Although the Calgary Flames have yet to pick up a win so far this season, things have been very, very good for their prospects. Across North America and in Sweden, the young stars have been putting up points left, right, and centre. One had a hat-trick, two goaltenders are in the top-10 of their respective leagues, and a number have lodged their first professional goals so far this season. There is so much to talk about—let’s get into it!
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.
Standout Performer
Dustin Wolf: Stockton Heat
| GP | GAA | SV% | Record | Shutouts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This week | 2 | 1.48 | 0.957 | 1-0-1 | 0 |
| Season total | 2 | 1.48 | 0.957 | 1-0-1 | 0 |
While there were a lot of standouts this week, it has to go to Dustin Wolf. The rookie netminder started both of the team’s two games this week despite the Heat initially carrying five goaltenders to start the year.
In the first game, Wolf was perfect through sixty minutes, having made a number of huge stops throughout the game including this one here:
Unfortunately one snuck past him in overtime and the Heat could not pick up the second point.
In the second game, Wolf was equally impressive, stopping 32 of the 34 shots he faced. However, this time he got more run support from his forwards, and the Heat were able to pick up their first win of the season.
With all the goalies in Stockton right now, it will be interesting to see how new Head Coach Mitch Love manages his goaltenders. Wolf has been lights out to start the season, but there is no doubt that the team will want to see what they have in Adam Werner, Matthew Greenfield, and newcomer Daniil Chechelev. This also does not include Tyler Parsons who is stuck in COVID protocols, but if he does end up coming back, his return further complicates this situation. This is a crease to watch this season.
This and that
- Sticking with the Heat, two prospects recorded their first professional goals this week. Walker Duehr got his first as a pro following an incredibly strong camp with the Flames. Expect him to keep pushing this season to earn a call-up to the big club.
- Jakob Pelletier also got his first goal as a pro and has looked very good in his first week with the club. Any questions of him not being good enough for pro hockey have unsurprisingly gone away.
- Ryan Francis played in his first two games as a pro since signing an ATO with the Heat this season. While he is technically eligible to go back to the QMJHL, he is no doubt hoping to stay with the pro club. Thus far, he hasn’t recorded a point, but expect this to change given his on-ice impacts.
- On the blueline, the Heat have relied heavily on their older newcomers as opposed to their younger prospects. Ilya Solovyov has yet to feature in a game so far while Yan Kuznetsov has played mostly in a third pairing role thus far.
- For Kuznetsov, this begs the question: is it better for his development for him to be playing at the bottom of the rotation in Stockton or at the top of the rotation in Saint John, who drafted him in the CHL Import Draft earlier this season. Ditto this for Francis.
- Speaking of Saint John, fresh off signing his ELC, Jeremie Poirier has been very impressive for the Sea Dogs this season. While he started off a little slower than he would have liked, he put up a hat trick last week and has been a standout for the team. Expect him to be among the top defencemen in the league if all goes well.
- Elsewhere in the Q, Cole Huckins has quietly put up a bucket of points for Acadie Bathurst. He is second on the team in points with eight, and the Titan are top of the table in the Q, going 6–0–1 so far this season.
- After being run through by the Kingston Frontenacs in their first game, Jack Beck and the Ottawa 67’s have quickly rebounded. Beck has eight points through five games so far, and leads his team.
- The Soo Greyhounds and Rory Kerins have also started the season off strong, currently leading in their division. Kerins has a goal and three assists, good for fifth on the team.
- In the west, Lucas Ciona picked up his first two points of the season for the Seattle Thunderbirds. He is a player to watch after being drafted late this season.
- South of the border, it has been a great start for Josh Nodler who is sitting at a point-per-game pace to start the year. Quietly the best Flames’ prospect in the NCAA last year, Nodler will be looking to earn a contract from the Flames as early as the end of this season.
- Demetrios Koumontzis and Jake Boltmann also got two points this week. For Boltmann, it is his first time getting on the scoresheet in the NCAA, but both have a lot of work to do to earn looks from Calgary anytime soon.
