We were right when we predicted that a first-round pick from 2024 would be the biggest story of the pre-season for the Calgary Flames .

We just had the wrong guy.

While there have been lots of eyeballs on Zayne Parekh , the one rookie who will undoubtedly crack Calgary’s initial roster, Matvei Gridin has become the talk of the town and that will continue to be the case after he buried another goal during the final audition.

The only negative Friday for this fast-as-all-heck forward was that he was foiled during the shootout, with the Winnipeg Jets ultimately notching a 5-4 victory via the skills competition.

The 28th overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, selected on the same night that the Flames welcomed Parekh at No. 9, Gridin didn’t show any sign of nerves in his six preview oppor

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