FlamesNation prospect update: comings and goings
By Ryan Pike
3 years agoWe’re nearing the end of many seasons, but a lot of Calgary Flames’ most interesting and exciting prospects still have important games left to play. Heck, there’s also been a fair amount of prospect news!
Let’s check in on all the Flames’ prospects!
In case you missed it:
- Last week’s update
- Done for the season are Jake Boltmann (NCAA), Daniil Chechelev (MHL), Demetrios Koumontzis (NCAA), Mitchell Mattson (NCAA), Josh Nodler (NCAA), Ilya Solovyov (KHL) and Filip Sveningsson (HockeyAllsvenskan)
- Tyler Parsons is still working through quarantine after recovering from his injury and is expected to join Stockton soon
- Josh Nodler and Mitchell Mattson were both named to Big Ten’s All-Academic Team
- Yan Kuznetsov signed his entry level deal and will report to Stockton to begin his pro career
- Dustin Wolf was named the WHL’s goaltender of the week for the second straight week
Lucas Feuk- LW, AIK, Allsvenskan/J20 Nationell / Kalix HC, HockeyEttan
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Allsvenskan up to date | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2.33 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
| HockeyEttan up to date | 18 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 13 | 17 | 13 | n/a |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
| J20 up to date | 8 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 19.78 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
Kalix advanced to HockeyEttan’s playoffs, where they’ll play Boden HF in the first round. Feuk didn’t dress for the last two games of their play-in series and while information is scant on Sweden’s third league, it’s likely he was dealing with an injury of some kind that kept him out.
Ryan Francis- C, Cape Breton Eagles/Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 24 | 11 | 25 | 36 | 21 | 26 | 15 | 34.93 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | -1.67 |
With Yan Kuznetsov signed, Francis immediately moves to the front of the line for the Flames in terms of who likely gets signed next. Francis had a very Francis week, in that he was pointless in two games but reportedly played well, then rattled off three assists in a single game for Saint John.
He does some of his best work with puck retrieval and quick passes from below the goal line right into the home plate area. He’s 11th in the QMJHL in points.
Glenn Gawdin- C, Stockton Heat, AHL / EHC Visp, Swiss League
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| AHL up to date | 14 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 28.47 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | +3.11 |
| Swiss League up to date | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
A two point game for Gawdin nudged him into point-per-game territory for the week. He remains one of the Heat’s most important 200-foot players and arguably their best centre right now.
Rory Kerins- C, Stockton Heat, AHL / Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, OHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Change from last week | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a |
Kerins only played once this week for a depleted Heat club, who leaned on their AHL signings hard. But remember: he’s 18, he’s playing against grown men, and the value for his development right now is being able to regularly practice with guys who are knocking on the door for NHL gigs. It’s not that big of a deal that he’s not playing a lot of games.
Johannes Kinnvall- D, HV71, SHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 32 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 33.60 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -3.48 |
The good news: Kinnvall has returned from injury!
The bad news: HV71 is going to finish their season as the worst team in the SHL standings. They’ll play the winner of the HockeyAllsvenskan playoffs in a little bit, with the winner getting an SHL spot and the loser going to the second league.
It’s possible that Kinnvall could come to Calgary to play for Stockton when that series is over, but the timing could be complicated by the visa process and quarantine regulations.
Justin Kirkland- LW, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 16 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 17.44 |
| Change from last week | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1.16 |
Kirkland is nursing a lower body injury.
Carl-Johan Lerby- D, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 16 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 14.94 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | -0.39 |
In his first North American games, Lerby has become quite consistent. He’s good for an assist per week and he’s playing pretty decent two-way hockey.
Connor Mackey- D, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 18 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 24.35 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | +8.41 |
Quietly, Mackey has found another gear offensively in his rookie pro season. He had points in every game this week and has really used his skating to open up a lot of different looks for his teammates.
Ilya Nikolayev- C, Buran Voronezh, VHL / Loko Yaroslavl, MHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| VHL up to date | 37 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 11.27 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
| MHL up to date | 21 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 14 | 18.27 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
Loko has advanced to the MHL’s conference final round, where they’ll play against Irbis Kazan. Nikolayev hasn’t gotten a ton of offense, but he’s been a useful face-off ace for the club in a secondary role. He’s basically his team’s Mikael Backlund for the playoffs – not playing a ton, but getting match-ups and key face-offs.
Jakob Pelletier- LW, Val-d’Or Foreurs, QMJHL / Team Canada, WJC
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 26 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 26 | 27 | 20 | 35.83 |
| Change from last week | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | +2.84 |
Pelletier continues to chug along in the QMJHL. He’s the captain of one of the league’s top teams and he finds ways to hit the scoresheet in basically every game. He had a five-point game this week and is tied for seventh in the QMJHL in scoring – not bad when you consider he missed two months due to the World Junior camp and tournament.
