The thrill of the NHL season is almost upon us, but before the festivities get underway, roster moves still need to be made. The pre-season slate is in full force, with the Calgary Flames sitting with an impressive record of 4-0-1.

Of course, it’s important to remember it’s just preseason, and plenty of good teams have phenomenal records at this time of year but end up toward the bottom of the standings or just out of the playoffs come spring. However, young players are showcasing their skills to head coach Ryan Huska and his staff, along with general manager Craig Conroy and the Flames management.

While some young players make great first impressions in a Flames uniform, others need to showcase their importance to the club as soon as possible to secure a spot on the team.

About a month ago, Pinder and Warrener on the FlamesNation Barn Burner podcast had an interesting conversation about one of the Flames’ young players who needs to have a big season: Jakob Pelletier.

Pelletier was drafted 26th overall by the Flames in the 2019 NHL Draft, and at 23 years old, he hasn’t made the impact at the NHL level that he was expected to early on in his career. He has shown some promise in the American League with the Calgary Wranglers, but he has yet to take that next step. And there’s one key part of his contract that could make or break Pelletier’s future in Calgary: he requires waivers this season.

During the conversation on the podcast, Pinder mentions the New York Islanders or even the rival Edmonton Oilers as teams who could be interested in Pelletier for age and talent-related reasons, in the end, summing it up pretty well:

And he’s correct. Like other young players who haven’t gotten their fair shot for several reasons across the league and are eventually placed on waivers, Pelletier is slowly approaching that territory in Calgary, but that doesn’t mean there are no teams who would want him. Plenty of younger players find themselves out the door in specific organizations due to not proving themselves enough, not having a solid roster spot for the amount of playing time they deserve, or a mix of the two. A player like Eeli Tolvanen sticks out in my mind, having not gotten as much playing time as he likely should have with the Nashville Predators before being placed on waivers and claimed by the Seattle Kraken.

The glass-half-full news for Pelletier is that last year wasn’t one that should be considered when judging whether or not he can be a successful NHL player. Multiple injuries derailed what was looking to be a season in which he could prove himself to be a valuable player with the top club. So, naturally, everyone with a vested interest in his development didn’t get a chance to see him at any level for a considerably large or reliable sample size.

But, even though he has an out for last season, he still needs to prove something over the rest of the preseason and into the regular season if he makes the Flames roster. Last year was (hopefully) an anomaly year full of derailments, but that doesn’t mean his spot is guaranteed, and he appears to know that as well.

There’s still plenty of time for Pelletier in the grand scheme of his career. With the Flames focusing on a more youth-centred approach to their roster, it gives him the perfect chance to take the reins and guide his time as a professional with Calgary to where he wants to go. But he needs to do it sooner rather than later if he wants to stick around with the club.