Calgary Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh was photographed during a morning skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Gavin Young/Postmedia
It will be the first time the Calgary Flames have played anything other than a must-win game in months.
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With their playoff dreams dashed on Tuesday evening, Thursday’s season finale in Los Angeles will have no impact on the standings. A long summer starts on Friday morning for the Flames, win or lose.
While it’s meaningless in the standings, though, that actually sets up a few interesting scenarios for the Flames. With the focus squarely on post-season qualification since the 4 Nations Face-Off — and arguably earlier — that’s meant the lineup has been predictable.
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Here are five questions we’ve got about Thursday’s game against the Kings:
No prospect in the Flames system has as high a ceiling as Zayne Parekh, and there have been people calling for him to be in the lineup ever since he joined the team following the conclusion of his OHL season with the Saginaw Spirit last week.
All indications are that we’re going to see him on Thursday.
The Flames weren’t going to throw him into the deep end while the playoffs were still on the line, though. The organization wanted him around the pros and getting a taste of what it takes, but he’s entirely unproven as a professional and the guys who have been working all season to stay in the playoff mix deserved a chance to finish their fight.
Now, though? Expect to see Parekh play on Thursday night.
Selected ninth overall in last year’s NHL Draft, the 19-year-old only elevated his game this season, recording 33 goals and 74 assists. He joined Bobby Orr as only the second blueliner in OHA/OHL history to score 30 in consecutive campaigns.
While he didn’t shine in pre-season with the Flames, Parekh is a big part of the future and most people are expecting him to be with the team next season. It only makes sense to give his professional journey a headstart by getting him some game time against the Kings.
Calgary Flames players, from left: Aydar Suniev, Rasmus Andersson, Joel Farabee and Ryan Lomberg were photographed during a morning skate at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.[/caption]
The youthful intrigue doesn’t end with Parekh and Suniev. On Wednesday morning, the Flames announced that they were calling up Sam Morton and Hunter Brzustewicz in advance of Thursday’s game, and both guys will be making their NHL debuts.
The 20-year-old Brzustewicz quickly emerged as one of the organization’s most interesting blueline prospects after being acquired from the Vancouver Canucks in the blockbuster deal that sent Elias Lindholm to the west coast last year. He’s improved steadily in his first season as a pro with the Wranglers and has scored five times while adding 26 assists.
