Zayne Parekh<\/a><\/p>\nNot only are a number of these players no longer on the team, but with a roster full of new, young talent, change can be incredibly beneficial. Here are some combinations that might add new strengths to the team, featuring a mix of established NHL players and some potential newcomers from within the system.<\/p>\n
Huberdeau, Zary & Gridin with Whitecloud & NemecLine strengths<\/p>\n
Forwards\u00a0<\/p>\n
With Connor Zary at centre, he could help to bring up the speed that Jonathan Huberdeau lacks, while Huberdeau can act as the main playmaker. Huberdeau is the veteran Flame in this lineup, which would aid in his play-making tactics. Matvei Gridin would help bring this line together and would help finish the plays and hopefully get the puck in the net.<\/p>\n
Defence\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zach Whitecloud is a steady and physical player who is great with defensive zone coverage. Simon Nemec has skill that could help to drive the transition. Together, both players would easily be able to defend the net and keep the pucks out of the crease.<\/p>\n
Line weaknesses<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
There are not many blatant weaknesses with this lineup, except for the fact that Zary is yet to be fully developed, especially defensively, which could be a concern when paired with a slower guy like Huberdeau.<\/p>\n
Farabee, Backlund & Coronato with Hanley & PachalLine strengths<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
Mikael Backlund is a veteran in the NHL, so he knows how to handle the tough match-ups and win face-offs. Joel Farabee helps to bring up the speed and pace of the play. Farabee\u2019s speed allows him to focus on getting to the puck or getting open to pick up a pass and put the puck in the net.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
Both Joel Hanley and Brayden Pachal are great on the penalty kill. They are not historically known for making a ton of mistakes, which is essential during crucial times of the game or when the team needs to get back in the game. They can protect leads and act as a source of stability for the rest of the guys on the ice.<\/p>\n
Line weaknesses<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
Overall, there is a lack of established playmaking skills as a group, but that could be changed as they play more together.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
Although they can protect leads, both players aren\u2019t able to contribute much during the transition or at all offensively.<\/p>\n
Honzek, Gross & Gridin with Parekh & WiebeLine strengths<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
Samuel Honzek brings good size to this lineup which would in turn aid in net front presence and puck protection. Gridin has some creative plays that could be put to use and interesting to watch with a couple younger guys by his side.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
Parekh is a high end offensive defenceman who can jump into the battle to try and make a play while Abram Wiebe can provide coverage on the outside of the battle. These two strengths together could create a productive pair on the offensive side of things.<\/p>\n
Line weaknesses<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
This group might be a bit inconsistent at first as they are all younger guys with not much playing time in the NHL. This might lead them to struggle more against more veteran players.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
If Wiebe and Parekh aren\u2019t a great chemistry match, they could have challenges defending against NHL opponents.<\/p>\n
Huberdeau, Backlund & Coronato with Pachal & ParekhLine strengths<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
Backlund is strong defensively while still contributing offensively. His puck retrieval skills go hand in hand with Huberdeau\u2019s playmaking abilities. Coronato would be able to finish off any play made by the other two guys and take a strong shot on net. This line combination gives clear division between each player\u2019s roles which would be beneficial for the younger players on the team to experience.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
Pachal is a good, physical player who keeps his plays clean and simple, while Parekh is more dynamic and quick to act. These two players could balance each other out to create seamless plays and transitions.<\/p>\n
Line weaknesses<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
This combination of players are not very fast, which might make them fall behind more elite lineups on other teams. Backlund is also not an extremely high end offensive player, which would also be an issue against those same elite lineups.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
There is not a lot to condemn these two players on, other than Parekh still being a young player that requires development.<\/p>\n
Suniev, Gross & Gridin with Middleton & BrzustewiczLine strengths<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
Aydar Suniev brings size and skill while bringing high-end, creative offensive potential. Gross is a good two way centre and Gridin is a solid player to have on the outside holding this trio together.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
Jake Middleton is steady and physical while Brzustewicz is a puck mover with good instincts. This combination can hold down the defence and ensure all bases are covered at all times.<\/p>\n
Line weaknesses<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
Most of these forwards are still young and new to the NHL, so inconsistency in their game is highly likely.<\/p>\n
Farabee, Backlund & Gridin with Parekh & BrzustewiczLine strengths<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
Backlund could act as a good veteran backbone for this offensive trio. Farabee would help keep the pace while still getting ahead of the play and picking up the puck. Gridin is known to stay focused on making plays and getting to the net, which would round off this trio perfectly. This grouping is more balanced than the others, which include only rookie players or only veteran players.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
Both players are good at moving the puck and are great scorers, especially for defenceman. They have excellent transition skills which would ensure no major gaps are left on the ice.<\/p>\n
Line weaknesses<\/p>\n
Forwards<\/p>\n
These players are not great at high-end playmaking, which could lead to struggles against elite teams. Gridin might lack puck possession possibilities with being on a line with two veteran players.<\/p>\n
Defence<\/p>\n
It is unknown who would take charge in front of the net or in the zone as a whole or how they would react during puck battles due to them both being relatively newer players.<\/p>\n
At the end of the day, it is unknown what Huska and his coaching staff has up their sleeves for this season. But with a very new and fresh roster, it will be an exciting season with exciting line combos.<\/p>\n
What new-look forward lines or defensive pairings would you like the Flames to try out in 2026-27? Let us know in the comments!<\/p>\n
PRESENTED BY THE FLAMESNATION NEWSLETTER![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/1785082934_346_image.webp\"\/)
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"With the recent 2026 NHL Draft and some blockbuster trades made by the Calgary Flames, next season is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":827472,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[433],"tags":[49,48,448,82],"class_list":["post-827471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nhl","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-nhl","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=827471"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/827471\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/827472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=827471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=827471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=827471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}