Teenagers Gridin, Parekh make Flames roster as real work begins

CALGARY – How perfectly symbolic it was to see Matvei Gridin engulfed in a congratulatory hug from Adam Klapka.

No better way to welcome a kid to the big leagues than with a beefy embrace from a six-foot-eight Calgary Flames teammate.

As made official in a dressing room announcement from GM Craig Conroy Monday, the Flames will open the season with a pair of teenagers for the first time since the late 90â€s when Derek Morris and Steve Begin turned the trick.

Joining Gridin will be Zayne Parekh, a friend and fellow first-rounder from the 2024 draft.

Both junior superstars are expected to be big contributors to the teamâ€s ability to contend for more than just a playoff spot in the next two or three years, and beyond.

However, thatâ€s where the similarities end.

Gridin is a forward who forced the teamâ€s hand with three pre-season goals, a shootout winner and a consistently dangerous game that grew as the competition and stakes intensified in camp.

Parekh is a defenceman whose spot on the team has been a foregone conclusion by virtue of the fact the junior phenom is too young to play in the AHL, but too good to go back to Saginaw.

Any debate on whether Gridin would survive the lone remaining cut for opening day rosters was muted by word that Jonathan Huberdeau and Martin Pospisil will not be available for Wednesdayâ€s opener in Edmonton.

Heâ€s certainly earned a start on the second line, with expectations of producing offensively alongside Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato.

Parekhâ€s opening night status is up in the air, as his play in the defensive zone throughout camp has been an adventure at times.

As talented and cerebral as he is, he knows thereâ€s work to be done, as evidenced by the fact he skated on the fourth pairing Monday with Danill Miromanov.

It would seem to indicate a reluctance to expose Parekh to the likes of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on a national stage Wednesday. Parekh may very well watch the opener from the press box, which may be a regular occurrence early on, as the future star works on his stick work and gap control in his own end.

“(Defence is the) hardest position for me,†said Huska, who added the last two pre-season games against NHL rosters saw Parekh take “a bit of a step back.â€

“You donâ€t have a lot of people backing (defencemen) up if a mistake is made. Itâ€s partly a young playerâ€s responsibility and job to learn the ins and outs of the game as he moves along, and itâ€s a coachâ€s job to put him in positions where heâ€s going to succeed, and we take that pretty seriously.â€

Both 19-year-olds should be proud to be on the season-opening roster, which was their goal from the outset of camp.

But the real hard work begins now, as there are no guarantees moving forward.
For Gridin, a drop in productivity or effectiveness could ultimately lead to an assignment in the AHL, where his confidence could be rebuilt with more ice time and responsibilities.

For Parekh, a failure to limit defensive miscues could mean watching Brayden Pachal play on the right side of the third pairing in his stead.

“We want to be able to help him succeed and that means sometimes if youâ€re sensing some things, or youâ€re wearing down a little bit, we have to find a way to re-energize him,†said Huska of Parekh.

“If that means sitting out a game or two, thatâ€s not a bad thing for a young guy. They have to know we believe in them and that theyâ€re going to come back in and thereâ€s a purpose for it.

“As long as the communication is good with the player, theyâ€ll understand that. Itâ€s not about us feeling like if he misses a game or two itâ€s the end of the world. Thatâ€s not it at all. Weâ€re looking at this guy as a long-term player for us.â€

With both youngsters, the growing pains involved with developing top prospects at the NHL level will be on full display, especially early this season. And while the organization is fully committed to ensuring both evolve into pillars of the organization, the goal on a nightly basis is winning.

“Thatâ€s our biggest number one priority, and along the way we know certain players are going to be massive parts of our team moving forward,†said Huska.

“So we have to get them to feel comfortable about helping us do that as soon as we possibly can.â€

For one, if not both of them, that mission begins Wednesday.

Farabee-Kadri-Klapka
Gridin-Frost-Coronato
Zary-Backlund-Coleman
Lomberg-Kirkland-Sharangovich

Hanley-Weegar
Bahl-Andersson
Bean-Pachal
Parekh-Miromanov

Morgan Frost may have been the Flames†best forward in the pre-season, building some chemistry with Matt Coronato along the way.

Kadri and Klapka were great together in the last handful of games last year and Farabee is a versatile placeholder for Huberdeau, who should be back very soon.

With Huberdeau and Pospisil on injured reserve, the Flames called up Sam Honzek to be their 13th forward.Â

Source link