It’s the thick of the NHL off-season, which means tons of people are posting their opinions on various forms of social media on a myriad of topics, trying to drum up some discussion to pass the time. There’s not much else to do besides look forward to the season, so why not? But it’s also the perfect time to release all sorts of prospect rankings, just as we’re doing here at FlamesNation, considering the draft was a short time ago, and fans and media across the NHL landscape have seen their new prospects in action at rookie camps.

The staff at Elite Prospects published their list of the top 100 affiliated skater prospects, including three Calgary Flames prospects. It’s important to note that these are not overall prospects but rather just skater prospects. Dustin Wolf is not on this list because of those parameters.

It’s unsurprising to see any of these three names on the list. All of them are on there for good reason, and two even made the top 50!

Starting with Parekh, it’s obvious as to why he’s as high as he is. Cutter Gauthier of the Anaheim Ducks system sits one place in front of him, and Tij Iginla, now a member of the Utah Hockey Club, sits one spot behind him. The Elite Prospects staff also has Will Smith of the San Jose Sharks in 10th place, showcasing their belief in the young Parekh to make it to the NHL level based on his potential now.

There isn’t much more to say about the 18-year-old defenceman than has been said before by scouts, the media, or his stat line. Scoring 33 goals and registering 63 assists for 96 points in 66 games as a defenceman is about as good as you can get, and it showcases why scouts believe he will live up to the hype.

Basha is also a fun player, albeit not as fun as Parekh looks to be, judging from his performance last season and even during Flames rookie camp. However, plenty of positives about his game suggest he deserves to be ranked where he is on the Elite Prospects list.

Basha scored 30 goals and added 55 assists for 85 points in 63 games last season with the Medicine Hat Tigers, good for third on his team behind Connor Bedard’s cousin and projected top draft pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft, Gavin McKenna (97 points in 61 games as a 16-year-old) and Oasiz Wiesblatt, the younger brother of Nashville Predators prospect Ozzy Wiesblatt, who scored 91 points in 63 games. Basha was also a point per game in the post-season (albeit a small five-game sample).

General manager Craig Conroy and his staff made many fantastic value choices in the previous draft, including selecting Basha in the second round. His choppy but efficient skating stride provides him with speed and mobility around the ice, and his strong shots, especially prevalent on special teams, give Basha a chance to become successful as he develops with his cohorts and begins his journey to the NHL.

The final name on the list was Honzek, who had a rough year in his final campaign with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants. He was limited to only 33 games, scoring 31 points, which was sixth on his team in about half the games played as his teammates above him.

The Flames’ 2023 first-round pick was expected to turn some heads, but injuries pushed him off to the side, and he wasn’t as dominant in the games he played as many expected him to be, either. With only two pro games playing with the Calgary Wranglers, it would appear that is where he will be headed for the upcoming season.

While the outlook for Honzek is still generally positive, as he’s still only 19 years of age, he’s going to need an impressive training camp and a solid start to the year to regain some of the confidence that may have been lost in him, as showcased by how far he fell in the Elite Prospects ranking.

There was one player who I was a bit shocked not to see on the list, though.

Even though he has only been in the Flames system since the trade deadline after being moved from the Vancouver Canucks in the Elias Lindholm trade, Hunter Brzustewicz’s omission from the list was a bit shocking after his performance last season.

The 19-year-old defender finished 10th in OHL scoring and second among defencemen behind the previously mentioned Parekh. Furthermore, Brzustewicz’s 79 assists were the most of any player in the league. He also showcased his talents in Flames rookie camp, using creativity and his dynamic skill set to create a magnitude of chances for himself and his teammates.

Of course, it has to be remembered that this is the top 100 affiliated prospect skaters, but there are certain players on the list who I would swap for Brzustewicz in a heartbeat.

Overall, it’s a decent showing for a prospect pool just starting. Conroy and his team are building from the back, drafting and trading for young, talented defencemen with plenty of upside, whether on offence, defence, or both.

All of the players within the pool have time to develop, and the Flames are looking to them to continue that development to the best of their abilities in the upcoming season. Three prospects on the list do not have a bad result, considering that other names like Matthew Coronato and Jakob Pelletier have graduated from the “prospect” designation, and Dustin Wolf isn’t within the parameters for the ranking.