<p>Friends, the Calgary Flames don&#8217;t have a heck of a lot of blueliners in their prospect pipeline right now. When they select in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, they very well may select a defenceman based on this organizational need.</p>
<p>If he&#8217;s available, Czech blueliner Tomas Hamara could be a really nice fit for their needs.</p>
<p></p>
<h2><strong>Scouting report</strong></h2>
<p>A product of Prague, Czechia, Hamara is a left shot defender listed at 6&#8217;0&#8243; and 185 pounds. He came up through the Sparta Praha organization, then moved from Czech junior to Finnish junior in 2018 (at the age of 14). Finnish junior is a little more highly-regarded, so the move made sense in terms of challenging him and giving him a platform to progress in hockey.</p>
<p>Working his way up through the Tappara organization, Hamara made the jump to the Finnish under-20 league (SM-sarja) as a 16-year-old in 2020-21. He increased his point production in 2021-22, and made his debut in pro hockey – first with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga, then with KeuPa HT in the secondary Mestis league. He also represented Czechia at the Under-18 Worlds, ending up named to the tournament All-Star team after accumulating eight points in six games.</p>
<p><a href="https://theleafsnation.com/2022/06/22/nick-richards-2022-nhl-draft-rankings-final-edition/">Leafs Nation&#8217;s Nick Richard detailed Hamara&#8217;s game</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p>Hamara is a solid two-way defenseman who moves well and displays composure in all three zones. He is proficient on the breakout, retrieving pucks and eluding pressure before making a clean first pass. Hamara reads the play well defensively and sticks to his checks in transition, utilizing his stick to clog up lanes and disrupt opposing rush attempts. He isn’t an offensive game-breaker but he distributes the puck well and has a decent shot from the point. His well-rounded game and ability to process the game give him a relatively safe floor as a third-pairing defender in the NHL.</p></blockquote>
<p><a href="https://nhlentrydraft.com/reports/23796/">In his scouting report from the Under-18 Worlds</a>, FC Hockey&#8217;s Miroslav Simurka provided a brief evaluation:</p>
<blockquote><p>He is a two-way defenseman who is very reliable in the defensive zone and at the defensive transition game, but he also supports the offense and flashes skills in the offensive zone.</p></blockquote>
<p>In short: Hamara seems to be precisely what the Flames need from a blueliner in their system. He&#8217;s a good puck-moving blueliner with a well-rounded games and no apparent gaping holes in his skill-set.</p>
<h2><strong>The numbers</strong></h2>
<p>Hamara had 25 points in 32 games in the SM-sarja in 2021-22, 14th among all defencemen and third among all under-18 blueliners, trailing only Kasper Kulonummi and 2024 prospect Aron Kiviharju.</p>
<p>In the Liiga, he had two points in 24 games while playing a secondary role on one of the top pro teams in Finland. He played the fourth-most games of any under-18 player, and was second among under-18 defenders in points behind only Elmeri Laakso, who&#8217;s considered a much less exciting prospect apparently.</p>
<p>He had two points in two games in Mestis, and was one of five under-18 players to register a point in that league.</p>
<p>He was tied for second in points by a defender at the Under-18 Worlds and was named to the tournament All-Star Team.</p>
<p>All things considered, Hamara had a very productive draft year. He bounced around a bit, but performed well wherever he landed.</p>
<h2><strong>Availability and fit</strong></h2>
<p>Hamara seems like a really Flamesy player, in that he plays a two-way game and has been praised for his puck-moving abilities. If he was available at 59th overall, he really seems to fit the team&#8217;s usual preferences and patterns for defenders.</p>
<p>Could he be available at 59th? Well, he&#8217;s a likely second-rounder, but there&#8217;s no guarantee he&#8217;s around at 59th. Here&#8217;s where he stacks up on the various rankings.</p>
<p>Daily Faceoff: 55th</p>
<p>Elite Propsects: 65th</p>
<p>FC Hockey: 56th</p>
<p>TSN (Bob McKenzie): 56th</p>
<p>TSN (Craig Button): 44th</p>
<p>The Athletic (Scott Wheeler): 59th</p>
<p>The Athletic (Corey Pronman): 54th</p>
<p>McKeen&#8217;s Hockey: 76th</p>
<p>Recruit Scouting: 72nd</p>
<p>Dobber Prospects: 56th</p>
<p>Draft Prospects Hockey: 73rd</p>
<p>Central Scouting (International skaters): 21st</p>
<p>Hamara <em>probably</em> falls to the general area of Calgary&#8217;s pick, but there&#8217;s no guarantees that he&#8217;s available at 59th overall. (But if he is, he&#8217;d be a really nice fit for their needs and preferences.)</p>
<h2><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637192862258000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dLuPqW6rbyceDwC6Lbc9o" data-wpel-link="internal"><strong>THIS ARTICLE BROUGHT TO YOU BY DAILYFACEOFF</strong></a></h2>
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<p>Looking to up your fantasy hockey game? DailyFaceoff has the tools you need for both daily and season-long fantasy leagues, including a lineup optimizer, daily projections, and a whole lot more. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637192862258000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dLuPqW6rbyceDwC6Lbc9o" data-wpel-link="internal">Sign up for the DailyFaceoff tools here.</a></p>
<h2><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://flamesnation.ca/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1643426444783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ZoMy36-f05a90iD5z8D6E" data-wpel-link="internal"><strong>More from FlamesNation</strong></a></h2>
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<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/06/20/blake-coleman-had-a-terrific-defensive-first-season-in-calgary-2020-21/" rel="v:url follow" data-wpel-link="internal">Blake Coleman brought a champion’s work ethic to the Calgary Flames in 2021-22</a></li>
<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/06/19/what-are-the-calgary-flames-needs-ahead-of-the-2022-nhl-draft/" rel="v:url follow" data-wpel-link="internal">What are the Calgary Flames’ needs ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/06/19/mike-kostka/" rel="v:url follow" data-wpel-link="internal">‘People couldn’t wear red jerseys into the rink’: Mike Kostka on the challenges of the Stockton Heat</a></li>
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Friends, the Calgary Flames don't have a heck of a lot of blueliners in their prospect pipeline right now. When they select in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, they very well may select a defenceman based on this organizational need.

