Prospects

Calgary Flames Prospect Roundup: Matt Coronato powers Harvard Crimson to Whitelaw Cup, Stockton Heat keep rolling

What a massive week for Calgary Flames prospects. The Harvard Crimson came from behind twice to win the ECAC’s Whitelaw Cup and earn a berth in the Frozen Four with Matthew Coronato taking the spotlight. One other Flames’ prospect joins him and will be in the same bracket as the Crimson. Both Jakob Pelletier and Matthew Phillips had massive weeks for Stockton, and almost certainly deserve a look at the NHL level at this point. Arseni Sergeev played parts of three games in a row for the Tri-City Storm, while Rory Kerins has nearly hit 100 points in the OHL. So much to cover, let’s get into it!


Welcome to the TWC Calgary 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.

Want to see where all the Flames’ prospects are playing this year? Check out our map visualization here:


Standout Performer

Matthew Coronato – Harvard Crimson

GPGAPP/GPNHLe
This week23363.0N/A
Season total331817351.124.3

What a week for Matt Coronato and the Harvard Crimson. The rookie forward was elevated to the team’s top line and took full advantage. He scored two goals and two assists in a come-from-behind 5–3 win over Clarkson in the semifinals of the ECAC Championships, and one of those was the game-winner. Check it out here.

He also had an empty-netter to seal the trip to the finals against Quinnipiac. In the finals, Harvard again came from behind to beat the sixth-best side in the nation. And who scored the game winner but Coronato again. Check it out here:

For his efforts, Coronato was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding player.

Harvard has now earned a berth in the Frozen Four tournament, and will taken on top-ranked University of Minnesota Mankato in the first round. The team will need to get everything that they can from Coronato and the rest of the squad if they stand a chance against the high-powered midwestern side.

Coronato’s season has been a bit U-shaped. He started the season off very strongly, then he slowed down substantially, hovering below the point-per-game mark for most of the season but definitely getting some looks, but then he has really heated up as the season has come to a close, with eight points in his last three games and 10 in his last five.

If I were in the Flames’ shoes, I’d ask the question of what more can you expect from Coronato to this point. He has played top power play, top penalty kill, and top line for the Crimson for stretches of the season. On top of that, he is already earned top rookie awards and a first all-rookie team selection in the ECAC this year. What more can you ask from him?

On the other hand, getting him a year where he can just dominate against weaker compeition may help him develop some real swagger before he takes the next step in his development at the AHL level.

Hopefully (and this is a big ask) he is committed to signing in Calgary, as the Flames have fallen victim to this once before. Assuming this to still be the case, it may make more sense to give him the extra year, let him really grow into an elite, potentially record breaking player at the NCAA level, then bring him to Stockton and see what happens. Another year at one of the best universities on the planet also isn’t a bad thing for Coronato.

After what happened to Yan Kuznetsov last season, I think it may behoove the Flames to keep Coronato in college for one more year to let him really develop that swagger. Harvard has an incredible program, and letting him grow there for one more year before signing him may not be the worst idea in the world.

This and that

NCAA

  • Most of the Flames’ NCAA prospects are done for the year, but Jake Boltmann and Notre Dame also earned a spot in the Frozen Four Tournament. ND will take on UND, the University of North Dakota in the first round.
  • They are also in the same bracket as Harvard, and if both sides win their respective matchups—which is a big if—they will face off for the chance to go to the final four. The tournament is similar to March Madness in that it’s one game elimination style, which makes the outcomes a lot more random than seven-game series.

QMJHL

  • Heck of a week for Ryan Francis who put up four goals and an assist for the Saint John Sea Dogs. Check his goals out here:
  • Poirier also made a really pretty play on that one in the defensive zone to not give the puck away and send the forechecker sliding. His skating ability is just phenomenal.
  • Poirier also added a goal of his own along with two assists this week. Check his out here:
  • Saint John is really heating up of late, and have finally earned a spot in the CHL’s Top 10, coming in at number 9. They’re the only CHL team with Flames prospects to have made it on the list, although Moose Jaw, Soo, and Seattle are no doubt in the hunt for a spot.
  • Yan Kuznetsov continues to be injured. Nobody is saying much, but it looks like it’s just a minor knock.
  • Cole Huckins also continues to be away from the Acadie Bathurst Titan. No timetable on his return, but the longer this drags out, the worse it looks for him.

