Prospect NHLE Update
By Ryan Pike
9 years agoIt’s another off-day and we’re approximately half-way through the season, so now’s as good a time as any to take a look at the Calgary Flames prospects.
So let’s take a gander at NHL Equivalents (NHLE). Basically, NHLE gives us the ability to compare player production from different leagues by approximating production using data from the past. Granted, it ain’t perfect, but it’s useful for discussion purposes.
Let’s see how everyone stacks up.
FORWARDS
In previous years, the Flames had exciting forward prospects. “Unfortunately,” a lot of those players are in the NHL right now…or injured, and a lot of Calgary’s better forward prospects are three-zone players rather than pure snipers. And then there’s Emile Poirier, who’s a sniper who is adjusting to the rigors of an AHL calendar.
| PLAYER | 13-14 | 14-15 | NOTES |
| Austin Carroll | 20.0 | 28.8 | Over a point-per-game in the Dub, but he’s older than just about everybody. |
| Morgan Klimchuk | 31.9 | 27.3 | Solid numbers. His dip may partially be due to a slow start after an injury in Flames camp. Just traded to Brandon. |
| Mark Jankowski | 23.1 | 25.8 | Decent numbers, but a bit deceptive because his totals are coming (a) in bunches and (b) against the NCAA’s lesser lights. Still projects as a two-way player. |
| Emile Poirier | 31.7 | 25.4 | Production drop from QMJHL to AHL wasn’t near as big as some feared. Drives the bus offensively on Baby Flames’ top line. |
| Michael Ferland | 26.0 | 22.8 | He played a bit in the NHL and didn’t look out of place, but Ferland’s production has translated fairly well from the WHL to the AHL. |
| Hunter Smith | 15.4 | 20.3 | Not a bad up-tick in his draft-plus-one year, though he’s older than a lot of his draft-year peers. |
| Bill Arnold | 47.8 | 19.0 | NCAA production last season deceptive, but he’s settling into a role. |
| Sven Baertschi | 25.5 | 18.9 | Production in AHL slowing a bit after a hot start. |
| Ben Hanowski | 20.3 | 16.9 | Second-year pro, his production is fairly consistent. |
| David Wolf | 35.5 | 15.5 | A dip in production, but role in AHL much different than in DEL. |
| Corban Knight | 23.2 | 14.4 | Drop is a bit worrying considering his NCAA pedigree. |
| Bryce van Brabant | 18.5 | 14.0 | He’s a complementary player, but his numbers aren’t awful for what he is. |
| Tim Harrison | 4.9 | 13.8 | Sample size is small (and he’s been a healthy scratch), but numbers are decent for his league. |
| Max Reinhart | 34.4 | 12.0 | With highly-drafted guys coming in, has been shifted to a more defensive role. |
| Turner Elson | 2.9 | 12.0 | Doesn’t have NHL-level production. |
| Garnet Hathaway | 17.4 | 11.3 | On an AHL deal, but included here just as a comparable. |
| Matt Deblouw | 5.8 | 11.2 | Struggled last season. Has been “fine” this season by most accounts. |
| Kenny Agostino | 35.0 | 7.7 | Giant drop from NCAA to the AHL for Agostino. |
| Sam Bennett | 39.3 | N/A | Injured and hasn’t played yet this season. |
DEFENDERS
Lots of interesting things here, as you have players getting adjusted to new leagues (Hickey, Culkin, Ollas Mattsson) and some players regressing a bit production-wise. Rushan Rafikov is excluded because there’s no reliable conversion from the VHL (or the MHL, for that matter).
| PLAYER | 13-14 | 14-15 | NOTES |
| Brandon Hickey | 5.9 | 19.1 | Sample size in NCAA is a big caution, but he’s producing on a good team. |
| Ryan Culkin | 17.7 | 18.8 | A rare defender whose NHLE actually improves when going to minor pro. |
| Tyler Wotherspoon | 6.8 | 16.4 | He’s been leaned on a bit more on the farm than previously, but working well. |
| Mark Cundari | 13.8 | 13.8 | At this point, he is what he is: an AHLer. |
| John Gilmour | 16.6 | 13.8 | An older player experiencing a slight down-tick. |
| John Ramage | 0.7 | 13.7 | He was not good in the AHL last year, but has improved this season. |
| Eric Roy | 16.4 | 12.3 | An overager in the Dub producing less is a bad, bad sign. I’d be shocked if he was signed at this point. |
| Keegan Kanzig | 3.1 | 8.4 | Production has doubled, from scary-low to just low. Granted, not a point-producing player at any level. |
| Sena Acolatse | 13.9 | 7.8 | He’s been hurt, so his sample size is small. Still: not great. When healthy, he’s another Mark Cundari. |
| Adam Ollas Mattsson | N/A | 4.9 | He’s been a complementary player on a decent SHL team. At 18. |
| Patrick Sieloff | N/A | 3.3 | Barely played last year. Just getting his legs under him. |
| Brett Kulak | 21.4 | N/A | Playing in the ECHL. |
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