With the regular season set to begin on Oct. 1, Calgary’s pre-season has already offered a few clear takeaways - even if the sample size is still small and the exhibition results need to be taken with a grain of salt.
The biggest one? Zayne Parekh looked like the best skater on the ice for the Flames, and it wasn’t especially close.
The 20-year-old was dangerous shift after shift, playing with a level of comfort and confidence that stood out from what he showed at this point a year ago. In his appearances, he piled up 30 individual shots and 15 scoring chances, both team highs.
Matvei Gridin was next in shot attempts with 13, while Sam Honzek finished second in scoring chances with nine. For a defender to drive that kind of offensive volume relative to his teammates is rare.
The performance drew an obvious comparison to Johnny Gaudreau in the early stages of his NHL arrival. Even before he became a regular, Gaudreau had a way of creating highlight-worthy moments against his peers. Parekh had that same kind of feel in the pre-season, which raises the natural question: can he become a dominant force like Gaudreau in his second NHL season?
A few of Calgary’s other bright spots came from the younger group as well. Honzek, Gridin and Aydar Suniev all made noise, but Suniev was probably the most surprising of the bunch after a first pro season that was only so-so. He finished last year with 16 goals and 24 points in 57 games for the Wranglers, and his game had clear rough edges - skating issues, some defensive trouble, and a lot of reliance on his shot.
This time around, though, he looked much more noticeable. Suniev’s stride has improved, and he was more forceful in the offensive zone rather than simply leaning on the heaviness of his shot.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound winger is still with the parent club for now, but a return to the AHL appears likely because of roster limits. If he becomes a leader for the Wranglers, the door back to the NHL should open again before the end of the year.
Not everyone in the spotlight grabbed it as firmly. Simon Nemec was quieter over his two games, showing some offensive touch here and there but nowhere near the kind of impact Parekh delivered. That doesn’t amount to a verdict on the player or the trade yet, but it does mean he’ll need to do more to justify the price Craig Conroy paid and the role Calgary has planned for him.
That deal remains Conroy’s biggest gamble so far as general manager, and it carries pressure for both sides. Nemec’s contract is manageable at $7.25 million per year, so the real issue is the cost of acquiring him: two conditional first-round picks and a second-round pick.
On the back end, Calgary’s logjam still hasn’t been solved. Hunter Brzustewicz was the odd man out after a strong NHL finish last season and was sent to the AHL.
Meanwhile, Joel Hanley and Brayden Pachal are still with the parent club, which points toward the Flames carrying eight defensemen to start the year. That keeps the young players in motion, but the organization will eventually have to settle the picture.
There’s also some opportunity opening up up front because Jonathan Huberdeau is out to start the season. That absence gives Calgary a chance to get other players into real roles. Connor Zary gets another shot in the top nine, while Maxim Tsyplakov and Brennan Othmann can also be tested further down the lineup.
Huberdeau’s inability to participate roughly six months after hip resurfacing surgery is not exactly encouraging, though. The 33-year-old is never going to match his $10.5 million US cap hit, but the reports that he has become a valued mentor to younger players matter in their own way. Calgary does not need his cap space right now, so the financial inefficiency isn’t an immediate problem.
The bigger concern is what the surgery means for his playing future. Some NHLers have come back from hip resurfacing and kept going, but plenty of others have seen their careers end or their effectiveness drop sharply.
Niklas Backstrom, Ed Jovanovski and Ryan Kesler were essentially done by it, while John Klingberg was reduced to a supporting role before retiring. Patrick Kane and Nick Jensen are the success stories.
That’s not exactly a comforting list for Huberdeau’s chances of returning at full strength.
Another question heading into the regular season is how much longer the Flames can keep leaning on Mikael Backlund. He turned 37 in March, and with Blake Coleman traded in the off-season, he no longer has his usual running mate.
Farabee and Honzek should be able to help fill that space, but the workload on Backlund remains a real concern. On a roster short on other top-line match-up options, Ryan Huska and his staff are clearly hoping he can hold up for at least one more season.
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