Calgary Flames Prospect Roundup: Slow start for Heat, continued heat from Pelletier

Welcome to the TWC Flames prospect update. Each week, we’ll take a dive into how the Flames’ prospects have done in their respective leagues. We have defined a prospect as a skater who has played fewer than 65 NHL games, and is younger than 25 years of age. All data is from QuantHockey and EliteProspects. We also use an NHLe calculator built by Christian Roatis (@Croatis) which is used to estimate a player’s equivalent point total in the NHL based on how they are performing in their respective league. The calculator uses the difficulty of the given league combined with the ease at which a player puts up points to determine the NHLe.

This and that

• The biggest news this week was that the Stockton Heat have finally started their season. Unfortunately they lost both of their first two games against the Toronto Marlies 6-1, and 5-1 respectively.
• For the Heat, their biggest issues have been their inability to finish great chances in front on offense and their struggle to defend the area right in front of their net. Their goaltending has not been as bad as the scoreline suggests, but hopefully the team can clean some things up.
• Luke Philp has been the Heat’s best player so far this season. He had a goal in the first game for the team and has been dangerous all over the ice.
• Connor Zary has had an up and down couple of games. He had a bad giveaway in the first game, but had some decent chances. He was elevated to the top line with Matthew Phillips and Adam Ruzicka in the second game and looked good there.
• With Tyler Parsons still recovering for ankle surgery and Louis Domingue in quarantine after a personal matter, the Heat have been rolling with Dustin Wolf and Garrett Sparks as their goaltending tandem. Expect Artyom Zagidulin to be back in the Heat net shortly and for Wolf to be back in Everett in time for the start of their season.
• Switching over to the CHL, no word still on the OHL’s return to play. Ontario did not approve the latest plan from the league. Rory Kerins is in Calgary on an ATO with the Stockton Heat, and is the only prospect who has not played since before the pandemic ended last season.
• Over to the Q, no word yet on Saint John and the New Brunswick QMJHL teams. It has been a while since Ryan Francis and Jeremie Poirier have played.
• While they have not been able to play, Jakob Pelletier has been lighting it up. He had another goal and three assists this week as Val d’Or took over top spot in the Q. Pelletier also recorded his 100th QMJHL goal this week.
• South of the border, Michigan State lost both games at the weekend to rival the University of Michigan. Josh Nodler picked up a nice goal, while Mitchell Mattson was scratched in both contests. Nodler is tied for the team lead in points, but MSU is bottom of the Big-10.
• Across the pond in Sweden, Lucas Feuk put up three more goals for Kalix HC. Great to see him scoring, but the expectation was always that he was too good for this league. Time will tell if he can find that prowess at the SHL level.
• Johannes Kinnvall is still injured this week, but Filip Sveningsson picked up a goal and an assist in the Allsvenskan.
• We have good news, mixed news, and bad news from the KHL this week. Good news, Ilya Solovyov is back in the lineup for Dinamo Minsk, and had an assist this week. Ilya Nikolayev had a goal this week, but is back in the MHL (Russia’s junior league), while Daniil Chechelev did not feature at all for his club this week.

Overall totals for all Flames prospects

Forwards

Defensemen

Goalies

Which prospects are you most excited about? Let us know below in the comments or on social media.

Photo credits: EliteProspects