Calgary Flames prospect update: a February stats rundown
By Ryan Pike
1 year agoFriends, we’re through another month in the hockey calendar and in many leagues throughout the globe, the post-season beckons. When it comes to the young up-and-comers that are the property of the Calgary Flames, a lot of them are in the midst of strong seasons or headed to the playoffs. (Some are both!)
Here’s a statistical snapshot of prospect performances in February!
Jack Beck – RW, Ottawa 67’s, OHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (168th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 9th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 34 | 6 | 30 | 36 | 26 | 22 | 16 | 103 | 28.04 |
| February | 12 | 2 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 35 | 30.90 |
Quietly, Beck has been one of the most productive players in the Flames’ system this season. He isn’t particularly big, but he’s a really reliable player in all three zones, and he consistently hits the scoresheet. The Flames need to sign him by June 1 or his rights will lapse, and it would be surprising if he didn’t get a deal. When he’s healthy, he’s quite good.
Parker Bell – LW/C, Tri-City Americans, WHL
Calgary’s fifth round pick (155th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 45 | 21 | 33 | 54 | 42 | 28 | 21 | 158 | 29.72 |
| February | 5 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 14.86 |
Bell missed eight of Tri-City’s 13 games in February, and so he had in a raw points sense his least productive month of the season. But he remains one of the better players on his team and one of the top offensive producers in the Dub. If Tri-City is going to somehow get past Seattle in the WHL playoffs, it’ll be because players like Bell have big performances.
Jake Boltmann – D, University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, NCAA/Big 10
Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 34 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 4.02 |
| February | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 4.55 |
Boltmann remains Boltmann. He’s not an especially strong offensive producer, and he’s leaned on by the Fighting Irish to be a shutdown defender.
Lucas Ciona – LW, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (173rd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 51 | 25 | 42 | 67 | 48 | 47 | 33 | 165 | 32.53 |
| February | 10 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 31 | 27.24 |
Ciona sits 21st in the WHL in points as of this writing. He’s productive, consistent, and the captain of perhaps the best hockey team in the Canadian major junior system. His team is a wagon, poised for a long playoff run (and perhaps a run at a Memorial Cup). He gives them size, physicality, and points when they need ’em.
Matt Coronato – C/RW, Harvard University Crimson, NCAA/ECAC
Calgary’s first round pick (13th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 2nd-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 29 | 19 | 14 | 33 | 30 | 18 | 16 | 125 | 26.13 |
| February | 8 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 29 | 22.96 |
Coronato’s face-off prowess has tailed off a bunch in February, but he’s otherwise continued to be excellent. He’s averaging a primary point per game, and he’s a player that’s consistently relied upon for strong play in key situations. (And he comes through most of the time.)
The Flames will make a big push to sign him as soon as his sophomore season is complete.
Walker Duehr – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Free agent signing; 19th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 41 | 15 | 11 | 26 | 25 | 14 | 13 | 92 | 25.27 |
| February | 8 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 34.87 |
Duehr had seven primary points in the AHL over eight games (which is good) early in February, then was recalled and played four NHL games at the end of the month. He was essentially in the AHL what he has been in the NHL: a up-tempo fore-checker who skates well and occasionally scores impressive goals.
Lucas Feuk – LW, Rapid City Rush, ECHL
Calgary’s fourth round pick (116th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 40 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 70 | 6.89 |
| February | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 24 | 4.59 |
Feuk had two points in the ECHL in February. This is basically what he is at this point; a depth player in hockey’s third tier. He’s shown occasional flashes that suggest he could be more, but those flashes suggest maybe he’s got AHL upside, not much more.
Dennis Gilbert – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 26 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 15 | 7.66 |
| February | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Bad news: Gilbert played just one game in the AHL in February. Good news: That was because he spent eight games in the NHL. He’s been reliable, if unspectacular, as a third-pairing blueliner for the Flames.
Cole Huckins – RW, Sherbrooke Phoenix, QMJHL
Calgary’s third round pick (77th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 55 | 25 | 25 | 50 | 38 | 40 | 30 | 177 | 21.17 |
| February | 10 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 30 | 25.62 |
Huckins is one of a few 2021 draft picks that the Flames are coming up to a decision point on: they have to sign him by June 1 or lose his rights. He’s picked a good time to pick up his offensive production, as he averaged just shy of a primary five-on-five point per game, and he was one of Sherbrooke’s best players over the past month. If he can show that this is a sustainable level for him – rather than a flash of strong play that will fade – he has a decent shot at a contract.
