Over the next week, the Calgary Flames will play four road games against Eastern Conference opponents. These games not only represent the final games they&#8217;ll play this season outside of the Pacific and Mountain time zones, but they&#8217;re four big games as the Flames attempt to solidify their playoff standing.
As we await the frenzy of important hockey games before us, let&#8217;s delve into the mailbag!
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
New arena talk
&mdash; Mitch (@mitchcrantz0) <a href="https://twitter.com/mitchcrantz0/status/1901315891322876190?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Things are buzzing along at the Scotia Place site, as they continue excavating. Heck, a small crane appeared at the site this week as they continue prepping for further work later in the spring that should include installation of the foundation – a big concrete pour – and the beginning of structural steel being laid after that.
As of now, everything&#8217;s still targeted for &#8220;Q3 2027&#8221; (sometime between July and September) for building completion and handover.
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljyhogqzoc2h" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreibb6l36gqqkz2q4a3riqwk4gidsujp3egnae7fjwecr7pm5jckihy" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system">
Any updates on what Henry Mews plans are for next season?
— Marc (Never Again For ANYONE) Carvalho (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7?ref_src=embed">@iggyfan2001.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7/post/3ljyhogqzoc2h?ref_src=embed">March 9, 2025 at 8:05 PM</a></blockquote>
Mark Divver, who writes for NHL.com and New England Hockey Journal and is incredibly plugged into the American college hockey scene, <a href="https://x.com/MarkDivver/status/1899826879734976550">posted on Twitter last week</a> that the rumour going around is Henry Mews is headed to the University of Michigan for next season. (Disclaimer: that&#8217;s what he&#8217;s heard, not what he&#8217;s reporting.) But as of this writing, Mews hasn&#8217;t officially committed to any schools for next season. We&#8217;ll see what ends up happening.
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:fq67ztwvrtcam6puenygjwbj/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljxic3hznk2b" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiga3wsdxsbocao7ygvqv4k2hfqnjkodozif4cdbgeqyzzavtgwlca" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system">
With the Flames doing nothing at the deadline, what are their plans for the draft? Big trades coming or just stay the path?
— Cuy Dulce (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fq67ztwvrtcam6puenygjwbj?ref_src=embed">@cuydulce.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fq67ztwvrtcam6puenygjwbj/post/3ljxic3hznk2b?ref_src=embed">March 9, 2025 at 10:44 AM</a></blockquote>
Based on what Craig Conroy has said in media availabilities and our interviews this season, my guess is if they do anything they do it over the summer. Last season was a really disruptive time for the Flames, featuring a huge chunk of the team being swapped out mid-season. It&#8217;s a minor miracle that the team performed as well as they did. Well, this season things have gone really well and the Flames weren&#8217;t really forced into doing anything disruptive, so they didn&#8217;t do it.
The plan is likely that the Flames&#8217; young players take another step next season and they can keep graduating young faces into the lineup as they transition away from an older supporting cast and supplement the leadership core with up-and-coming prospects.
<blockquote>From Lots2say21 on BlueSky: Circling back to Parekh again. So next year he can&#8217;t play with the Wranglers. Will he get a fair shot with the flames. It seems like we need to add two D men to get to where we need to be. So when do we see Brzusytewicz and will that be an announcers nightmare? Then we have Grushnikov too.</blockquote>
Speaking of up-and-coming prospects, Zayne Parekh has over 100 points in the Ontario Hockey League this season and has surpassed 30 goals for the second consecutive season. He&#8217;s a strong contender to be named the OHL&#8217;s top defenceman for the second season in a row. Simply put: he&#8217;s really great at hockey, and has no more worlds to conquer in the OHL. The Flames will give Parekh every chance to make the NHL roster in 2025-26. Don&#8217;t expect him to be amazing out of the gate, but they absolutely believe in his potential.
Hunter Brzustewicz has had a quiet offensive season in the American League as a 20-year-old, but he&#8217;s been rock-solid. He&#8217;s still got some defensive hiccups in his game, but the things that made him great in the OHL – good offensive instincts and a great first pass out of the zone – are there in the AHL. He just needs to build out the details of his pro game around those skills.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
Ryan, I think the Flames missed an opportunity this year with offer sheets given the success the Blues additions have had. Given Conroy’s focus on the long term who could he target via offer sheet to pair with Weegar next season and to fill the void for a right shot C? Thanks!
&mdash; Big Daddy (@bigdaddybustard) <a href="https://twitter.com/bigdaddybustard/status/1901378469713555526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I&#8217;m not going to necessarily put the cart ahead of the horse, but if Zayne Parekh can hold his own in the NHL, having him play in the top four with, say, one of MacKenzie Weegar or Kevin Bahl (while the other plays with Rasmus Andersson) does seem – on paper – like a pretty nice set-up for all involved. (I don&#8217;t think the Flames would be too keen on offer-sheeting other teams given they&#8217;re still building up their base of young players.)
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkjjyf74rk2k" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreicuyjiko2ywihvb5wrvbg5wovt62y7x2khjpf7ik3tzepbuqfpfse" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system">
From what you&#8217;ve heard, has Zayne Parekh&#8217;s defensive game noticably progressed this season? That was his big knock in his draft year.
— Marc (Never Again For ANYONE) Carvalho (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7?ref_src=embed">@iggyfan2001.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7/post/3lkjjyf74rk2k?ref_src=embed">March 16, 2025 at 3:02 PM</a></blockquote>
I&#8217;ve watched a bunch of Saginaw games this season, and I would say while defensive play isn&#8217;t his strength, he&#8217;s perfectly fine at it for that level. I would argue that his defensive game is seen as more of a question mark because his offensive game is off the charts and so he&#8217;s not really used in defensive scenarios very often.
<blockquote>From Lots2say21 on BlueSky: I know Connie wants to keep a competitive squad but a slide of just a few points now means the diff between our first round pick and Florida&#8217;s ( now that jersey looks to finish strong) we need to give a look to some wranglers that we haven’t had up yet. Who could get a look?</blockquote>
As long as the playoffs remain a possibility for the Flames I don&#8217;t expect them to audition anybody from the Wranglers this season. However, if they slide a bit I wouldn&#8217;t rule out seeing the return of Ilya Solovyov to the big club, or potential NHL looks for Sam Morton or William Strömgren. (Strömgren&#8217;s been quieter lately, but Solovyov and Morton have been really effective over the last little while for a struggling Wranglers group.)
Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)
<h2>The FlamesNation Monday Mailbag is presented to you by Village Honda</h2>
Looking to sell your vehicle? Village Honda wants to buy it. We offer complimentary, no obligation appraisals, payment in 24 hours, top value trade in values and best of all, no stress. Skip selling your vehicle privately and stop in Village Honda today. No appointment necessary.
Village Honda is proud to be your dealership for life in Calgary since 1987. We are located in the Northwest Auto Mall under the giant Canadian flag or online at <a href="http://www.villagehonda.com/">www.villagehonda.com</a>.
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Over the next week, the Calgary Flames will play four road games against Eastern Conference opponents. These games not only represent the final games they'll play this season outside of the Pacific and Mountain time zones, but they're four big games as the Flames attempt to solidify their playoff standing.

