many exhibition spots, Calgary has to shuffle its lineup in ways it normally wouldn’t once the regular season starts.
That means more chances for rookies to skate higher in the lineup, more looks on special teams and more opportunities to be paired with established teammates. For Ryan Huska, it also creates room to test different combinations and see how young players respond when they’re not just getting scattered minutes at the bottom of the roster.
That kind of exposure matters. Instead of a few short shifts here and there, the Flames can use these four games to evaluate young players in settings that carry more weight than a typical preseason cameo.
Gridin is one of the clearest examples. After putting up 6 goals and 14 assists in his 2025-26 season with the Flames, he has a chance to turn that NHL experience into something bigger. A strong preseason could help him push toward a top-six forward role and maybe even a spot on the power play.
Brzustewicz is in a different spot, but the opportunity is just as real. He could use the preseason to figure out where he belongs on the blue line. If he ends up with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, he’d likely see more minutes as a first or second liner, but a strong showing now could help him lock down a steadier NHL job.
Parekh already has a partially established role, but this stretch could clarify it further. It may even show whether he deserves more responsibility. He is expected to skate with Zach Whitecloud this season, so Huska can spend this preseason checking whether that pairing works.
Still, there’s a flip side to the shorter schedule. Four games gives rookies more room to play, but not much time to settle in. One bad night can carry more weight when there are only a few chances to recover, and any injury leaves less time to get healthy before the regular season begins.
So yes, the new preseason could be a gift for Calgary’s young players. It could also be a test that ends quickly.
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For Calgary, that matters because Parekh is still one of the organizations most intriguing prospects, and the organization wants to see his game travel with him when the next level gets serious again. Conroy has seen enough lately to believe the reset is taking hold, and the real test will come once camp opens and Parekh has to show that the confidence hes rediscovered can hold up under NHL pressure. [Read more 🡒]