Ben Jones – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Free agent signing; 20th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 52 | 11 | 30 | 41 | 30 | 23 | 17 | 141 | 31.42 |
| February | 11 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 30 | 21.74 |
In terms of scoring, Jones has been a power play specialist for the Wranglers. His overall production has faded a bit over the past couple months, but he’s still fairly consistent.
Cole Jordan – D, Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL
Calgary’s fifth round pick (141st overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 17 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 10.20 |
| February | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Jordan’s season is over due to injury.
Rory Kerins – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL/Rapid City Rush, ECHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (174th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 6th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| AHL season to date | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 13.28 |
| February | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ECHL season to date | 31 | 15 | 16 | 31 | 26 | 21 | 18 | 101 | 22.96 |
| February | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Kerins missed all of February due to injury.
Adam Klapka – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 41 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 63 | 11.66 |
| February | 10 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 7.97 |
Good news: Klapka scored two goals in February. Bad news: They were both power play goals, and they were his only points in February.
Demetrios Koumontzis – RW/D, Arizona State University Sun Devils, NCAA/Independent
Calgary’s fourth round pick (108th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 33 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 61 | 13.24 |
| February | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 34 | 18.20 |
A fifth-year/red-shirt senior for Arizona State, Koumontzis was shifted to the blueline after the Sun Devils lost a crapload of players to injury. He played pretty well in that role, so he’s largely been used as a blueliner since mid-to-late January. It seems unlikely that he gets an NHL deal from the Flames (or anybody else), but he’s showing a bit more promise as a blueliner than he showed as a depth forward, so maybe there’s more upside there than we originally thought.
Yan Kuznetsov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s second round pick (50th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 11th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 45 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 13 | 6 | 46 | 11.51 |
| February | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 7.25 |
Kuznetsov hasn’t been regarded as a strong offensive blueliner dating back to his selection in 2020, with scouts liking his potential as a shutdown guy. His offensive output as an AHL rookie is sporadic, and his defensive play is perfectly acceptable (so far). He’s got work to do, but it’s early days.
Cade Littler – C, Wenatchee Wild, BCHL
Calgary’s seventh round pick (219th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 44 | 23 | 28 | 51 | 34 | 26 | 19 | – | n/a |
| February | 6 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 2 | – | n/a |
Littler missed a bit of time due to a minor injury in February. He’s one of the most productive offensive players in the BCHL, which is what you would expect from a college-bound NHL-drafted player like him.
Ilya Nikolaev – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL/Rapid City Rush, ECHL
Calgary’s third round pick (88th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft; 18th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| AHL season to date | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.00 |
| February | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ECHL season to date | 31 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 16 | 16 | 10 | 77 | 18.66 |
| February | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22.96 |
Nikolaev missed the majority of this month due to injury.
Josh Nodler – C, University of Massachusetts (Amherst) Minutemen, NCAA/HE
Calgary’s fifth round pick (150th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 27 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 30 | 4.25 |
| February | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
UMass played seven games in February. Nodler dressed in only two of them. He transferred from Michigan State to UMass for this season, likely with the goal of reviving his collegiate career. It has not panned out that way.
Jakob Pelletier – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s first round pick (26th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft; 3rd-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 33 | 16 | 20 | 36 | 31 | 18 | 14 | 91 | 43.47 |
| February | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.00 |
Pelletier played one game in the AHL in February. He played 11 games in the NHL and was under consideration for the big league’s Rookie of the Month award. You might not see him in the AHL in the future.
Emilio Pettersen – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (167th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft; 14th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 44 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 31 | 28 | 25 | 93 | 33.51 |
| February | 8 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 23 | 39.85 |
Pettersen is a fascinating, occasionally frustrating player. He was scratched three games during the month but when he’s played, he’s been occasionally brilliant and occasionally… not. He’s capable of being excellent and has shown excellence at times, but consistency has been the challenge for him at the AHL level.
Matthew Phillips – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (166th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft; 7th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 47 | 26 | 30 | 56 | 45 | 33 | 28 | 129 | 47.48 |
| February | 11 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 28 | 36.23 |
We’re running out of things to say about Phillips, gang. He’s an awesome AHL player and consistently productive. His offensive productive is skewed towards special teams, though, and his size may hinder his five-on-five production at the NHL against bigger, faster, stronger opponents. (But he’s probably earned a lengthy NHL audition, probably in an organization with less forward depth.)
