There are certain tools in a player’s toolbox that make them stand out to potential employers. That goes doubly when they are undrafted because they really need to stand out in a crowd. Luckily, there are few who stand out in a crowd quite Adam Klapka.

Adam Klapka is tall. 

Adam Klapka is skilled.

Adam Klapka will not back down from Tom Wilson.

Does the man have it all? Reddit User Pandabumone, this is your 15 Minutes of Flame.

So, who is Adam Klapka? Born in Czechia, Klapka played in the USHL and the Czech Extraliga on his way to signing a deal with the Flames in May of 2022. He was 21 years old. He has predominantly played in the AHL since then having dressed for 6 NHL games in the 2023-24 season and 8 (so far) in the 2024-25 season. He is a solid contributor at the AHL level scoring at nearly a point-per-game pace this season.

He is an interesting player, for such a big frame he brings physicality but is not a frequent flyer in the penalty box, he fights but not consistently, nor is he particularly punishing to play against. His skating and stick-handling can show flashes of the finesse of a skilled player and yet when push comes to shove … or cross-check…  he has no problem putting a Man-Beast like Tom Wilson down.

It isn’t hard to see why the team took a chance on him. He has a smattering of attributes that make undrafted players attractive, not the least of which is his size. The part of that that gives his onlookers pause is he is caught between those styles of play and has yet to fully commit to being a physical and skilled player. The type of player that could be such a difference maker on any team.

Pandabumone describes this as Klapka’s do or die moment for making an NHL career. He is 24 years old and hasn’t cracked 15 NHL games so the concern there is how much growth is left and how many more games does he get before he is relegated to being a once-in-a-while call-up? It seems unfair to put pressure on a player who hasn’t had that many opportunities to show what he could be. However, the other side of that story is: how often has Klapka forced the issue and given the management no choice but to put him in the line-up? Consider that if he was a smaller player (with obvious untapped skill) the cries of outrage would have been to put him higher in the lineup and give him a shot with more accomplished line-mates.

After his roughhousing with Wilson, Klapka had a fairly quiet game but remained in the line-up a few nights later against the Anaheim Ducks. He was the beneficiary of a late scratching of Andrei Kuzmenko (not to mention a chat with Jarome Iginla) and played on a line with Yegor Sharangovich and Martin Pospisil. He made the most of the opportunity and displayed a dazzling and patient move to score his first goal since April of last season. That was a player making a statement that he deserves to be in this league. That was a player giving management no choice but to play him in the next game.

However, life and hockey are all about consistency and Klapka’s been a consistent minor-league standout. What does he need to show on a nightly basis to stay with the Flames?

Compare him to Calgarian, and fellow giant, Matt Rempe, who is younger and has played quite a few more NHL games. Rempe is not a regular in the Rangers’ lineup but he has carved himself out a niche as a new-age enforcer. Rempe is a fan favourite and will get more chances to join the fray due to the theatre he brings with him. When Klapka isn’t throwing his weight around or showing off his skill he generally isn’t fighting. He will defend himself and stand up for his teammates but he isn’t a pugilist or prized fighter like Rempe. That’s not how he wants to punch his ticket.

Okay, so let’s compare him to another big guy, former Calgary Flame and close friend of Johnny Gaudreau, Buddy Robinson. Robinson, undrafted, would sign an entry-level contract at the age of 22 and go on to relative success in the AHL while never really cracking the NHL full-time. He could be physically imposing but didn’t serve many penalties and didn’t fight all that much. Sound familiar? Robinson would continue to find NHL opportunities over the course of his career because no matter the results he would always have his size, however, he never did find a lasting role on any team.

In a perfect world, Klapka would surpass both Rempe and Robinson and create a bottom six role for himself where he crashes and bangs and is dangerous enough to contribute. He wouldn’t need to become a fighter but could act as a bit of a nuclear deterrent on the ice. Strong enough to knock them down but slick enough to score if underestimated.

The reality is that that may never happen for him. So he might have to make a choice about who Adam Klapka is in the NHL and leave who he was in the AHL behind.