For our third player in our annual The Win Column Calgary Flames Prospect Rankings, we get a chance to look at Aydar Suniev. The 2023 draft selection has seen some solid production and brings good potential to the table. Let’s take a deeper look.
Suniev’s development so far
With the 80th overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the Flames took a chance on Suniev. Suniev was coming off of a dominant year in the BCHL. Before getting there, he left his home country of Russia to play in North America. He spent some time in multiple different lower-level Canadian junior leagues. He then debuted for the Penticton Vees of the BCHL in 2021–22. Then in 17 games, he had nine goals and 20 points. The playoffs were also good for him as he became a depth piece for the winning team.
Suniev would spend the entirety of the next season in the BCHL with the Vees. There he had a 45-goal and 45-assist statline for 90 points in 50 games. He added an additional nine goals and 23 points in 15 playoff games. The Vees and he went on to win the BCHL championship two years in a row. Suniev also earned the honours of the All-Rookie and first All-Star team as well as the most goals in the league.
The NCAA was the next step and Suniev committed to the University of Massachussets. With them this season, he put up a solid 12 goals and 25 points in 36 games. Nothing too crazy but something with promise for sure. He’d finish fourth on his team in scoring behind only Scott Morrow, Jack Musa, and Ryan Ufko. He also earned the honour of Rookie of the Week a few times. Suniev will likely look to continue to develop with UMass next year.
Suniev’s strengths
Suniev brings a well-rounded skillset very reminiscent of a typical power forward.
Shot
A powerful shot is important and it is something Suniev has. Suniev can settle the puck on his stick and then laser it into the back of the night. His snap and wrist shots are deadly and are a threat to goalies at any range. The one-timer he has also packs the power and accuracy. It’s the main reason he hasn’t struggled to produce at any level so far. He’s got the sense and touch of a goal scorer and let’s hope it stays as he gets to higher levels.
Passing/Puck Skills
Another set of talents that make Suniev as good and as projectable as he is. While not as good as his shooting, Suniev brings good passing and puck skills. When watching him, you will see him scan the ice for open teammates and make quick tape-to-tape passes. He knows when to pass and when not to. It’s not often he makes the flashiest pass but he gets the job done. His puck skills are also quite good. He’s strong on his feet, allowing him to have good puck protection skills. Suniev may also pull a nifty move sometimes and get himself on the highlight reel.
IQ/Physicality
Suniev is smart and you’ll rarely see him make a huge error. He knows when to pass, when to shoot, when to deke, etc. At both ends of the ice, you will see him position himself properly for the oncoming play. He thinks at a high level and can appear to be seeing the game before it happens. Suniev’s power forward-like style gives him this physical edge on his opponents. He’ll engage in puck battles, use his body for the physical advantage offensive and defensively, and throw hits among other things.
Suniev’s weaknesses
Skating
Suniev truly only has one weakness, every other part of his game has projectable traits to it. This weakness is his skating. He improved upon joining the NCAA, but it’s still a problem.
He’s got a sluggish-like stride that really kills many aspects of his skating. This includes his explosiveness and his top-end speed. Suniev isn’t incredibly slow but he never launches past opponents or makes room between him and one.
It also doesn’t help that his agility is also weak. He can’t make those sharp turns you see top-end skaters do. This gets him caught on plays as all he can really do is skate straight and if he tries to turn, he gets caught by a defender and stripped of the puck.
Many NHLers have rough skating while still being productive players. Suniev can do this with his rounded skill set but will definitely have to make some changes and adapt while he reaches higher levels.
Suniev’s next steps
Suniev is very likely headed back to university and the NCAA. Being a sophomore, Suniev should see more trust and ice with UMass. This should lead to Suniev’s production and his overall outlook improving.
There is not much to dislike about Suniev’s game. He brings power forward-like qualities while having a strong shot and good passing and puck skills. Improving his skating could go a long way for his pro career and raise his potential to be an impact player.
Next year will be another big year for Suniev and we hope to see him sign his entry-level contract by season’s end.
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