Flames prospect update: running out of Stockton superlatives
By Ryan Pike
2 years agoFriends, we have a problem. We’re at the point in the season where the main prospect topic of conversation is the Stockton Heat. And it’s a problem because we’ve been talking about how good they’ve been – collectively and as individuals – for the entire season.
So please forgive any repetitiveness this week as we lavish praise upon the likes of Dustin Wolf, Jakob Pelletier, Matthew Phillips, Connor Mackey and their teammates.
This and that
- The playing seasons are over for F Mitchell Mattson (Michigan State), F Josh Nodler (also Michigan State), F Demetrios Koumontzis (Arizona State), D Jake Boltmann (Notre Dame) and F Matt Coronato (Harvard).
- Nodler has reportedly (a) entered the transfer portal and (b) agreed to play for UMass next season. The school cannot comment on recruitment until a letter of intent has been signed, so we’re still awaiting that rumoured move becoming official.
- Connor Mackey and Adam Ruzicka have been called up to the NHL.
Jack Beck – RW, Ottawa 67’s, OHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (168th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 33 | 19 | 21 | 40 | 23 | 34 | 20 | 32.10 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +0.32 |
Beck has been a first line fixture for the 67’s this season, when he’s been healthy, playing all three forward positions. He’s also been a really consistent scorer, ranking among the top 67’s players in goals and points despite missing a big chunk of the season. The kid can flat-out play.
Lucas Ciona – LW, Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (173rd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 50 | 17 | 15 | 32 | 20 | 24 | 14 | 15.85 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Ciona hasn’t played since Mar. 20 due to an injury. He’s listed on the WHL’s injury report as being day-to-day with an upper body injury.
Walker Duehr – RW, Stockton Heat, AHL
Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 49 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 15.45 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.01 |
Duehr’s been quiet offensively for a few weeks now. Part of it might be him sliding down the rotation a bit with the Heat getting healthier up front. Regardless, he’s been a really reliable energy winger for Stockton all season.
Lucas Feuk – LW, Västerviks IK, HockeyAllsvenskan / Nybro Vikings IF/Väsby IK, HockeyEttan
Calgary’s fourth round pick (116th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Allsvenskan up to date | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6.51 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| HockeyEttan up to date | 32 | 11 | 16 | 27 | 20 | 18 | 16 | n/a |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
The six team round robin (Klavserien) tournament that will promote a team into the second tier HockeyAllsvenskan begins on Wednesday and runs until the end of the month. The team that finishes first moves up from HockeyEttan. (Feuk’s team, Vasby, is part of the tournament.)
Ryan Francis – C, Stockton Heat, AHL / Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL
Calgary’s fifth round pick (143rd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; #8-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| AHL up to date | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| QMJHL up to date | 42 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 32 | 45 | 28 | 28.83 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | +0.76 |
Francis is currently the second line right wing for Saint John, playing behind William Dufour, an Islanders prospect currently playing out of his mind offensively – Dufour has 96 points this season. For his part, Francis has made the second unit really productive, as he’s been a pretty consistent point-and-a-half per game player over the past six-to-eight weeks.
The Flames have Francis’ NHL rights through June 1, at which point they either need to sign him or they relinquish his rights.
Glenn Gawdin – C, Stockton Heat, AHL
St. Louis’ fourth round pick (116th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft; free agent signing; #10-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 55 | 14 | 32 | 46 | 23 | 29 | 17 | 33.33 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1.16 |
Gawdin had another quiet offensive week. That said, he’s a reliable two-way player, and he’s bounced around the lineup a bit lately depending on who’s been healthy among Stockton’s centres.
Cole Huckins – LW, Acadie-Bathurst Titan, QMJHL
Calgary’s third round pick (77th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; #19-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 28 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 17 | 21 | 13 | 20.79 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Huckins remains unavailable for the Titan for undisclosed reasons.
Cole Jordan – D, Moose Jaw Warriors, WHL
Calgary’s fifth round pick (141st overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 32 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6.96 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +0.13 |
Jordan remains in a secondary role for a really stacked Warriors team this season. But he scored a power play goal, giving him points in consecutive weeks. (Yes, we’re aware that sounds like a low bar to clear, but it’s a step in a good direction.)
