Calgary Flames prospect update: a March stats rundown
By Ryan Pike
1 year agoFriends, we’re at a very unique time of the year in the hockey calendar. European and college leagues are nearing the end of their playoffs. Canadian major junior is just beginning their post-season. And in pro hockey, the playoffs are still a couple of weeks away.
Amidst all of this looming change, let’s see how the Calgary Flames’ prospects did over the month of March!
Jack Beck – RW, Ottawa 67’s, OHL
19; 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 | 45 | 12 | 41 | 53 | 41 | 32 | 26 | 139 | 31.19 |
| March | 11 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 36 | 40.93 |
Beck finished off his Draft+1 season with a really tidy month of March. He’s a pretty well-rounded forward, and he scored a fair amount despite his personal shooting percentage being fairly low compared to last season’s.
Beck was held off the scoresheet in Ottawa’s 7-0 win over Oshawa in Game 1 of the playoffs.
Parker Bell – LW/C, Tri-City Americans, WHL
19; 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 | 55 | 25 | 39 | 64 | 51 | 36 | 28 | 187 | 28.82 |
| March | 10 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 29 | 24.76 |
Bell missed a few games with some minor injuries, but returned for Game 1 of the playoffs. His Draft+1 season was quite good offensively, and you get the sense that he could find even more production as he keeps developing his game (and his physical tools).
He had a goal in Tri-City’s Game 1 win over Prince George.
Jake Boltmann – D, University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, NCAA/Big 10
21; 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 | 37 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 3.69 |
| March | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
Boltmann’s sophomore season is complete. His offensive game remains fairly quiet, but his bread and butter is his defensive game. We’ll see how he continues to progress as a potential shutdown guy.
Lucas Ciona – LW, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL
20; 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 | 63 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 53 | 54 | 37 | 194 | 29.48 |
| March | 12 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 29 | 16.51 |
Ciona’s production slowed down a tad in March, but he remains captain of one of the most impressive teams in the Canadian major junior system. He was named a second team divisional all-star at season’s end.
Ciona was held off the scoresheet in Seattle’s comeback win over Kelowna in Game 1 of the playoffs.
Matt Coronato – C/RW, Harvard University Crimson, NCAA/ECAC
20; 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 | 34 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 16 | 141 | 24.31 |
| March | 5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 13.78 |
Harvard struggled to score a ton in the post-season after being quite good at it earlier in the season, which helped contribute to the end of their season. Coronato signed with the Flames after his season ended – you may have heard – but we’re waiting for him to make his big-league debut.
Walker Duehr – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
25; 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 |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Duehr spent the entire month in the NHL.
Lucas Feuk – LW, Rapid City Rush, ECHL
22; 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 | 45 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 73 | 6.12 |
| March | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0.00 |
Feuk was in and out of the lineup in March and registered just three shots on goal.
Dennis Gilbert – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
26; 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 |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Gilbert spent the month of March in the NHL. Because he wasn’t on the AHL roster as of the trade deadline, he’s not eligible to be sent back down to the minors for the remainder of the season.
Cole Huckins – RW, Sherbrooke Phoenix, QMJHL
19; 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 | 64 | 28 | 30 | 58 | 45 | 47 | 35 | 192 | 21.10 |
| March | 9 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 15 | 20.70 |
Huckins had a really solid final month of the season, and cemented himself as a strong secondary scoring option for Sherbrooke.
He was held off the scoresheet in Sherbrooke’s Game 1 win over Blainville-Boisbriand.
Ben Jones – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
24; Free agent signing; 20th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 65 | 15 | 35 | 60 | 39 | 26 | 20 | 183 | 30.66 |
| March | 13 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 42 | 27.59 |
Man, Jones is such a sneaky-good AHL player. He gets a bunch of shots per game, he creates a lot when he’s on the ice, and he’s really solid defensively. He arguably doesn’t have high-end offensive skill, but he’s such a smart player that he’s able to work well with whoever he’s playing with. (He had four points in the Wranglers’ final home game, including setting up a goal by Adam Klapka with a great bounce-pass off the boards from the neutral zone.)