Jeremie Poirier – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s third round pick (72nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 8th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 50 | 5 | 28 | 33 | 15 | 15 | 9 | 133 | 26.30 |
| February | 10 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 34 | 27.90 |
Poirier was scratched once this month. When he played, he’s generally been good, though his 200-foot consistency is one of the reasons why he ended up getting scratched. He’s the polar opposite of Kuznetsov, in that he’s a superb offensive player whose defensive game needs a bit of smoothing out.
Martin Pospisil – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s fourth round pick (105th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft; 12th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 48 | 19.93 |
| February | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
Pospisil missed every game in February due to injury.
Topi Rönni – C, Tappara Tampere, Liiga/U20 SM-sarja/CHL/Finland, WJC
Calgary’s second round pick (59th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 13th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Liiga season to date | 21 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 8.82 |
| February | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 11 | 15.88 |
| CHL season to date | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| February | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
| U20 season to date | 6 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | – | 24.60 |
| February | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 16.40 |
Rönni, who dealt with injuries early in the season, was load-managed a bit in February. He only played once in the back half of the month, reportedly not due to anything in particular but mostly a desire to rotate bodies at the end of a hectic season. When he did play, he performed well, though.
Cole Schwindt – C/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Acquired in a trade with Florida; 10th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 51 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 99 | 21.10 |
| February | 11 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 13 | 14.49 |
Schwindt’s production has screened to a halt, and after being a point-per-game player (or close to it) for the first few months, his scoring has been lean in the past two months.
Ilya Solovyov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 17th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 49 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 51 | 8.95 |
| February | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 7.25 |
Solovyov is perfectly acceptable AHL depth. He plays a regular role, and he’s not amazing but he’s also not a liability.
William Strömgren – LW, Rögle BK/Brynäs IF, SHL/J20 Nationell/CHL/Sweden, WJC
Calgary’s second round pick (45th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 16th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| SHL season to date | 40 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 8.82 |
| February | 8 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6.11 |
| J20 season to date | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 47.48 |
| February | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| CHL season to date | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a |
| February | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Strömgren has bounced around Brynäs’ lineup over the past month, playing all over their top nine on the wing. His production remains fairly light, but he’s definitely carved out a larger role for himself this season than he had in Rögle a year ago.
Cameron Whynot – D, Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL
Calgary’s third round pick (89th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 46 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 48 | 13.16 |
| February | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 11.64 |
Whynot missed a few games with a minor injury. When he played, he was pretty fine, though his offensive production was clustered in a couple games. He’s another 2021 pick the Flames need to make a decision on by June 1.
Connor Zary – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s first round pick (24th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 4th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 53 | 17 | 31 | 48 | 29 | 26 | 16 | 148 | 36.09 |
| February | 11 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 31 | 21.74 |
Zary’s scoring slowed down a bit in February, as did the whole team’s, but he played a bunch, played well, and remains one of the Wranglers’ most consistent players this season.
Daniil Chechelev – G, Calgary Wranglers, AHL/Rapid City Rush, ECHL
Calgary’s fourth round pick (96th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| AHL season to date | 2 | 125 | .881 |
| February | 2 | 125 | .881 |
| ECHL season to date | 33 | 1803 | .896 |
| February | 2 | 76 | .824 |
Chechelev was called up to the AHL from Rapid City when Oscar Dansk got hurt. He played twice and was fairly decent. He’s young, he’s raw and he needs reps, but in the game he’s played you can see the flashes of brilliance that the Flames’ scouts saw in his draft year.
Arsenii Sergeev – G, University of Connecticut Huskies, NCAA/Hockey East
Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 15th-ranked prospect
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | 17 | 987 | .919 |
| February | 2 | 123 | .933 |
UConn played five games and Sergeev got two starts. He played really well in those appearances, though. He’s battling with teammate Logan Terness for starts, and their numbers are comparable… but Sergeev’s save percentage is a smidge better than Terness’.
Dustin Wolf – G, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
Calgary’s seventh round pick (214th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft; 1st-ranked prospect
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | 41 | 2400 | .928 |
| February | 9 | 514 | .926 |
Wolf played in nine of 11 Wranglers games. He went 5-3-1, and a few of the games he started turned into track meets. That’s probably more a product of the opposition than of him, though; he’s brilliant and arguably the AHL’s top goaltender this season.
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