Rory Kerins – C, Soo Greyhounds, OHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (174th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; #18-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 63 | 40 | 67 | 107 | 59 | 82 | 53 | 44.98 |
| Change from last week | 2 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | +0.69 |
We frequently run out of superlatives to describe Kerins. He’s good. He’s really good. He consistently produces key goals and big games when the Greyhounds need them. He’s among the top scorers in all of Canadian junior hockey. He’s good.
Johannes Kinnvall – D, Stockton Heat, AHL
Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 14 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 22.77 |
| Change from last week | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +1.31 |
Kinnvall has been Stockton’s eighth defender, but he got into the lineup with Connor Mackey and Juuso Valimaki called up to Calgary. He set up a goal in a Stockton win, which could be his ticket to staying in the lineup… depending on which players stay in Calgary and which do not.
Justin Kirkland – LW, Stockton Heat, AHL
Nashville’s third round pick (62nd overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft; free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 56 | 18 | 22 | 40 | 20 | 32 | 15 | 28.47 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | +1.40 |
Kirkland has been used as a complimentary piece to a rotating cast of characters on Stockton’s second line depending on who’s been healthy and/or not with Calgary. He’s thrived in the role, particularly in terms of producing on the power play.
Yan Kuznetsov – D, Stockton Heat, AHL / Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL
Calgary’s second round pick (50th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; #15-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| AHL up to date | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| QMJHL up to date | 19 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 11.15 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Kuznetsov has been out since Mar. 9 with an injury.
Connor Mackey – D, Stockton Heat, AHL
Free agent signing; #7-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 53 | 5 | 31 | 36 | 16 | 20 | 8 | 27.07 |
| Change from last week | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.52 |
Mackey played one game and then was called up to the NHL.
Ilya Nikolaev – C, Tri-City Storm, USHL
Calgary’s third round pick (88th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 51 | 21 | 41 | 62 | 32 | 40 | 20 | 27.91 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -0.79 |
Nikolaev is a first line fixture for Tri-City this season. He’s also an overager, which somewhat taints his excellence. Roughly half of his points come on special teams, too. We’ll see what the Flames end up doing with him at the end of the season.
Jakob Pelletier – LW, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s first round pick (26th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft; #3-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 57 | 26 | 30 | 56 | 31 | 42 | 24 | 39.15 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1.44 |
A fixture on Stockton’s top line and both sides of special teams, Pelletier got his chances this week but generated just one assist. He’s still among the top rookie scorers in the entire league, so he’s doing just fine.
Emilio Pettersen – LW, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (167th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft; #11-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 50 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 16.74 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.07 |
Primarily playing in the bottom six lately, Pettersen has been chipping in points fairly consistently until this past week. Time will tell whether this is a blip or if his offense is drying up.
Matthew Phillips – RW, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (166th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft; #5-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 55 | 27 | 34 | 61 | 36 | 47 | 31 | 44.20 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -0.25 |
With his points this week, Phillips is the first Flames farm team player to score 60 or more points since Max Reinhart and Ben Street did so in 2013-14 with Abbotsford. He’s a very good AHL player.
Luke Philp – C, Stockton Heat, AHL
Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 56 | 21 | 19 | 40 | 22 | 29 | 18 | 28.47 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.86 |
Philp had just a single assist this week. His brother, Noah, signed with the Edmonton Oilers after a strong USports run.
Jérémie Poirier – D, Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL
Calgary’s third round pick (72nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; #9-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 55 | 13 | 36 | 49 | 33 | 30 | 19 | 20.75 |
| Change from last week | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -0.34 |
Poirier was held out of a game this weekend with an illness or minor injury, but returned for the final game of the weekend. He’s quieted down offensively over the past few weeks, but he remains one of the top producing defenders in the QMJHL.
Colton Poolman – D, Stockton Heat, AHL
Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 52 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 8.43 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.52 |
Poolman’s been used as Stockton’s utility defender lately, playing with whoever is around depending on recalls or injuries. He didn’t get any points this week, but he doesn’t get many points most weeks.
