The Calgary Flames have been a mediocre team at best over the past few seasons. They haven’t been in the play-offs since a very exciting 2021-2022 campaign, and it doesn’t look like they’ll be back in contention anytime soon. That’s partly intentional lately, as they’ve chosen somewhat of a rebuilding approach under general manager (GM) Craig Conroy.
Going through a rebuild is never an easy time for a fanbase, although there are some exciting aspects. The biggest thing, of course, is that the Flames organization is quickly assembling some solid talent in their pipeline. While it never guarantees success, there are plenty of young players in this organization that suggest better days lie ahead. With that said, here are the top 10 Flames under the age of 25.
10. Hunter Brzustewicz
The Flames made a good choice in their decision to do that trade Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks before the 2023 trade deadline. They received a very good package for the Swedish centerman, including Blue Line prospect Hunter Brzustewicz.
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Brzustewicz is slightly undersized for a defender, but is incredibly gifted offensively. The 21-year-old has had brief looks at the Flames’ backend as of late, making 18 appearances so far in 2025-2026. He may not be ready for regular NHL action yet, but he is knocking on the door for a full-time role next season.
9. Cullen Potter
Cullen Potter, the second of the Flames’ two first-round picks in 2025, looks like a gem right now. The 19-year-old, who is already in his second season of college hockey, has 12 goals and 26 points in 24 games.
Potter still has a long way to go before he becomes an NHLer, but the fact that he’s already in his second collegiate season despite just turning 19 in January is pretty impressive. A player’s development path is rarely linear, but as of now he appears to be on his way to a successful NHL career.
8. Sam Honzek
You can’t help but feel sorry for Sam Honzek. The Flames’ 16th overall selection in the 2023 draft has shown flashes of brilliance but has had serious problems staying healthy. He played in just 18 games with the Flames in 2025-26 before suffering a defeat season-ending operation in November.
Injuries are nothing new for the 6-foot-1 winger. He played just 57 games in his first season as a pro in 2024-2025, and played just 76 games in the previous two seasons with the Vancouver Giants of the Western Hockey League (WHL). Should he be able to stay healthy in the future, he has shown signs that he has an NHL future. However, if injuries continue to mount, this could end up being a miss for the Flames.
7. Connor Zary
Another player who has come through the ringer lately is Connor Zary. The 24-year-old looked to be a building block for the Flames following his rookie season in 2023-24, but his 2024-25 season was marred by two separate knee injuries.
Whether it’s due to the injuries or the fact that he’s missed so much time, Zary has struggled to create the impact he had as a rookie. In 54 games this season, he scored a disappointing nine goals and 21 points. It’s way too early to write him off, but his value has certainly decreased.
6. Ethan Wyttenbach
Perhaps the most intriguing player on this list is Ethan Wyttenbach. The 18-year-old was selected in the fifth round by the Flames in 2025, but is quickly proving that he should have gone much, much higher. He has a legitimate chance winning the Hobey Baker as a freshman, as he scored an impressive 22 goals and 54 points in 34 games with Quinnipiac University.
Wyttenbach has yet to complete his overall game, although that isn’t a huge problem considering how young he is. The fact is that he has a ridiculously high skill level, and his college stats seem to indicate that he has a very bright future ahead of him.
5. Cole Reschny
Like Wyttenbach, Cole Reschny is another prospect that has Flames fans very excited. The 18-year-old, a native of Macklin, Saskatchewan, was selected 18th overall in 2025 and could be ready to make an impact at the NHL level sooner than some might think.
Reschny, who scored four goals in seven games for Canada at the 2026 World Juniors, is coming off an impressive freshman season at the University of North Dakota. His 24 assists led all North Dakota skaters this season.
4. Matt Coronato
Like almost every player on the Flames this season, Matt Coronato has had a tough time. After bursting onto the scene in 2024-25 with 24 goals and 47 points, he has fallen to a rather disappointing 14 goals and 29 points in 55 games. That being said, Flames fans have nothing to worry about when it comes to his future.
What’s important to remember about Coronato is that despite having played 167 games at the NHL level, he is still only 23 years old. It’s also important to note that he plays on a team with few other attacking threats, which negatively impacts his overall. His shot is elite, to the point where it’s not crazy to imagine him being a consistent 30-goal scorer for years to come.
3. Matvei Gridin
It’s hard to remember the last time the Flames had a prospect as exciting as Matvei Gridin. In fact, the last one might have been Matthew Tkachuk. The 19-year-old winger was considered an outrageous pick when the Flames drafted him 28th overall in 2024, but he’s quickly proving how right they were with their decision.
Gridin is truly the complete package. He has great speed, great hands, great vision and a heavy shot. Despite being only 19 years old, he has already had great success in his first season as a professional. In 36 games with the Calgary Wranglers, he scored 10 goals and 29 points. With the Flames, he has three goals and six points in thirteen games.
2. Zayne Parekh
Zayne Parekh is not only the brightest young skater in the Flames organization, but one of the top in the entire NHL. The recently 20-year-old proved that in 2025-2026 recent conditioning stint the Wranglers saw him score two goals and five points in just four games.
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Parekh has struggled to find a role with the Flames this season, but that’s par for the course when it comes to young defensemen like himself. His stats throughout his career in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) suggest he has true superstardom, and fans in Calgary can expect him to be a true number one blue liner for this franchise for years to come.
1. Dustinwolf
Although the 2025-26 season hasn’t gone the way he would have liked, the sky is still the limit for 24-year-old Dustin Wolf. His 2.98 goals against average (GAA) and 0.896 save percentage (SV%) leave a lot to be desired, although a large part of his disappointing numbers have to do with the team he plays behind.
Wolf proved how good he can be in his rookie season in 2024-25 when he finished finishing second in the Calder Trophy voting. That strong season, combined with his tremendous success over three American Hockey League (AHL) campaigns, suggests he has the potential to develop into an elite NHL netminder.
More large pieces are coming
What’s exciting about this list is that there are plenty of other great young talents that the Flames have under their belt. They’re also not done yet, as they have a total of four first-round picks over the next two drafts, and could end up with more depending on what they do at the trade deadline. However that turns out, the future in Calgary is looking brighter by the day.
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