As we await the frenzy of important hockey games before us, let's delve into the mailbag!

https://twitter.com/mitchcrantz0/status/1901315891322876190

Things are buzzing along at the Scotia Place site, as they continue excavating. Heck, a small crane appeared at the site this week as they continue prepping for further work later in the spring that should include installation of the foundation – a big concrete pour – and the beginning of structural steel being laid after that.

As of now, everything's still targeted for "Q3 2027" (sometime between July and September) for building completion and handover.
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljyhogqzoc2h" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreibb6l36gqqkz2q4a3riqwk4gidsujp3egnae7fjwecr7pm5jckihy" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system">
Any updates on what Henry Mews plans are for next season?
— Marc (Never Again For ANYONE) Carvalho (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7?ref_src=embed">@iggyfan2001.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7/post/3ljyhogqzoc2h?ref_src=embed">March 9, 2025 at 8:05 PM</a></blockquote>
Mark Divver, who writes for NHL.com and New England Hockey Journal and is incredibly plugged into the American college hockey scene, <a href="https://x.com/MarkDivver/status/1899826879734976550">posted on Twitter last week</a> that the rumour going around is Henry Mews is headed to the University of Michigan for next season. (Disclaimer: that's what he's heard, not what he's reporting.) But as of this writing, Mews hasn't officially committed to any schools for next season. We'll see what ends up happening.
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:fq67ztwvrtcam6puenygjwbj/app.bsky.feed.post/3ljxic3hznk2b" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreiga3wsdxsbocao7ygvqv4k2hfqnjkodozif4cdbgeqyzzavtgwlca" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system">
With the Flames doing nothing at the deadline, what are their plans for the draft? Big trades coming or just stay the path?
— Cuy Dulce (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fq67ztwvrtcam6puenygjwbj?ref_src=embed">@cuydulce.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:fq67ztwvrtcam6puenygjwbj/post/3ljxic3hznk2b?ref_src=embed">March 9, 2025 at 10:44 AM</a></blockquote>
Based on what Craig Conroy has said in media availabilities and our interviews this season, my guess is if they do anything they do it over the summer. Last season was a really disruptive time for the Flames, featuring a huge chunk of the team being swapped out mid-season. It's a minor miracle that the team performed as well as they did. Well, this season things have gone really well and the Flames weren't really forced into doing anything disruptive, so they didn't do it.

