Defensive battles to watch during Calgary Flames training camp

Training camp is officially underway for the 2025–26 season. With that comes a whole new set of opportunities for grabbing roster spots. The Calgary Flames are a team that is expecting more youth to compete for jobs as they continue their rebuild.

It’s always interesting to see what the competition looks like every year, and this season is no different. We previously covered what potential competition may look like among Flames’ forwards. Now, let’s take a look at the blue line. Will there be any surprising developments or storylines to watch as training camp continues?

Zayne Parekh’s emergence

This is an obvious one. Zayne Parekh is the Flames’ crown jewel right now, and he’s going to make a serious case to earn a roster spot with the team. For the 2024 ninth overall pick, it’s either the big leagues or going back to junior. At this rate, returning to the OHL wouldn’t do much for Parekh’s development.

It’s why fans are eager to see what Parekh can do. He didn’t have the best training camp last season, but this year feels different. In the one NHL game he played last season, he looked comfortable and composed. Heading into camp, Parekh will have a chip on his shoulder, and it really seems like he’s been putting in the work during the summer.

The likely scenario is that he earns a spot on the bottom pair. However, pushing for a spot in the top four isn’t that unrealistic, especially when Rasmus Andersson is traded. Either way, he’s going to be the player I’ll keep my eyes on the most. He’s going to make it hard for the Flames to doubt his efforts on the ice.

The bottom pair is up for grabs

Looking at the Flames’ blue line, the top four is likely set in stone. You’ll have Kevin Bahl with Rasmus Andersson and Joel Hanley alongside MacKenzie Weegar. They both complemented each other well last season.

Bahl – Andersson
Hanley – Weegar
? – ?

However, when it comes to the bottom pairings, it could very well be a toss-up. On the right, you have Parekh, as I previously mentioned, but also players like Hunter Brzustewicz, Brayden Pachal, and Daniil Miromanov. As for the left, you have Jake Bean, Ilya Solovyov, Nick Cicek—who was signed this summer—and Yan Kuznetsov. Not to mention, there are also players such as Jeremie Poirier and Artem Grushnikov who may make a push. However, I think it’s unlikely that both players make the team on opening night. Things could get competitive on that bottom pair.

If I had to predict, I think the pairing will consist of Parekh on the right and Pachal on the left on opening night. I know Pachal’s natural side is on the right, but he has been seen practicing on the left side. He’s better than Bean and Miromanov in my opinion, so why not pair him with Parekh to start?

Who will be the odd man out?

Following up on the previous point, once the Flames’ defence core is set, who will stay with the team as the extra defender? Last season, the role was filled by Tyson Barrie, who has since retired.

Assuming Parekh and Pachal finish off the bottom pair, Bean would be the likely candidate to be the team’s seventh defenceman. Maybe he and Pachal rotate every few games. Then there’s Miromanov, who likely will hit the waiver wire. Soloyov could also be a potential candidate to remain with the team, as he’s been seeing more NHL action. As for Bzustewicz, I don’t see him starting the season with the team. I expect that he sees more NHL action through call-ups, as well as other young players throughout the season.