USHL

  • The Tri-City Storm played three games this weekend, and lost two of the three. Ilya Nikolayev had a goal and three assists.
  • Arseni Sergeev was the starting netminder in the two losses, and saw his numbers dip just a touch. The odd part was he actually played the third period of the second game, but did not allow a goal against. May be an injury to the backup, but he was listed on the team sheet for game three. Something to keep an eye on as they head to the playoffs.

OHL

  • The Ottawa 67’s have struggled of late and Jack Beck had just two assists this week. They really are not a great team this year.
  • However, the Soo Greyhounds continue to put points on the scoresheet led by Rory Kerins. The forward added a goal and three more assists to bring his total up to 98 on the year. Take a look at his goal here:
  • What more even is there to say about Kerins, he has just been phenomenal.
  • Interestingly, Corey Pronman had an interesting tweet breaking down who the CHL’s top 40 players thought were the toughest players to play against were. Both Kerins and Kuznetsov earned a vote each.

AHL

  • The Stockton Heat had a mixed-bag of a week, losing twice to start the week, then putting up a massive 10–3 win to seal their spot in the Calder Cup playoffs this year. They finished the week with a 3–1 win over the San Jose Barracuda.
  • Jakob Pelletier was the star for Stockton, adding three goals and two assists. Check the goals out here:
  • Pelletier was named the AHL’s Rookie of the Week this week, and sits ninth in AHL scoring. He is also the top scorer under 21 years old, and second in the rookie scoring race in the league.
  • Connor Zary has also really come alive, adding three big goals for the Heat. Take a look at two of them here:
  • He started off slow, but has really been dynamic of late.
  • Of course, Matthew Phillips has continued to dominate for Stockton, adding another four goals and three assists for the Heat. Check out three of his goals here:
  • That last goal was his 150th in the league, and helped him tie Keny Agostino for the Heat record for most points in a season with 57.
  • At some point, the Flames need to see what he can do at the NHL level. He quite simply is too good for this league. He’s sixth in league scoring right now.
  • The Heat also got Adam Ruzicka back from the big club this week, and he added two more assists to his already huge point totals. His NHLe is now over 50, ths highest in the prospect system.
  • Other Heat who had multiple point weeks were Luke Philp (4 assists), Eetu Tuulola (2 assists), Connor Mackey (2 assists), Colton Poolman, (3 assists), Justin Kirkland (2 goals), and Martin Pospisil (1 goal, 1 assist). Pospisil is back from injury, which is great for the Heat as they prep for the playoffs.
  • In net, the Heat said goodbye to Michael McNiven, who was sent to Ottawa for future considerations. He did not play at all.
  • Finally, Dustin Wolf picked up two wins and a loss this week. He’s fourth in AHL save percentage and has three assists so far this season, which is a Heat record.
  • Fun fact, former Flame Louis Domingue is currently the top goalie in the AHL.

Swedish hockey

  • Slow week for the Swedes with both Lucas Feuk and WIlliam Stromgren each recording one assist in their respective leagues. Stromgren also did not earn another SHL look this week.

ECHL

  • Chechelev picked up a win for the Kansas City Mavericks this week, and made a few big saves including this one. His numbers continue to inch upwards.

WHL

  • One assist for Cole Jordan this week as he plays as the Moose Jaw Warriors’ sixth defenceman. This season is mostly a write-off for him, as he has battled illness and injury this year. Expect him to come back strongly next year.
  • Lucas Ciona is injured this week.

