The Calgary Flames may not be a very good team in 2024-25, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be exciting. They’re doing so quietly, but under general manager (GM) Craig Conroy, they have acquired some great young pieces, some of which are expected to play a large part of the season in the NHL.
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Some of those pieces include Connor Zary, who is coming off of a superb rookie season, as well as Jakob Pelletier, Matt Coronato, and goaltender Dustin Wolf. Defenceman Ilya Solovyov also has a shot to crack the roster, though there is another, much higher-profiled blueliner in Zayne Parekh who could, and should, get some NHL work this coming season.
Flames Fans Deserve a Look at Parekh
Oftentimes, teams choosing to go into a rebuild can cause fan bases to erupt. That hasn’t been the case for the Flames, who made it clear they were going into a rebuilding phase after trading several of their top players last season. While they aren’t thrilled at what lies ahead in the next few seasons, the vast majority of the fan base seems to be embracing the rebuilding process.
Any NHL team is only as strong as their fan support, and while you can’t allow for them to influence decisions, you can reward them from time to time. This would come by giving Parekh some games to begin the 2024-25 campaign, as it will be exciting both in time to watch his craft, and also give fans a glimpse as to what the future holds.
Optimism in Flames Dressing Room
Giving Parekh some games would be good for more than just himself and the fans, too. While the Flames have done a good job at weeding out players who no longer wanted to be in Calgary, the ones who remain are all still competitive individuals who want to win. Losing, which they figure to do a lot of this coming season, wears everyone down eventually.
For players who could remain with the Flames for some time such as Nazem Kadri, MacKenzie Weegar, and Jonathan Huberdeau, being able to see Parekh’s skill for at least a few games early in the season would help keep the morale in the dressing room up, as it too would show them that the future is bright.
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As previously mentioned, with so many young players expected to be on the NHL roster this season, it’s important that…
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