{"id":463653,"date":"2026-02-19T18:07:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T18:07:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/463653\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T18:07:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T18:07:14","slug":"flames-might-have-just-found-their-next-key-forward","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/463653\/","title":{"rendered":"Flames Might Have Just Found Their Next Key Forward"},"content":{"rendered":"

Calgary Flames fans don\u2019t have a lot to cling to right now, but here\u2019s one bright spot: Matvei Gridin<\/a>. He\u2019s still just a teenager, still figuring out the league, and yet every call-up he looks a bit more like someone who could actually matter in Calgary.<\/p>\n

Gridin Is a Young Player Who Keeps Hanging Around<\/p>\n

Calgary brought him back up yesterday, and that\u2019s already telling. They wouldn\u2019t burn a call-up on a teenager if they don\u2019t think the kid can help. And with Jonathan Huberdeau<\/a> shut down for the season, the roster needed someone with a little spark<\/a>. Gridin fits that bill.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s put up three goals and six points in 13 games. That doesn\u2019t sound like a huge total, but on this Flames roster, it ranks eighth in points per game. At nineteen on a team starving for offence, he might be ready for a longer look.<\/p>\n

\"MatveiMatvei Gridin of the Calgary Flames.<\/p>\n

Gridin Is the Prospect Everyone Debated<\/p>\n

What makes Gridin interesting is that he\u2019s been a debate ever since draft day. Some scouts loved him; others not so much. The Flames took him 28th overall in 2024, and prospect rankings were all over the place. Some saw him as the Flames\u2019 second-best forward prospect. Others said he played too much on the outside, didn\u2019t drive the middle enough, and needed to be heavier in the hard areas.<\/p>\n

Maybe both sides were right. He\u2019s shown that he has the skill; no one questions that. Thirty-six goals and nearly 80 points in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) last year say he can score. But the Flames clearly thought he was closer to NHL-ready than the doubters believed. And to be fair, he\u2019s done nothing this season to prove them wrong.<\/p>\n

So What Happens Now with Gridin?<\/p>\n

If Gridin is to take the next step, he\u2019ll have to get real minutes. Not charity minutes, but real responsibility. The Flames simply don\u2019t have enough NHL forwards to shelter anyone right now. If you\u2019re dressed, you\u2019re playing. Given that scenario, Gridin hasn\u2019t looked the least bit lost.<\/p>\n

What should Flames fans expect from him? More of the same steady progression. A few mistakes\u2014because he\u2019s nineteen\u2014but also a few games where he pops and makes you appreciate his skill set. He\u2019s already shown he belongs. Now he gets to show whether he can stick.<\/p>\n

So far, his season hasn\u2019t been a highlight reel. But late in the year, when teams start grinding games out, young players like Gridin can surprise you. Every once in a while, a youngster grabs a job and never gives it back. If the Flames are lucky, Gridin could be that rare prospect who grabs a spot and never lets go.<\/p>\n

Related: Blake Coleman: What Happens When a Hockey Trade Isn\u2019t Just About Hockey?<\/a><\/p>\n

\tDiscover more from NHL Trade Talk<\/p>\n

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