NHLe Leaderboard

NHLe is a metric used to estimate a player’s offensive output at the NHL level from their point totals in their respective league. Here are the Flames’ current top 5 (bracketed numbers denote movement from the previous week)

  1. Adam Ruzicka (AHL) 51.4 (Same)
  2. Matthew Phillips(AHL): 45.4 (Same)
  3. Rory Kerins (OHL): 44.8 (Same)
  4. Jakob Pelletier (AHL) 41.4 (+1)
  5. Glenn Gawdin (AHL): 35.1 (-1)

Overall regular season totals for all Flames prospects

Forwards

PlayerPositionGPGAPP/GPPIMNHLeTeamLeague
Jack BeckLW/RW241616321.21031.5Ottawa 67’sOHL
Lucas CionaLW491715320.77716.1Seattle ThunderbirdsWHL
Matthew CoronatoRW331817351.11424.3Harvard CrimsonsNCAA
Walker DuehrRW44910190.42217.1Stockton HeatAHL
Mathias Emilio PettersenC/LW46811190.41616.7Stockton HeatAHL
Lucas FeukC/W101120.20N/AVasterviks IKHockeyAllsvenskan
C/W271114250.914N/AVasby IKHockeyEttan
C/W50220.40N/ANybro IFHockeyEttan
Ryan FrancisRW/C4000000Stockton HeatAHL
RW/C361428421.22826.5St John Sea DogsQMJHL
Glenn GawdinC/RW501231430.96535.1Stockton HeatAHL
Cole HuckinsC281213250.95120.7Acadie Bathurst TitansQMJHL
Rory KerinsC/LW583662981.72844.8Soo GreyhoundsOHL
Justin KirklandC/W511518330.66525.5Stockton HeatAHL
Demetrios KoumontzisLW2347110.518N/AArizona State Sun DevilsNCAA
Mitchell MattsonC231230.1163.5Michigan State SpartansNCAA
Ilya Nikolayev C461839571.26127.4Tri-City StormUSHL
Josh NodlerC/RW3678150.4411.5Michigan State SpartansNCAA
Jakob PelletierC/LW522528531.01841.4Stockton HeatAHL
Matthew PhillipsC/RW502532571.11245.4Stockton HeatAHL
Luke PhilpC/RW511817350.71027.9Stockton HeatAHL
Martin PospisilC/W33710170.55921.1Stockton HeatAHL
Adam RuzickaC15108181.3251.4Stockton HeatAHL
William StromgrenLW441323360.718N/ARogle BK J20J20 Nationell
LW11233.00N/ARogle BKChampions HL
LW6000000Rogle BKSHL
Eetu TuulolaRW46119200.44017.5Stockton HeatAHL
Connor ZaryC41811190.52819.1Stockton HeatAHL
Dmitri ZavgorodniyW/C90110.144.3Stockton HeatAHL
W/C100330019.8HC SochiKHL

Defencemen

PlayerPositionGPGAPP/GPPIMNHLeTeamLeague
Jake BoltmannRHD38112130.4289.6Notre DameNCAA
Cole JordanLHD281670.2305.9Moose Jaw WarriorsWHL
Johannes KinnvallRHD130770.6021.5Stockton HeatAHL
Yan KuznetsovLHD12000000Stockton HeatAHL
LHD192680.4810.2St John Sea DogsQMJHL
Connor MackeyLHD50528330.77726.7Stockton HeatAHL
Jeremie PoirierLHD491235471.03422.4St. John Sea DogsQMJHL
Colton PoolmanLHD47010100.2168.8Stockton HeatAHL
Ilya SolovyovLHD433360.1165.6Stockton HeatAHL
Cameron WhynotLHD41413170.4469.5Halifax MooseheadsQMJHL

Goalies

PlayerPositionGPGAASV%RecordSOTeamLeague
Daniil ChechelevG283.520.89712-10-51Kansas City MavericksECHL
Tyler ParsonsG0000-0-00Stockton HeatAHL
Arseni SergeevG341.930.92325-6-16Tri-City StormUSHL
Dustin WolfG372.340.92428-5-30Stockton HeatAHL

Want to know more?

Still want to know more about the Flames prospects? Check out our interviews with a number of prospects down below:

Yan Kuznetsov

Ilya Solovyov

Dustin Wolf

Jeremie Poirier

Ryan Francis

Matthew Phillips

Demetrios Koumontzis

Jake Boltmann

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

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