If he's available, Czech blueliner Tomas Hamara could be a really nice fit for their needs.


<h2><strong>Scouting report</strong></h2>
A product of Prague, Czechia, Hamara is a left shot defender listed at 6'0" and 185 pounds. He came up through the Sparta Praha organization, then moved from Czech junior to Finnish junior in 2018 (at the age of 14). Finnish junior is a little more highly-regarded, so the move made sense in terms of challenging him and giving him a platform to progress in hockey.

Working his way up through the Tappara organization, Hamara made the jump to the Finnish under-20 league (SM-sarja) as a 16-year-old in 2020-21. He increased his point production in 2021-22, and made his debut in pro hockey – first with Tappara in the Finnish Liiga, then with KeuPa HT in the secondary Mestis league. He also represented Czechia at the Under-18 Worlds, ending up named to the tournament All-Star team after accumulating eight points in six games.

<a href="https://theleafsnation.com/2022/06/22/nick-richards-2022-nhl-draft-rankings-final-edition/">Leafs Nation's Nick Richard detailed Hamara's game</a>:
<blockquote>Hamara is a solid two-way defenseman who moves well and displays composure in all three zones. He is proficient on the breakout, retrieving pucks and eluding pressure before making a clean first pass. Hamara reads the play well defensively and sticks to his checks in transition, utilizing his stick to clog up lanes and disrupt opposing rush attempts. He isn’t an offensive game-breaker but he distributes the puck well and has a decent shot from the point. His well-rounded game and ability to process the game give him a relatively safe floor as a third-pairing defender in the NHL.</blockquote>
<a href="https://nhlentrydraft.com/reports/23796/">In his scouting report from the Under-18 Worlds</a>, FC Hockey's Miroslav Simurka provided a brief evaluation:
<blockquote>He is a two-way defenseman who is very reliable in the defensive zone and at the defensive transition game, but he also supports the offense and flashes skills in the offensive zone.</blockquote>
In short: Hamara seems to be precisely what the Flames need from a blueliner in their system. He's a good puck-moving blueliner with a well-rounded games and no apparent gaping holes in his skill-set.
<h2><strong>The numbers</strong></h2>
Hamara had 25 points in 32 games in the SM-sarja in 2021-22, 14th among all defencemen and third among all under-18 blueliners, trailing only Kasper Kulonummi and 2024 prospect Aron Kiviharju.

