Flames recall Garnet Hathaway, add Adam Ollas Mattsson on an ATO

With Matthew Tkachuk suspended and Micheal Ferland out, the Flames had their pick of the litter for the 13th forward. They surprised no one and recalled Garnet Hathaway.

Hathaway was the safe and expected choice. In a playoff push, they’d rather go with the known quantity. The fierce winger made his name this year for his energetic and speedy play, and that’s probably what the team wants in the final stretch. At the very least, he can get some rest for regular players.

The surprising thing is that it is NOT an emergency recall. This gives the team flexibility with regards to team selection, as they can include Hathaway without someone else being injured. However, the Flames only have two regular recalls left, having burnt one already on Rasmus Andersson, who has yet to play a game at the NHL level.

But I don’t think he’s going to be sent down to the AHL anytime soon, as the farm team has found a replacement (who’s also Sweedish, to boot): 2014 sixth round pick Adam Ollas Mattsson has joined the Stockton Heat on an ATO deal.

Ollas Mattsson played with Sweden’s Djurgardens IF this season, recording four points in a full 52 game season. He’s a big, defensive defenceman who has shown flashes of offensive skill in the past. Having failed to make the SHL playoffs by losing the play-in games, Ollas Mattsson has decided to continue his season in North America. Stockton has 11 games remaining on the season, excluding a potential playoff run.

Don’t confuse this for a permanent stay, however. His contract at Djurgardens is up, but returning to Sweden is still an option. This may just be him testing the North American waters.

There’s also the question of space in Stockton. Currently, the team has Oliver Kylington, Tyler Wotherspoon, Kenney Morrison, Keith Aulie, Kayle Doetzel, Keegan Kanzig, Brett Kulak (hurt), and Mike Kostka on the roster. I imagine they swap out Kostka or Doetzel for Ollas Mattsson, but we’ll see when he gets here.