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Flames weekly notebook: What should the Flames do with Zayne Parekh?
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Photo credit: Steven Ellis - Daily Faceoff
Robert Munnich
Jan 6, 2026, 12:30 ESTUpdated: Jan 6, 2026, 02:02 EST
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Zayne Parekh finished off a historic performance at the World Juniors in Minnesota with a bronze medal and the record for points by a Canadian defenceman in a single tournament. Parekh accomplished everything you could have hoped for when the Flames loaned him to Team Canada at the beginning of December.
The number one mission for Parekh was to get his swagger back. And he did just that.
Now it’s time for Parekh to come back to Calgary. And with that comes the question what should the Flames do with their 19 year old blue chip prospect?
There are two options.
1. Keep Parekh in the NHL.
2. Send Parekh to the OHL.
What is best for his development? What is best for the Flames? What is best for Parekh the person?
Those are the questions that need to be answered. Let’s dive into what the right decision is going to be.

Keep Parekh in the NHL

The most ideal outcome would be keeping Parekh in the NHL and see him start to have success. But in order for this to happen, the Flames need to rethink their approach with their young defenceman. The first two months of Parekh’s NHL career did not go the way he, the Flames, and the fans had hoped for. Part of that is on Parekh. But a big part of that is on the Flames organization.
Ryan Huska and Craig Conroy need to come up with a better plan on how to create a successful environment for Parekh. A plan that will give him a defied role of the team, consistent minutes, power play time, and a belief in him from the coaching staff.
Huska had Parekh playing with too many defence partners. He had no role when he was in the lineup. And they didn’t take advantage of Parekh’s unique skill set.
If the Flames are going to keep Parekh in the NHL, they need to play him more, make him the quarterback of the first power play unit, and give him a dedicated defence partner to build chemistry with. If they do all those things, then keeping Parekh in the NHL makes a lot of sense.
But if Huska and the Flames are going to continue to treat him the way they were in his first two months with the organization, then send him back to the OHL. Huska hurt Parekh’s confidence and belief in himself due to being in and out of the lineup, and not playing much when he was in the lineup. Parekh comes across as the kind of person who needs positive reinforcement and a belief in his abilities from the coaching staff. He clearly wasn’t getting that in October and November.
To make room for Parekh in the Flames lineup, they would have to send Hunter Brzustewicz back to the AHL as he does not require waivers. And then once Rasmus Andersson is traded you can bring Brzustewicz back to the big club.
Parekh would be best suited to play at 5-on-5 with Joel Hanley. And quarterback the first power play unit. Something he did masterfully for Team Canada at the World Juniors.
But is it realistic that Huska is actually going to be willing to do those things? If he’s not, then sending Parekh back to the OHL might be the best way to go.

Send Parekh to the OHL

Sending Parekh to the OHL is not an ideal situation. Parekh is too good to play in a league of his peers as he proved at the World Juniors, Going back to the OHL might not be enough of a challenge for the talented defenceman. Especially playing for a Saginaw team that is on the bubble of making the playoffs.
But like I mentioned earlier, if the Flames aren’t going to change their approach with Parekh, then sending him to the OHL migh tbe best for his confidence and development. A 19 year old player needs to play games. And between healthy scratches and the three week Olympic break, Parekh might not be on the ice enough to help his development. But that wouldn’t be an issue in the OHL.
Playing 25+ minutes a night, running the first power play unit, and getting in the gym to develop his strength are all positive things that can come from playing junior. But there is that worry that he could develop bad habits because the game is too easy for him at that level.

What’s the best solution?

The best solution is for Ryan Huska, Craig Conroy, and Zayne Parekh to come together an figure this thing out. Come up with a plan that gives Zayne a consistent spot in the lineup, lots of power play minutes, and a commitment from the coaches to live with the inevitable mistakes Parekh is going to make. If those things can happen, then the NHL is the place for Parekh to be.
If Huska is going to healthy scratch him, bench him, and show no confidence in the young man, then send him to the OHL.
Let’s look at a couple other Flames stories from the last week.

Cole Reschny impresses

There was a lot made about Zayne Parekh’s World Juniors. And for good reason. But let’s not sleep on the performance of Cole Reschny.
He got off to a slow start against Czechia. But all he did was improve as each game went on.
Reschny played a big role in all facets of the game for team Canada. He played a defensive role in the bottom six at 5-on-5. He played on the first power play unit alongside the best players on the team. And also played some minutes on the penalty kill.
Reschny was a productive player as well scoring four goals and going 62.34% in the face-off circle. He did all this as an 18 year old.
Reschny is available to play in next year’s tournament where he could wear a letter and be one of the best players on the team.

Backlund and Coleman are carrying the Flames

Where would the Flames be in the standings if it weren’t for the play of Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman? I’ll tell you. They’d be in dead last. That’s how important these two players are.
Since Dec. 1 (14 games), Backlund and Coleman are first and third in team scoring with 12 and 10 points respectively. Backlund leads the team in scoring in all situations and at 5-on-5. They are putting up those points with no time on the top power play unit and when taking on the most difficult match-ups.
In their last 14 games, Backlund and Coleman have outscored their opposition 11-6 at 5-on-5. When those two are on the bench, the Flames are being outscored 23-16.
The dynamic duo is keeping this Flames team in a lot of games.

82-game point projections

I posted each players 82 game point pace now that we are halfway through the season. Here are the things that stood out to me.
We’ll start with the positives.
The 35 year old Nazem Kadri is on pace to lead the Flames in scoring  and is on pace to put up 64 points. The goals aren’t where they normally are, but he is racking up the assists. You don’t see a 35 year old putting up those kinds of numbers every day.
Mikael Backlund is on pace for 52 points which would be the third best statistical output of his career.
Speaking of career years, Rasmus Andersson is on pace to set a new career high in goals and points. Great timing for the Flames as they are looking to trade him for a haul between now and the deadline.
And a quick shout-out to Blake Coleman and Matt Coronato who are both having solid seasons.
But there are some negatives.
The $10.5 million man Jonathan Huberdeau is on pace to put up 48 points which would be the worst output during his time with the Flames and the worst output since the 2013-14 season when he was 20 years old. I don’t know where the magic has gone for the former 115 point scorer.
Connor Zary is a young guy coming off a couple tough knee injuries. It might take more time for him to get back to normal. But he has to be disappointed with his start of the season.
Yegor Sharangovich has struggled mightily this season. He’s on pace for 18 goals and 11 assists. He needs to start getting more shots on goal. He’s 6th among Flames forwards in shot attempts at 5-on-5, which is not good enough.

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