The plan is likely that the Flames' young players take another step next season and they can keep graduating young faces into the lineup as they transition away from an older supporting cast and supplement the leadership core with up-and-coming prospects.
<blockquote>From Lots2say21 on BlueSky: Circling back to Parekh again. So next year he can't play with the Wranglers. Will he get a fair shot with the flames. It seems like we need to add two D men to get to where we need to be. So when do we see Brzusytewicz and will that be an announcers nightmare? Then we have Grushnikov too.</blockquote>
Speaking of up-and-coming prospects, Zayne Parekh has over 100 points in the Ontario Hockey League this season and has surpassed 30 goals for the second consecutive season. He's a strong contender to be named the OHL's top defenceman for the second season in a row. Simply put: he's really great at hockey, and has no more worlds to conquer in the OHL. The Flames will give Parekh every chance to make the NHL roster in 2025-26. Don't expect him to be amazing out of the gate, but they absolutely believe in his potential.

Hunter Brzustewicz has had a quiet offensive season in the American League as a 20-year-old, but he's been rock-solid. He's still got some defensive hiccups in his game, but the things that made him great in the OHL – good offensive instincts and a great first pass out of the zone – are there in the AHL. He just needs to build out the details of his pro game around those skills.

https://twitter.com/bigdaddybustard/status/1901378469713555526

I'm not going to necessarily put the cart ahead of the horse, but if Zayne Parekh can hold his own in the NHL, having him play in the top four with, say, one of MacKenzie Weegar or Kevin Bahl (while the other plays with Rasmus Andersson) does seem – on paper – like a pretty nice set-up for all involved. (I don't think the Flames would be too keen on offer-sheeting other teams given they're still building up their base of young players.)
<blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7/app.bsky.feed.post/3lkjjyf74rk2k" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreicuyjiko2ywihvb5wrvbg5wovt62y7x2khjpf7ik3tzepbuqfpfse" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system">
From what you've heard, has Zayne Parekh's defensive game noticably progressed this season? That was his big knock in his draft year.
— Marc (Never Again For ANYONE) Carvalho (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7?ref_src=embed">@iggyfan2001.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:2hqb5fez3fcgickiqqmtbgi7/post/3lkjjyf74rk2k?ref_src=embed">March 16, 2025 at 3:02 PM</a></blockquote>
I've watched a bunch of Saginaw games this season, and I would say while defensive play isn't his strength, he's perfectly fine at it for that level. I would argue that his defensive game is seen as more of a question mark because his offensive game is off the charts and so he's not really used in defensive scenarios very often.
<blockquote>From Lots2say21 on BlueSky: I know Connie wants to keep a competitive squad but a slide of just a few points now means the diff between our first round pick and Florida's ( now that jersey looks to finish strong) we need to give a look to some wranglers that we haven’t had up yet. Who could get a look?</blockquote>
As long as the playoffs remain a possibility for the Flames I don't expect them to audition anybody from the Wranglers this season. However, if they slide a bit I wouldn't rule out seeing the return of Ilya Solovyov to the big club, or potential NHL looks for Sam Morton or William Strömgren. (Strömgren's been quieter lately, but Solovyov and Morton have been really effective over the last little while for a struggling Wranglers group.)

Got a question for a future mailbag? Contact Ryan on Twitter/BlueSky at @RyanNPike or e-mail him at Ryan.Pike [at] BetterCollective.com! (Make sure you put Mailbag in the subject line!)
<h2>The FlamesNation Monday Mailbag is presented to you by Village Honda</h2>
Looking to sell your vehicle? Village Honda wants to buy it. We offer complimentary, no obligation appraisals, payment in 24 hours, top value trade in values and best of all, no stress. Skip selling your vehicle privately and stop in Village Honda today. No appointment necessary.

Village Honda is proud to be your dealership for life in Calgary since 1987. We are located in the Northwest Auto Mall under the giant Canadian flag or online at <a href="http://www.villagehonda.com/">www.villagehonda.com</a>.

<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-116342" src="https://publish.flamesnation.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/11/Village-Honda-for-Monday-Mailbag.jpg" alt="" width="727" height="404" />

FlamesNation Mailbag: A pivotal week begins for the Flames

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