Cole Jordan – D, Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL
20; 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 |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Jordan’s season is over due to injury.
Rory Kerins – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL / Rapid City Rush, ECHL
20; 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 |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ECHL season to date | 32 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 27 | 22 | 19 | 104 | 22.96 |
| March | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 22.96 |
Kerins returned from injury late in March, getting an assist.
Adam Klapka – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 54 | 12 | 11 | 23 | 16 | 14 | 9 | 94 | 16.97 |
| March | 13 | 7 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 31 | 33.72 |
Klapka’s gradually adjusted to the smaller ice and faster pace of the North American game (compared to Czech hockey), and he had a great March. He’s big and has surprisingly good skating and hands, and he seems to be figuring out how to use those tools effectively at this level. Seven goals over 13 games is flat-out impressive.
Demetrios Koumontzis – RW/D, Arizona State University Sun Devils, NCAA/Independent / Idaho Steelheads, ECHL
23; Calgary’s fourth round pick (108th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| NCAA season to date | 37 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 67 | 13.28 |
| March | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 13.65 |
| ECHL season to date | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4.59 |
| March | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 4.59 |
Koumontzis finished off his collegiate career (as a defenceman) and performed pretty well. He caught on with the Idaho Steelheads in the ECHL – a good ECHL club – and is dipping his toe into the waters of pro hockey. So far, so good.
(I’m not sure if I’d interpret Koumontzis not signing with the Flames’ ECHL team in Rapid City as anything regarding their interest in the player, as the Rush more or less run autonomously and have to manage their own budget and roster decisions for the most part.)
Yan Kuznetsov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; 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 | 57 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 61 | 13.28 |
| March | 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 15 | 19.93 |
Kuznetsov was scratched once by the Wranglers, but when’s played he’s been largely quite good. His offensive game is a work in progress, but he’s a quite solid defensive player. (And his offensive awareness and confidence is ebbing up as the season continues on.)
Cade Littler – C, Wenatchee Wild, BCHL
18; 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 | 51 | 29 | 39 | 68 | 47 | 36 | 27 | – | n/a |
| March | 7 | 6 | 11 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 8 | – | n/a |
Littler finished off his Draft+1 season as one of the top offensive producers in the BCHL. That’s great! He’s due for a bigger challenge in the NCAA in the fall.
He was held off the scoresheet in Wenatchee’s Game 1 loss to Cranbrook.
Ilya Nikolaev – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL / Rapid City Rush, ECHL
21; 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 |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ECHL season to date | 34 | 12 | 17 | 29 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 82 | 19.58 |
| March | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 22.96 |
Nikolaev returned from injury at the end of March and had one productive game – all his points were crammed into one evening.
Josh Nodler – C, University of Massachusetts (Amherst) Minutemen, NCAA/HE
21; 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 |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Nodler was scratched for UMass’ March games and his season concluded rather quietly. He’s reportedly back on the transfer portal and is eligible to play a red-shirt season since he was active during the 2020-21 COVID season, but it’s dependent on finding a team with a spot for him.
Jakob Pelletier – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; 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 |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Pelletier spent March in the NHL.
Emilio Pettersen – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; 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 | 57 | 19 | 24 | 43 | 35 | 34 | 29 | 113 | 30.06 |
| March | 13 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 19 | 18.39 |
Pettersen’s offensive production has slowed a little bit, he remains a top six fixture and somebody who’s usually around it offensively. When he’s on, he’s on. But the challenge for him is finding ways to contribute effectively when he’s not “on” offensively.
Matthew Phillips – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
24; 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 | 60 | 34 | 36 | 70 | 55 | 41 | 36 | 174 | 46.49 |
| March | 13 | 8 | 6 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 45 | 42.92 |
Phillips is one of the top offensive producers in the AHL. We’re running out of nice things to say about him. At the AHL level, at the very least, he’s really good.
Jeremie Poirier – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
20; 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 | 63 | 9 | 32 | 41 | 20 | 21 | 13 | 159 | 25.94 |
| March | 13 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 26 | 24.52 |
Poirier has established himself as a really good offensive AHL blueliner. His defensive game is coming along, and he’s formed a really effective pairing with Colton Poolman recently.
