It wasn’t the start to the season anyone was expecting from Zayne Parekh or the Calgary Flames as a whole. Nothing seemed to click, and not a single player got off to a start worth being proud of.

It was encouraging that Parekh made the team out of training camp, as he should have. He is far too good to be playing in the OHL, and while developmental time in the AHL would be ideal, NHL rules prevent the Flames from assigning him to the Calgary Wranglers.

Parekh began the regular season with hopes of being a Calder Trophy contender, but that ship has sailed. Through 11 games, he recorded just one assist. While he occasionally flashed his offensive potential, he appeared to lack confidence with the puck and struggled to gain momentum as the team continued to lose and struggled to score goals. Perhaps the injury that sidelined him on November 7th was more of a blessing in disguise.

Parekh was able to step away from a difficult situation in Calgary and now has an opportunity to regain confidence and earn redemption as he heads to Minnesota for the World Junior Championship. But once that tournament concludes, he is going to return to the Flames. Having surpassed the minimum game limit to be sent back to junior, he is now officially an NHL player and has to play. Sitting in the press box is not an option. The question is how that will look when he rejoins the team in January.

That largely depends on one factor: whether Rasmus Andersson is still a Flame. Following the Quinn Hughes trade last Friday, interest in Andersson has increased, and it is beginning to feel like a move is inevitable. Perhaps the Flames are waiting for Parekh to return before pulling the trigger, but that would be a poor justification if a strong offer is already on the table.

If Andersson remains with the team, the situation becomes more complicated. Do the Flames keep Andersson and Kevin Bahl together, or split them up and pair them with younger players? Does Hunter Brzustewicz remain in the NHL, or does Parekh take his spot? That leaves the Flames with the choice of shaking things up or keeping things largely intact and slotting Parekh onto the third pairing.

Bahl – Andersson
Weegar – Kuznetsov
Hanley – Parekh

Bahl – Parekh
Weegar – Kuznetsov
Hanley – Andersson

If Andersson is still a Flame, Brzustewicz will likely head back to the AHL. It’s better to have him play top minutes with the Wranglers than potentially be hopping in and out of the lineup with the Flames.

Ideally, in a perfect world, the Flames find Andersson a new home where he can stare down opposing fans for years to come. Calgary would then be in a much better position to focus on development and give its younger prospects the experience they need if they are going to find success in the NHL.

Brzustewicz has looked great in his first few games with the Flames and has certainly earned an extended look at this level. Yan Kuznetsov has brought stability to the defence and has been effective alongside Mackenzie Weegar. I’d be hesitant to split that pairing up as they’ve been so good together. That said, Kuznetsov may be better suited for a third-pairing role in a world where you have Parekh and Brzustewicz on the NHL roster.

Bahl appears to be an ideal defensive partner for Parekh based on playing style. As an offensively gifted defenceman, Parekh will frequently jump into the rush, play deep in the offensive zone and create scoring chances. Bahl, with his long reach and defensive reliability, feels like the perfect safety net that would allow Parekh to play his game. Parekh could also be paired with Weegar, as they are likely to be the team’s top two defencemen for years to come.

That leaves a couple of potential combinations if Andersson is moved:

Bahl – Parekh
Weegar – Kuznetsov
Hanley – Brzustewicz

Weegar – Parekh
Bahl – Brzustewicz
Hanley – Kuznetsov

This does not account for the possibility of the Flames acquiring an NHL defenceman in an Andersson trade, but based on the organization’s current depth, these are likely the best options available.

It will be fun to watch Parekh suit up for Canada at the world juniors, and hopefully he can build confidence before returning to the Flames in a few weeks. How do you see Parekh and Calgary’s defence shaping up as the team looks ahead to 2026? Let us know in the comments.

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