Hunter Brzustewicz has one goal in mind.
Aydar Suniev is aiming for the same thing.
Making an NHL roster is hard, to put it plainly, but as the Calgary Flames kicked off their prospects camp on Thursday at WinSport, there’s a singular focus on sticking around beyond opening night on Oct. 8.
“I think it’s everyone’s goal … I see myself making the team,” Brzustewicz said. “I get more and more confident that I could potentially make the team, but I think that should be everyone’s goal, whether you’re 18 or 25.”
There are only so many jobs to go around with the Flames this season, and among the 24 young players who are assembled for this year’s prospects camp, most won’t wind up playing NHL minutes in 2025-26.
Brzustewicz and Suniev are certainly on the short list of guys who have a shot.
Both were called up to play in the Flames’ final game of the season against the Los Angeles Kings in April, alongside Zayne Parekh and Sam Morton. That alone should give them confidence.
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Brzustewicz had a strong second half in his first year as a pro with the Calgary Wranglers last year. His goal was to make the Flames roster at training camp in 2024, too, but he’s a lot closer today than he was a year ago.
Suniev, meanwhile, spent the last couple of weeks of 2024-25 with the Flames after signing on following the end of his season at UMass. He’s big and has a nasty shot and, while competition may be fierce on the wing, Suniev can’t be ruled out as an option for the Flames.
“The expectation for me is not to play one or two games, but make the team and play the whole year,” Suniev said. “That’s what I expect of myself and I’ll be pushing for a spot.”
With that in mind, who might actually get NHL minutes among the players at prospects camp? Hereare five guys who will be pushing:
LW Sam Honzek
The primary reason to believe Honzek could break through and earn himself a roster spot with the Flames is he did it last year. Still only 20 years old, the Flames’ first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft had an up-and-down first season as a pro last year, but injuries played a big part in that. He was electric in training camp in 2024 and after adding 15 lbs. in the off-season should be better equipped physically to withstand the grind of playing everyday pro hockey. That doesn’t mean he’s making the team coming out of camp — the 20-year-old will need to be absolutely sensational — but there are going to be a lot of eyeballs watching to see if he can replicate last year’s performances and force his way into the NHL conversation.
Calgary Flames forward Sam Honzek practices as the team’s Prospects’ Training Camp kicked off at WinSport in Calgary on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.
D Hunter Brzustewicz
I’m not sure anyone would bet against Brzustewicz getting a run of games in for the Flames this season. The bigger question is whether it’s possible to crack the team out of training camp. The Flames need to find a way to get Zayne Parekh minutes, and beyond the top four defencemen who played together down the stretch, also have Brayden Pachal, Jake Bean and Daniil Miromanov fighting for third-pairing minutes. Brzustewicz has an uphill battle to make the NHL roster coming out of training camp, but that doesn’t mean the 20-year-old won’t get the chance he craves at some point soon.
LW Aydar Suniev
Suniev already looks like a pro and he scored 20 goals and added 18 assists in 35 games for UMass last season before joining the Flames in April and making his NHL debut. Is he NHL-ready? The reality is nobody has seen enough of the 20-year-old to really know and it’s entirely possible that he needs some time for a little more seasoning in the AHL. Most players do. But even at Thursday’s opening on-ice session of training camp, Suniev stood out.
Calgary Flames forward Aydar Suniev during practice as the team’s Prospects Training Camp kicked off at WinSport in Calgary on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
RW Matvei Gridin
With Matt Coronato’s breakthrough and Adam Klapka’s emergence last season, the Flames suddenly went from being light on the right wing to actually sort of exciting. Gridin, who was drafted 28th overall in 2024, only adds to their depth. The question is how far away the 19-year-old might be. Gridin was the QMJHL’s Rookie of the Year last season after scoring 36 goals and adding 43 assists for the Shawinigan Cataractes. That probably won’t translate immediately to the pros, but Gridin is an incredibly exciting prospect and if he can put up numbers and show a well-rounded game in the AHL, he could factor into the Flames’ plans by season’s end. He’s a left-shot, too, which brings something different to the table than Coronato and Klapka.
Calgary Flames forward Matvei Gridin during practice as the team’s Prospects Training Camp kicked off at WinSport in Calgary on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
C Carter King
The battle for the Flames’ fourth-line centre job will likely come down to Sam Morton and Justin Kirkland for the time being. Could King play into the conversation by season’s end? Like Morton, King signed with the Flames at the end of a great NCAA career. The 24-year-old only played two games for the Calgary Wranglers after joining the organization, but put up a goal and an assist at the AHL level. There’s still lots to prove, but there’s every reason to believe this Calgary kid could earn himself a look.
Calgary Flames forward Carter King during practice as the team’s Prospects Training Camp kicked off at WinSport in Calgary on Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025.