The Calgary Flames opening night lines are a headscratcher

Now, it’s fun to react. Especially when a game hasn’t even been played, it’s human nature. However, this lineup is a headscratcher.

Zayne Parekh is an extra

The thing that stands out the most among all of these lines is that Zayne Parekh is skating on the fourth pair with Daniil Miromanov. This would suggest that Parekh will be in the press box for the opening game of the year. It’s a bit of a confusing situation. On the one hand, you want to see the best prospect since Matthew Tkachuk started for the season opener, but on the other, do you really want to see him getting tormented by two of the best players in the world in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl?

I understand both sides of the argument, but I think all this talk about confidence is a little nuts. Parekh isn’t going to have one game dictate his confidence for the year. I also think it’s a bit of a back-and-forth argument. Yes, if McDavid flies by or Draisaitl snipes the puck past him a few times, that will cause some hits to the confidence levels. However, sitting him because you may not trust him to give you the greatest chance to win against the best of the best, would also cause the same amount of hit in a super competitive guy like Parekh.

There’s little doubt in me that Parekh won’t suit up for tomorrow’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. If you want him to play only one of the back-to-back games, it’s sort of a lose-lose decision. That’s in the sense that you either put him against the team with two of the world’s best or against the team that he struggled against just a week ago. So it just comes down to the fact that it’s the season opener and people want some hope to start the year. And that’s why I think Parekh should be playing tonight. He’s earned a roster spot, and he wouldn’t even get many minutes or matchups against the duo in Edmonton.

It really is a big reaction being caused by a single game decision. I think the best route overall for Parekh’s development is to follow the same plan as Leo Carlsson’s rookie year. Sit him once in a while, not because he’s struggling, but so he can relax, heal up, and watch the game from an outside perspective. If this were, let’s say, game 20 of the year, and this was the noticeable plan, the outrage wouldn’t be as much. It’s just that it’s the first game of the year, and the Flames don’t have an incredible bottom-three defence. On top of that, they certainly don’t have the best track record of utilizing the young players correctly.

The forward lines

Farabee-Kadri-Klapka

This is a very odd combination of players to me. What have Joel Farabee and Adam Klapka necessarily done to earn first-line minutes with the team’s best centreman? Neither really had a fantastic preseason, and they certainly haven’t shown to be that calibre.

I mean, if you look at the end of 2024–25, Klapka did have a good run alongside Kadri, with eight points in 10 games. However, this streak came at the time of the year when most teams are checked out. It could just end up as a stretch similar to Walker Duehr at the end of the 2022–23 season

Now, obviously, Klapka played more minutes in those 10 games, but most players will produce more with better players in an elevated role. To start the year, I guess it doesn’t hurt to see if the magic is still there. It really is just a surprising spot to see Klapka placed. If it sticks, fine, but if not, make the change quickly.

As for Farabee, it’s just a bizarre position to see someone like him in. He had a terrible 2024–25 season with six points in 31 games with the Flames, and a total of 25 points in 81 games. Those aren’t good numbers at all. I understand the idea of trying to get him to return to his 2023–24 form, but I just don’t know if the first line is the place to start. The Flames have pushed a mentality of earning your spot, and I just don’t feel like Farabee has quite earned top-line minutes.

There’s a really good chance that one of these guys is a placeholder for Jonathan Huberdeau until he gets back from injury, but it is a little bit of a head-scratcher.

Zary-Backlund-Coleman

This is probably the least concerning concern I have with the Flames’ projected lineup. Backlund and Coleman are fine linemates for anyone and are perfect for young or lost players. However, I just don’t think Zary needs the leadership of the two more than some other guys on the team. I went into it with more depth in another piece, but to advance further, Zary needs some time on a more offensive line.

Zary has silky hands and a solid set of dual-threat capabilities that desperately need to be unlocked. Backlund and Coleman aren’t necessarily the best guys for this. They guide towards more two-way play, forechecking, and some so-so finishing. Zary has already shown promise in a two-way game and also has had some finishing struggles of his own.

