After a season in which the Calgary Flames acquired a handful of new prospects, it’s time to look at an updated depth chart at each position in the prospect pool. After a couple years of going all-in and some rather disappointing draft classes, the Flames are finally starting to build up their young talent again as they look to the future.
That said, there are still some glaring weak spots that the organization will need to fill with their numerous draft picks over the next three years. Let’s take a deeper look at some of those weak points as well as some areas of strength.
Winger
Without a doubt, the Flames’ group of wing prospects is the strongest and deepest group in the organization. After making some strong picks in the first round, as well as some good bets in the later rounds, the Flames have quietly built up a strong—albeit unspectacular—core of young wingers.
| Player | Handedness | Age | Current League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Zary | Left | 22 | NHL |
| Matthew Coronato | Right | 21 | AHL/NHL |
| Jakob Pelletier | Left | 23 | NHL |
| William Stromgren | Left | 20 | AHL |
| Lucas Ciona | Left | 21 | AHL |
| Samuel Honzek | Left | 19 | WHL |
| Aydar Suniev | Left | 19 | NCAA |
| Parker Bell | Left | 20 | WHL |
As is the case with the Flames prospect pool as a whole, their winger group is very much a case of quantity instead of quality. That’s not to say there aren’t some solid players here; it’s just that there is no blue-chip prospect or A-grade prospect in this group. There’s a plethora of solid B to B+ prospects but no truly elite options.
The group is headlined by Matt Coronato, who probably has the highest ceiling of the bunch. He’s absolutely torn up the AHL in his first year of pro hockey to the tune of 42 points in 40 games. His numbers in 19 NHL games haven’t been great, but he’s still incredibly young and likely needs some more time in the AHL before he makes the full-time jump to the NHL. If things go well, he could become a legitimate top-six winger one day.
Next up is Connor Zary—who was drafted as a centre—but his results at both the AHL and NHL level have been much better on the wing. Once viewed as a 50/50 bet to make the NHL, Zary has rocketed up the Flames organizational depth chart in 2023–24 as he’s posted 29 points in 50 games in his first taste of NHL action. He’s not going to be a top-of-the-lineup player, but he looks like a real solid complimentary/second line piece for the future.
The Flames’ most recent first-rounder—Samuel Honzek—has quietly had a very disappointing D+1 season. Honzek currently sits with just 27 points in 28 games in the WHL, a significant and worrying drop-off in production from last season. He’s dealt with some injuries, but it’s never a good sign to see a first-round pick go backwards in the WHL. Regardless, it’s still incredibly early, and he has the talent and skill to be an impact NHL player if everything goes right.
Lastly, Jakob Pelletier looked set for a big sophomore season before a serious shoulder injury derailed it. His upside is a tad below the above three names, but his intangibles overall skillset are an intriguing combo. While he’s unlikely to be a big point producer in the NHL, he has all the makings of a real solid top-nine winger.
After the above four names, there’s quite a drop off. Aydar Suniev is the most intriguing of the bunch. He’s had a great rookie year in the NCAA, and at 6’2″ with a wicked shot, he has all the makings of an NHL player, even if it’s in more of a bottom-six role. William Stromgren, Parker Bell, and Lucas Ciona all seem like longshots to become NHL players right now, although you could do worse for the six-to-eight slots on your depth chart.
Centre
At forward, the Flames’ depth at centre is a very clear weakness. Given the team had deployed veterans Elias Lindholm and Mikael Backlund for the past six years, the centre position was neglected in most drafts. This is a position that the Flames will really need to upgrade with their upcoming draft capital.
| Player | Handedness | Age | Current League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cole Schwindt | Right | 22 | AHL |
| Rory Kerins | Left | 21 | AHL |
| Riley Damiani | Right | 23 | AHL |
| Ilya Nikolayev | Left | 22 | AHL |
| Jaden Lipinski | Right | 19 | WHL |
| Cade Littler | Right | 19 | BCHL |
It’s not pretty down the middle of the ice right now. Currently, a group of average AHL players in Cole Schwindt, Rory Kerins, Riley Damiani, and Ilya Nikolayev leads the Flames’ centre pipeline as the closest players to the NHL. Schwindt is the closest of the group but has bounced up and down between the AHL and NHL this year and hasn’t shown much when given an opportunity with the big club.
