5 Calgary Flames players who could have big breakout seasons

There’s no denying the fact that the 2026-27 season could be a long and painful one for the Calgary Flames.

The Flames are coming off a season in which they finished with just 77 points and will now be entering 2026-27 without several key veterans on the roster, including Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar, and Nazem Kadri.

While the win-loss record may not be pretty, this will also give an opportunity for several young players to step up into bigger roles and show their potential. That in and of itself will be exciting for a fan base that is on board with this rebuild approach.

With that said, here are five Flames that could be poised for breakout seasons thanks in large part to having more opportunity:

1. Simon Nemec

• Age: 22
• Position: D
• 2025-26 stats: 68 GP, 11 G, 15 A, 26 PTS

GM Craig Conroy and the rest of the Flames management have put a lot of trust in Simon Nemec. They acquired the Slovakian defenceman along with forward Maxim Tsyplakov from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for two first-round picks, a second-round pick, and blueline prospect Etienne Morin.

Shortly after the trade, the Flames then signed Nemec to a five-year, $36.25 million extension. The 2022 second-overall pick hasn’t made a ton of noise in the NHL just yet, but will be given every opportunity in Calgary to prove he can be a massive difference maker.

2. Morgan Frost

• Age: 27
• Position: C
• 2025-26 stats: 82 GP, 22 G, 21 A, 43 PTS

Without Kadri in the fold, Morgan Frost will presumably serve as the Flames’ number-one centreman this coming season. While not an ideal fit in that role, it will give the talented 27-year-old all sorts of opportunity to have a career year.

Post All-Star break, Frost put up 10 goals and 16 points in 26 games. That production came with increased minutes, which will continue to be the case in 2026-27. On top of that, he’s also entering a contract year, giving him all sorts of motivation to put up big numbers.

3. Zayne Parekh

• Age: 20
• Position: D
• 2025-26 stats: 37 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 PTS

For the first time in his hockey career, Zayne Parekh wasn’t able to dominate as he’s been accustomed to. Playing in the NHL as a 19-year-old was a major learning experience for the right-shot defenceman, who was limited to just 37 games due to both injury and time spent in the press box as a healthy scratch.

While there’s still going to be growing pains moving forward with Parekh, he was starting to look much more comfortable to close out the 2025-26 campaign. With two right-shot veterans out the door in Weegar and Andersson, he should have plenty more opportunity to showcase his skill and put up some points.

4. Matvei Gridin

• Age: 20
• Position: LW/RW
• 2025-26 stats: 37 GP, 6 G, 14 A, 20 PTS

It hasn’t taken long for Matvei Gridin to look like one of the bigger steals in the 2024 draft. The 28th overall pick spent half the 2025-26 season in the AHL, but looked like one of the Flames’ more dynamic forwards in the 37 games he dressed.

Like Parekh, there are still going to be ups and downs with Gridin, but he seems to be the full package. He’s in line for a much bigger role this coming season, and could be in store for a breakout year should he continue on his upward trajectory.

5. Matt Coronato

• Age: 23
• Position: RW
• 2025-26 stats: 80 GP, 18 G, 27 A, 45 PTS

Unlike others on this list, Matt Coronato has already been given a good opportunity to show what he can do. For the most part, he’s impressed, though he did experience somewhat of a sophomore slump in 2025-26, seeing his goal total drop by six from the previous season.

That adversity should have Coronato ready to come in and show that he is worth the seven-year, $45.5 million extension he signed last offseason. The 23-year-old possesses the best shot on this Flames roster, and could flirt with the 30-goal mark if he can find a little more consistency in his game.

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