Over the weekend, the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers pitted their prospect pools against one another in the NextGen Showcase, with the first game played in Edmonton on Saturday, Sept. 13, and the second back in Calgary on Sunday, Sept. 14. The Flames won both games by narrow margins – the Edmonton game by a score of 6-5 and the Calgary game by a score of 5-4. Over the course of those two games of hectic action, a few Flames prospects stood out from the rest.
Mace’o Phillips
Mace’o Phillips was selected by the Flames in the third round of the 2025 NHL Draft and was one of the youngest players at the Showcase. In a spot on the Flames’ third defensive pair, he hardly looked out of place. He’s a physical defenceman and managed to keep up against a group that was mostly older than him, able to use his size to push around players who were in their early 20s instead of just 18.
Phillips has some maturing to do, even if it’s not in the size department. While he’s not a bad skater, especially for his size, he doesn’t always manage to get to the puck quickly or move it up and out of the zone with much skill. He and his partner stayed in the defensive zone more often than they should have been comfortable with, and their struggles to clear the net front or defend the shooters led to a couple of tough Edmonton goals against.
However, he also earned an assist in the first game, and his willingness to hit hard and well-demonstrated ability to do so is already half the battle, and over the next few seasons, it should be interesting and exciting to watch him grow.
Owen Say
The Flames’ goaltender for the Saturday night game in Edmonton, Owen Say, is currently signed to a one-year, two-way deal with the Calgary Flames out of Notre Dame University, where he put up a .914 save percentage and 3.09 goals-against average in 69 games. While the Flames’ competition in net (their starting goaltender, Dustin Wolf, is signed to a seven-year deal, and they already have multiple competitors for the role of his backup) is strong, Say is low on the depth chart; his performance on Saturday looked good despite not showing up well on the scoresheet.
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Say is of modest size for a goaltender (6-foot-2), but he looks much bigger in the net. He’s very calm and poised, and rarely makes rash decisions or plays the puck badly. When he takes risks, he ensures they pay off – late in the game, the Oilers’ prospects tore into the zone for a breakaway, and Say emerged from his net to bat the puck away before his opponent could get a shot off. Say is the same age as Wolf, but his previous pedigree is encouraging and a sign that he could play NHL games at some point in the future.
Matvei Gridin
Matvei Gridin, one of the Flames’ first-round picks in the 2024 NHL Draft, was probably their best player on the ice throughout both games. He racked up points amidst the Flames’ heavy-hitting offence, finishing the weekend with two goals and two assists, tied for the team lead.
Gridin’s skating stood out, and he, along with the physicality of his linemate Samuel Honzek and the energy of Carter King, drove the Flames’ offence. He was also one of the primary contributors on the power play, which looked lethal at times and always kept up intricate passing plays and opened dangerous shooting lanes. He got a lot of great puck touches and managed to get some good tap-in plays for goals.
Final Thoughts
The Flames’ success this weekend in the prospect tournament suggests that they have some quality players in their pool, and an interesting future for Flames fans to look forward to. While players who already have an expected NHL track, like Hunter Brzustewicz and Samuel Honzek, looked good, it’s sometimes more exciting to see potential in lesser-known players.
