Flames sign Adam Ruzicka to entry-level contract

Although his Sudbury Wolves were swept in the second round of the OHL playoffs, Flames prospect Adam Ruzicka probably isn’t going to be sad about it for long. The 6’4 Slovakian centre will move on to the next phase of his career, having signed an ELC with the Flames Friday.

Ruzicka was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, 109th overall. The centre saw moderate growth in his 2017-18 season, but stalled out with the Sarnia Sting in the first half of his 2018-19 season. A trade to the Sudbury Wolves reignited his career, as the centreman scored 24 goals in 31 games with his new club, becoming one of the hottest names in the OHL.

The deal goes for three years and will start rolling next season, regardless of which league he is playing in. As a 1999 birthday, he is technically eligible for the OHL, AHL, and NHL next season, though it’s unlikely he goes back to the OHL as he would take up both an overage and an import spot for whatever team he plays for. He’ll likely land in the AHL next year.

No AAV has been announced, but you can probably expect it to be in the $8-900K range. The recently signed Dmitry Zavgorodniy came in at $786K, so Ruzicka should probably get a bit more.