Emilio Pettersen- LW, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 17 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 23.44 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -5.03 |
Pettersen’s going through a bit of a dry spell offensively.
Matthew Phillips- C/RW, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 18 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 8 | 35.42 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -4.43 |
Like Pettersen, Phillips is going through an offensive dry spell.
Luke Philp- C/RW, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 18 | 7 | 8 | 15 | 9 | 11 | 7 | 33.21 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -1.33 |
Philp scored a pair of goals this week and has helpfully found his offensive mojo while some of his teammates have been fighting the puck a bit.
Jeremie Poirier- D, Saint John Sea Dogs, QMJHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 24 | 7 | 20 | 27 | 17 | 20 | 11 | 26.20 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 2 | +1.80 |
Poirier has gotten into a nice offensive groove lately, finding ways to get points in basically every game.
He’s seventh in the QMJHL among defensemen in points.
Colton Poolman- D, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9.96 |
| Change from last week | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | +1.99 |
Poolman has returned from his injury and scored his first professional goal this past week.
Martin Pospisil- LW, Stockton Heat, AHL / HC Kosice, Tipsport Liga
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| AHL up to date | 14 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 31.31 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
| Liga up to date | 22 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 9 | 13 | 8 | n/a |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
Pospisil will miss the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery. He also dealt with a nasty-looking knee injury, so he’s had some bad luck in that department.
Adam Ruzicka- C, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 18 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 37.64 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | +0.44 |
Second-year pro Ruzicka has found his consistency offensively this season, as he’s still among the team’s offensive leaders in most categories. If this is the real Ruzicka, he could be a big asset to the NHL club before too long.
Eetu Tuulola- RW, Stockton Heat, AHL / Vasterviks IK, HockeyAllsvenskan / SaiPa, SM-Liiga
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| AHL up to date | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 9.38 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | +0.84 |
| Allsvenskan up to date | 11 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8.88 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
| Liiga up to date | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
Tuulola notched an assist playing in a secondary role for the Heat.
Alexander Yelesin- D, Stockton Heat, AHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| Up to date | 17 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9.38 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2.01 |
Moved up to the top pairing with Michael Stone and Alex Petrovic with the Flames, Yelesin didn’t really hit the scoresheet very much.
Connor Zary- LW, Stockton Heat, AHL / Kamloops Blazers, WHL / Team Canada, WJC
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| AHL up to date | 9 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 31.00 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
| WHL up to date | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 49.53 |
| Change from last week | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 2 | +49.53 |
Zary finally began his WHL season and did so with style. He had a game with three assists, then in the other game he had a fight and a shorthanded goal to send it to overtime. Kamloops won both games. Their schedule third game this week was postponed due to a positive COVID test among Kelowna’s staff.
Dmitry Zavgorodniy- RW, Stockton Heat, AHL / SKA St. Petersburg, KHL
| GP | G | A | P | 5v5 P | P1 | 5v5 P1 | NHLe | |
| AHL up to date | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Change from last week | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | n/a |
| KHL up to date | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 32.88 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | n/a |
Zavgorodniy has the worst puck luck I’ve ever seen. When you watch Stockton games on AHL TV, you’ll see #17 zipping around and making nice plays with the puck. Unfortunately, nothing is going in for him or his linemates this season.
Dustin Wolf- G, Stockton Heat, AHL / Everett Silvertips, WHL / Team USA, WJC
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| AHL up to date | 3 | 148 | 0.895 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – |
| WHL up to date | 4 | 244 | 0.991 |
| Change from last week | 2 | 124 | -0.009 |
Wolf crashed down to Earth this week, allowing a goal in his fourth game. He set a new Everett Silvertips shutout streak record and has won all four games that he’s started so far. His goals against average sky-rocketed to 0.25 and his save percentage plummeted to 0.991.
He remains one of the top amateur goaltenders in the world. (And there are a lot of goaltenders in the world.)
Artyom Zagidulin- G, Stockton Heat, AHL / Metallurg Magnitigorsk, KHL
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| AHL up to date | 5 | 298 | 0.912 |
| Change from last week | 2 | +117 | +0.004 |
| KHL up to date | 5 | 226 | 0.869 |
| Change from last week | – | – | – |
Returning from a spell on Calgary’s taxi squad, Zagidulin started twice and notched a win and a loss. He’s giving Stockton a chance to win on most nights.
Recent articles from Ryan Pike