- In the USHL, Arsenii Sergeyev has been quietly unstoppable for the Tri-City Storm. Currently 3–0–0 with a shutout and the second best save percentage in the league, Sergeyev is quietly making a name for himself after being the Flames’ last selection in this year’s draft. It is too early to proclaim him the goalie of the future, but one to watch for sure.
- Across the pond, William Stromgren currently has ten points in 13 games for Rogle in the J-20, Sweden’s top junior league. He is slightly under a point-per-game pace, but if he can continue to put up points, he may earn a role at the SHL level.
Overall regular season totals for all Flames prospects
Forwards
| Player | Position | GP | G | A | P | P/GP | PIM | NHLe | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Beck | LW/RW | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 1.6 | 6 | 42.4 | Ottawa 67’s | OHL |
| Lucas Ciona | LW | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0.5 | 24 | 12.4 | Seattle Thunderbirds | WHL |
| Matthew Coronato | RW | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Harvard Crimsons | NCAA |
| Walker Duehr | RW | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 19.9 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Mathias Emilio Pettersen | C/LW | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Lucas Feuk | C/W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Vasterviks IK | HockeyAllsvenskan |
| C/W | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.5 | 14 | N/A | Nybro IF | HockeyEttan | |
| Ryan Francis | RW/C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Emil Heineman | LW/RW | 11 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.18 | 6 | 8.8 | Leksands IF | SHL |
| Cole Huckins | C | 7 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 1.14 | 12 | 26.5 | Acadie Bathurst Titans | QMJHL |
| Rory Kerins | C/LW | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0.8 | 2 | 21.2 | Soo Greyhounds | OHL |
| Justin Kirkland | C/W | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 2 | 19.9 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Demetrios Koumontzis | LW | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.3 | 4 | N/A | Arizona State Sun Devils | NCAA |
| Mitchell Mattson | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Michigan State Spartans | NCAA |
| Ilya Nikolayev | C | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.67 | 2 | 14.8 | Tri-City Storm | USHL |
| Josh Nodler | C/RW | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 27.3 | Michigan State Spartans | NCAA |
| Jakob Pelletier | C/LW | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 19.9 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Matthew Phillips | C/RW | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 19.9 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Luke Philp | C/RW | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 19.9 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Martin Pospisil | C/W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Adam Ruzicka | C | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 39.9 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Pospisil, Martin | C/W | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| William Stromgren | LW | 13 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0.8 | 2 | N/A | Rogle BK J20 | J20 Nationell |
| Tuulola, Eetu | RW | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Connor Zary | C | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Dmitri Zavgorodny | W/C | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
Defensemen
| Player | Position | GP | G | A | P | P/GP | PIM | NHLe | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Boltmann | RHD | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0.7 | 4 | 18.3 | Notre Dame | NCAA |
| Cole Jordan | LHD | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Moose Jaw Warriors | WHL |
| Johannes Kinnvall | RHD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | HV-71 | SHL |
| Yan Kuznetsov | LHD | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Connor Mackey | LHD | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Jeremie Poirier | LHD | 7 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0.7 | 8 | 16.5 | St. John Sea Dogs | AHL |
| Colton Poolman | LHD | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Ilya Solovyov | LHD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Cameron Whynot | LHD | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0.5 | 4 | 11.6 | Halifax Mooseheads | QMJHL |
Goalies
| Player | Position | GP | GAA | SV% | Record | Shutouts | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chechelev, Daniil | G | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Tyler Parsons | G | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-0-0 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
| Arseni Sergeyev | G | 3 | 1.00 | 0.956 | 3-0-0 | 1 | Tri-City Storm | AHL |
| Dustin Wolf | G | 2 | 1.48 | 0.957 | 1-0-1 | 0 | Stockton Heat | AHL |
Which prospects are you most excited about? Let us know below in the comments or on social media.
Photo Credit: Everett Silvertips