Kerins and the newly acquired Damiani have both had successful stretches in their young careers, but as of right now, they’d likely both top out as fourth-line centres in the NHL—and that’s if they even make it there.
The most intriguing name on the list is the Flames’ fourth-round pick from last year, Jaden Lipinski. He’s had a real solid season in the WHL, currently leading the Vancouver Giants in scoring and nearly outpacing first-rounder Honzek. He’s still a couple years away at best, but he has some real upside, which can’t be said for most of the Flames centre prospects.
All said, it’s pretty dire right now when we look at the future of the Flames’ centre depth. This is a group that desperately needs two or three young players with upside in the near future.
Defence
Coming into the season, the Flames’ defence pipeline was a clear weakness in the organization, just like the centre group. With a couple additions through trade this season, they’ve added some much-needed depth. However, they’re still missing some high-end pieces—much like at like forward.
| Player | Handedness | Age | Current League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeremie Poirier | Left | 21 | AHL |
| Ilya Solovyov | Left | 23 | AHL |
| Artem Grushnikov | Left | 20 | AHL |
| Yan Kuznetsov | Left | 21 | AHL |
| Hunter Brzustewicz | Right | 19 | OHL |
| Etienne Morin | Left | 19 | QMJHL |
| Joni Jurmo | Left | 21 | Liiga |
The Flames’ pipeline on defence starts with Jeremie Poirier. Poirier was set for a huge year in the AHL in 2023–24 before going down with a major injury just four games into the season. That said, he’s since returned this month and currently sits with 10 points in just nine games on the year. There will always be questions about his defence until he proves he can play in the NHL, but he has all the makings of a potential power play quarterback and second-pairing defender in the NHL one day.
The newly acquired Hunter Brzustewicz is a massive addition to the pipeline and is currently tearing up the OHL to the tune of 85 points in just 62 games in his D+1 year. He arguably carries the highest upside of any defenceman in the Flames’ pipeline and has the chance to be a real solid second-pairing defenceman at the next level—although that’s likely his ceiling.
The only other name of note here is Etienne Morin, a second-round pick of the team last year. Morin has taken a slight step back this year with 44 points in 53 games. However, he’s been playing nearly five minutes less per night this year, which has certainly had an impact on his point totals. He’s still a real intriguing prospect who is strong at both ends of the ice. Like the other two names above, he could become a second-pairing NHL defender one day—but that’s his ceiling.
After that, you have four low-upside players in Ilya Solovyov, Yan Kuznetsov, and the newly acquired Artem Grushnikov and Joni Jurmo. None of these players are locks to become NHLers, and all likely top out as bottom-pairing defenders if they do make the jump. Of the group, Grushnikov carries the most intrigue as he could become a strong shutdown defender one day.
Just like at centre and on the wing, the Flames desperately need to add some high-end talent to the backend. Even their top prospects in Poirier and Brzustewicz aren’t blue chippers and don’t project as top-pairing defencemen.
Goaltender
| Player | Age | Current League |
|---|---|---|
| Dustin Wolf | 22 | AHL |
| Arseni Sergeyev | 21 | NCAA |
Goaltending is the only position right now where you can confidently say the Flames are set for the future. Dustin Wolf is a true blue-chip prospect and one of the best goaltenders in the world outside of the NHL. There’s a strong argument he’s the best goaltending prospect in hockey. He’s done it all so far in his career, both in junior and in the AHL. The big question now is whether he can continue that success in the NHL. Given his results in the AHL thus far, it’s a strong bet he becomes a bonafide starting goalie in the NHL within the next couple years.
Even after Wolf, the Flames have an interesting prospect in Arseni Sergeyev. After winning the USHL goaltender of the year, he’s had some strong results at the college level as well. So far this season, he’s posted a .918 save percentage across 15 games. He’s not a high-end goaltending prospect, but he has a chance to become an NHL goaltender one day, which isn’t something you can say about a lot of goalies who have been drafted by the Flames over the years.
Lots of work to do
There’s no doubt that Craig Conroy and his scouting staff have a long road ahead of them to get the Flames prospect pool back to the top of the league. If the Flames hope to have a quick turnaround and get back to being competitive soon, they’ll need to find a way to start adding some elite talent at every position outside of goaltender sooner rather than later.
