Flames select Matthew Coronato at 13th overall
By Ryan Pike
2 years agoThe Calgary Flames have made their first round selection at the 2021 NHL Draft. With the 13th overall pick, the Flames have selected forward Matthew Coronato.
A product of scenic Long Island, Coronato is a November 2002 born player who shoots right and plays the wing – primarily the left side. (He can play centre and the right side, too, but he’s usually on his off-wing.) He’s played two seasons for the United States Hockey League’s powerhouse Chicago Steel, with his 2020-21 stat line being a bit eye-popping with 48 goals (and 37 points) in 51 games.
Coronato is 5’11” and 185 pounds. He’ll fill out a bit in school; he’s committed to Harvard University for the fall. He’s not only great at hockey, but he’s also wicked smart, too. He’s also been nicknamed “The Bison” for his willingness to bowl his way into the dirty areas of the ice and retrieve pucks.
Here’s how FC Hockey’s Dylan Galloway described Coronato’s game at one juncture last season:
Coronato plays a very fast skilled style of game that seems to quit. His motor from puck drop to the final horn is remarkable, though at times I’d like to see Coronato slow his game down a bit. At times he can put his head down and not be scanning his options with the puck as well as you’d hope. He works himself into a high-pressure area but then throws the puck into open ice hoping to find a teammate. When this works it can be really effective at advancing the puck towards the net for his team. Other times though it becomes a turnover because there were no teammates in the open ice and the puck is snapped up easily by an opponent. This isn’t all the time though and in general though Coronato displays excellent vision and owns a quick accurate pass. The puck comes off his stick really quickly and he can one-touch his passes through some tight seams really opening up the ice for his team. His transition game is really excellent, quickly and efficiently transporting the puck for his team and often gaining the zone with control through the centre lanes. With the puck, Coronato has quick explosive strides, with a solid stride recovery time.
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