Martin Pospisil – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; 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 |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Pospisil missed every game in March due to injury.
Topi Rönni – C, Tappara Tampere, Liiga/U20 SM-sarja/CHL / Finland, WJC
18; 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 | 22 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 8.42 |
| March | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| CHL season to date | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
| U20 season to date | 7 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | – | 23.43 |
| March | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 16.40 |
Rönni was shifted primarily to the Tappara U20 team for March. The regular season ended early in the month, but he’s been really good for the U20 team in the playoffs. Tappara is currently in the SM-sarja U20 championship series. He’s among the offensive leaders in the playoffs, with 13 points through two rounds.
Kristians Rubins – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
25; Acquired in a trade with Ottawa
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 39.85 |
| March | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 39.85 |
The Flames acquired Rubins at the AHL trade deadline; he had six points in 42 games with Belleville. He’s only played twice, as the Wranglers are trying to lock up a division crown (and a first-round bye) and are rolling with the group that got them to the cusp of that accomplishment.
Cole Schwindt – C/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Acquired in a trade with Florida; 10th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 64 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 117 | 19.93 |
| March | 13 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 15.33 |
Schwindt is another secondary offensive option for the Wranglers this year. His offensive output remains a bit muted compared to earlier this season, but he seems to be starting to get his mojo back a little bit.
Ilya Solovyov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; 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 | 62 | 3 | 13 | 16 | 7 | 14 | 6 | 73 | 10.28 |
| March | 13 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 22 | 15.33 |
Solovyov has found a niche playing alongside Nick DeSimone on the Wranglers’ top pairing. He’s a really solid two-way defender, and his offensive game has come a long way from the beginning of the season.
William Strömgren – LW, Rögle BK/Brynäs IF, SHL/J20 Nationell/CHL / Sweden, WJC / Calgary Wranglers, AHL
19; 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 | 45 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 8.69 |
| March | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0.00 |
| J20 season to date | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 47.48 |
| March | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 47.48 |
| CHL season to date | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a |
| March | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Strömgren had one point in five playoff games for Brynäs, but they were relegated to the HockeyAllsvenskan for 2023-24. He signed with the Flames, and is currently with the Wranglers on an amateur try-out as he awaits his AHL debut.
Cameron Whynot – D, Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL
19; 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 | 48 | 3 | 22 | 25 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 52 | 12.13 |
| March | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0.00 |
Whynot was hampered by injuries for much of March. He missed Game 1 of Halifax’s playoff series.
Connor Zary – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; 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 | 66 | 20 | 37 | 57 | 35 | 30 | 20 | 177 | 34.42 |
| March | 13 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 29 | 27.59 |
Zary is a really consistent player, which is impressive for somebody who’s so young. He chips in offensively here and there, and even when he doesn’t get points he seems to generate chances with smart passes and good reads of defensive schemes.
Daniil Chechelev – G, Calgary Wranglers, AHL / Rapid City Rush, ECHL
22; Calgary’s fourth round pick (96th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| AHL season to date | 2 | 125 | .881 |
| March | – | – | – |
| ECHL season to date | 39 | 2135 | .892 |
| March | 6 | 332 | .875 |
Chechelev has been a solid if unspectacular ECHL goaltender for much of the season. He hasn’t been able to steal a ton of games, especially lately.
Arsenii Sergeev – G, University of Connecticut Huskies, NCAA/Hockey East
20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 15th-ranked prospect
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | 19 | 1104 | .912 |
| March | 2 | 117 | .829 |
UConn was eliminated from the playoffs. Sergeev’s freshman year is complete. He ended up playing quite a bit while battling with Logan Terness for starts.
Dustin Wolf – G, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Calgary’s seventh round pick (214th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft; 1st-ranked prospect
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | 51 | 3001 | .932 |
| March | 10 | 601 | .948 |
Wolf made 10 starts in March. He won nine of them and had three shutouts. He’s quite good, and is the best goaltender in the AHL.
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