You won’t fully unlock Zary by placing him in this position. I think slotting him next to Backlund and Coleman will stunt his offensive development. He’ll continue to put up good two-way results with about half a point per game production, not fully unlocking his offence. Zary is a solid player, but I think all Flames fans have seen the potential that he has, and it would be a shame to waste it.

I can understand if this is a short-term thing to ease Zary back in after his injury, and later down the line, we see him moved to a more offensive-minded line.

Sharangovich on the fourth line?

We just talked about Farabee, who is in desperate need of a return to form, but here is another player who needs the same thing in Yegor Sharangovich. And Sharangovich gets to sit on the fourth line. I won’t sugarcoat it: Sharangovich was not good last season. Only 17 goals and 32 points in 73 games is much worse in comparison to his 2023–24 numbers. But the fourth line won’t help Sharangovich find his form again, and they’re almost paying this guy six million dollars a year.

Sharangovich gives his best impact as a sniper. He won’t be able to do such in a limited role. Ryan Lomberg and Justin Kirkland are both ‘bring the vibe’ type of players in the Flames lineup. Neither Lomberg nor Kirkland are the playmaking type that Sharangovich would benefit from. They’re hard-nosed, throw the body around, and tons of effort, bottom-six players that Sharangovich doesn’t fit the mould of. Heck, Lomberg had fewer points than Sharangovich had goals in a serious down year.

I know I just went on about how Farabee on the first line is odd because he hasn’t earned it and had an awful 2023–24 season. The same would apply to Sharangovich. This plays into the idea that the Calgary Flames’ opening night lineup is a mess.

Wrapping all the forward concerns together

As I just stated, all of the concerns I’ve pointed towards in the Flames’ forward group sort of relate to one another. To begin, I talked about how Klapka and Farabee are confusing placements on the first line. They haven’t done much to warrant the minutes and aren’t necessarily the players you expect to see with your team’s top forward. Farabee, in particular, had a rough season similar to Sharangovich, whom I’m advocating to move up the lineup.

The difference to me is that Sharangovich would benefit much more from some time with a player like Kadri, considering that he needs to fill an offensive role to bounce back. On the other hand, Farabee plays a style that can be complemented in a lower role. He’s harder-nosed than Sharangovich and generates a ton of chances with that play. I think Farabee would fit in perfectly alongside Backlund and Coleman on the third line. Farabee complements the duo’s forechecking style well, and they all create tons of offence on the analytics side. Backlund and Coleman can give the proper guidance to a slumping player such as Farabe,e and he could even develop a two-way game.

This would leave Zary in need of a new role, but also with an opening on the first line. A more offensive line. So, Zary could slot in next to Kadri, which would then benefit Zary’s more natural play style. One swap allows both Farabee and Zary to fall into positions that buy more into their advantages.

But what about Sharangovich then? Well, up until now, Klapka has been poised for a bottom-six role. He’s a huge man at 6’8″, 235lbs, who gets into the more dirty and dangerous aspects of the game. Maybe someone who’s more suited for the style that Lomberg and Kirkland will play. So again, you swap the two players, and they end up in roles that suit their typical play styles in a finer way.

Is it much of a concern?

The team is a bit of a mess of a team right now. That’s highlighted by the Calgary Flames’ opening night lineup expected to start the season. A top prospect that has the fanbase jazzed up, being left off the ice to kick off the season. Two players that most had pencilled in for lower-end of the lineup positions are being thrust into the first line. Then another duo of players that aren’t in positions that necessarily benefit the points they’re in their careers, but are somehow expected to have bounce-back seasons? Make it make sense.

Is it a lot of reaction for a game one lineup? Yes, absolutely. Some of these lines could end up working, and we feel silly. Or they don’t mesh, and the Flames move on to the next set of combos. The biggest issue is that this lineup doesn’t inspire much confidence, and a lack of confidence on day one could make this a very long season. I hope I’m wrong.