In the Liiga, he had two points in 24 games while playing a secondary role on one of the top pro teams in Finland. He played the fourth-most games of any under-18 player, and was second among under-18 defenders in points behind only Elmeri Laakso, who's considered a much less exciting prospect apparently.

He had two points in two games in Mestis, and was one of five under-18 players to register a point in that league.

He was tied for second in points by a defender at the Under-18 Worlds and was named to the tournament All-Star Team.

All things considered, Hamara had a very productive draft year. He bounced around a bit, but performed well wherever he landed.
<h2><strong>Availability and fit</strong></h2>
Hamara seems like a really Flamesy player, in that he plays a two-way game and has been praised for his puck-moving abilities. If he was available at 59th overall, he really seems to fit the team's usual preferences and patterns for defenders.

Could he be available at 59th? Well, he's a likely second-rounder, but there's no guarantee he's around at 59th. Here's where he stacks up on the various rankings.

Daily Faceoff: 55th

Elite Propsects: 65th

FC Hockey: 56th

TSN (Bob McKenzie): 56th

TSN (Craig Button): 44th

The Athletic (Scott Wheeler): 59th

The Athletic (Corey Pronman): 54th

McKeen's Hockey: 76th

Recruit Scouting: 72nd

Dobber Prospects: 56th

Draft Prospects Hockey: 73rd

Central Scouting (International skaters): 21st

Hamara <em>probably</em> falls to the general area of Calgary's pick, but there's no guarantees that he's available at 59th overall. (But if he is, he'd be a really nice fit for their needs and preferences.)
<h2><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637192862258000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dLuPqW6rbyceDwC6Lbc9o" data-wpel-link="internal"><strong>THIS ARTICLE BROUGHT TO YOU BY DAILYFACEOFF</strong></a></h2>
<img class="CToWUd a6T jetpack-lazy-image jetpack-lazy-image--handled" src="https://ci6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/6X0Dv3_3PYFPZkrLaCbWeYHXMWzAuuXH7t2JLsFB1K2CKHzv26F60yZHHLRR12FCRBsmykWDyeegP6hZLXPKs-Eh0ldWPAdIalTDjc6NK66QBuw7_5ft-rH7CN3uSSVIFr216hvo7Hon19ua7JUBjO1KV9pf7iUjZeLTRUvNVMf6EPrRW0k=s0-d-e1-ft#https://i1.wp.com/publish.oilersnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/DailyFaceoff-Fantasy-Tools.png?resize=796%2C265&amp;ssl=1" alt="" width="796" height="265" data-lazy-loaded="1" />

Looking to up your fantasy hockey game? DailyFaceoff has the tools you need for both daily and season-long fantasy leagues, including a lineup optimizer, daily projections, and a whole lot more. <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/purchase-options/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1637192862258000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3dLuPqW6rbyceDwC6Lbc9o" data-wpel-link="internal">Sign up for the DailyFaceoff tools here.</a>
<h2><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer follow" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://flamesnation.ca/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1643426444783000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ZoMy36-f05a90iD5z8D6E" data-wpel-link="internal"><strong>More from FlamesNation</strong></a></h2>
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 	<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/06/19/what-are-the-calgary-flames-needs-ahead-of-the-2022-nhl-draft/" rel="v:url follow" data-wpel-link="internal">What are the Calgary Flames’ needs ahead of the 2022 NHL Draft?</a></li>
 	<li><a href="https://flamesnation.ca/2022/06/19/mike-kostka/" rel="v:url follow" data-wpel-link="internal">‘People couldn’t wear red jerseys into the rink’: Mike Kostka on the challenges of the Stockton Heat</a></li>
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