Martin Pospisil – C, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s fourth round pick (105th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft; #16-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 37 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 11 | 17 | 9 | 21.54 |
| Change from last week | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -0.09 |
Pospisil had an assist and was held out of a game, we’re hearing due to a minor non-COVID illness. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: if this kid can stay healthy (or have better injury luck), he has the raw tools to get to the NHL.
Adam Ruzicka – C, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s fourth round pick (109th overall) in the 2017 NHL Draft; #6-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 16 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 49.82 |
| Change from last week | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | +2.00 |
Ruzicka missed a game due to a non-COVID illness. Then he played for the first time in almost two weeks, scoring a goal and setting one up. Then he was called back up to the NHL. All-in-all, an eventful week for him.
Ilya Solovyov – D, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; #20-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 46 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6.06 |
| Change from last week | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +0.63 |
Solovyov, Stockton’s seventh defender, slotted in when Mackey was called up. He got an assist, so that’s something, but he’s still a depth piece at this point.
William Strömgren – LW, Rögle BK, J20 Nationell/CHL/SHL / IF Björklöven, HockeyAllsvenskan
Calgary’s second round pick (45th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; #13-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| SHL up to date | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| J20 up to date | 44 | 13 | 23 | 36 | 17 | 25 | 13 | 12.95 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| CHL up to date | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | n/a |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Stromgren has helped Rogle get to the final four of the J20 playoffs, which become single elimination now (after being best-of-three series to this point). They play Djurgardens on Saturday, with the championship and bronze medal games taking place on Sunday.
Eetu Tuulola – RW, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s sixth round pick (156th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 51 | 13 | 10 | 23 | 16 | 19 | 14 | 17.97 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +0.53 |
Tuulola did this week what Tuulola tends to do: he potted a pair of goals in one game, then was fairly quiet for the rest of the week. He’s got some talent, but it comes in flashes rather than a consistent beam.
Cameron Whynot – D, Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL
Calgary’s third round pick (89th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 43 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 9.21 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Whynot missed Halifax’s games this week with an unspecified injury.
Connor Zary – C, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s first round pick (24th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; #2-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 46 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 15 | 19 | 14 | 19.93 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | +0.47 |
Zary had a pair of goals this week. While he hasn’t had the type of freshman season that Pelletier or Dustin Wolf have enjoyed, he’s gradually bounced back from some early injury troubles and is finding some consistency in his offensive output.
Dmitry Zavgorodniy – RW, Stockton Heat, AHL / HC Sochi, KHL
Calgary’s seventh round pick (198th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| AHL up to date | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3.99 |
| Change from last week | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -0.44 |
| KHL up to date | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19.78 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Zavgorodniy played on the fourth line once, getting his first game action in a few weeks.
Daniil Chechelev – G, Stockton Heat, AHL / Kansas City Mavericks, ECHL
Calgary’s fourth round pick (96th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Up to date | 29 | 1657 | .897 |
| Change from last week | 1 | 56 | n/a |
Chechelev has settled in as backup to Matt Greenfield lately. He allowed three goals in a 3-1 loss in his lone start this week.
Arsenii Sergeev – G, Tri-City Storm, USHL
Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Up to date | 36 | 2048 | .922 |
| Change from last week | 1 | 60 | -.002 |
Sergeev played once, getting a win. His numbers are coming down to earth lately, but he’s still the runaway leader in all USHL goaltending categories.
Adam Werner – G, Stockton Heat, AHL
Colorado’s fifth round pick (131st overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft; free agent signing
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Up to date | 18 | 1006 | .880 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – |
Werner dressed for three games as Dustin Wolf’s back-up.
Dustin Wolf – G, Stockton Heat, AHL
Calgary’s seventh round pick (214th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; #4-ranked prospect
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Up to date | 41 | 2446 | .927 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 179 | +.002 |
Wolf started all three games and won two of them, allowing just four goals in the entire week. That’s pretty good. Wolf remains one of the top goaltenders in the entire AHL, though he has yet to register a shutout this season.
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