Samuel Honzek (finally) hits the ice: a Calgary Flames prospect update
By Ryan Pike
7 months agoBack in late June, Craig Conroy made his first draft selection as a National Hockey League general manager. He selected big-bodied Slovakian forward Samuel Honzek of the Vancouver Giants at 16th overall.
And then he had to wait until December to see Honzek play a meaningful game.
So far, it seems like Honzek was worth the wait. Honzek played three games this week. The Giants won two out of three, getting shut out on Friday and then seeing Honzek go off in the next two for five points. Honzek’s still getting his rhythm down after being injured in the NHL pre-season against Edmonton, but early returns are promising.
Let’s dive into this week’s prospect snapshot!
Parker Bell – LW/C, Tri-City Americans, WHL
20; Calgary’s fifth round pick (155th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 19 | 10 | 11 | 21 | 17 | 12 | 10 | 77 | 27.37 |
| 2022-23 | 55 | 25 | 39 | 64 | 51 | 36 | 28 | 187 | 28.82 |
Playing on Tri-City’s second line, Bell has maintained his scoring pace.
Jake Boltmann – D, University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, NCAA/Big 10
21; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0.00 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 37 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 3.69 |
Boltmann is playing a shutdown role on the third pairing. He has zero points.
Lucas Ciona – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
20; Calgary’s sixth round pick (173rd overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 11th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 18 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 19 | 4.43 |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 63 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 53 | 54 | 37 | 194 | 29.48 |
Ciona is playing bottom-six minutes, learning the AHL game as a checker.
Matt Coronato – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Calgary’s first round pick (13th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 2nd-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 14 | 8 | 10 | 18 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 48 | 51.24 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 34 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 16 | 141 | 24.31 |
21-year-old Coronato is tied for the Wranglers’ team lead in points and has played fewer games than just about everybody else on his team.
Samuel Honzek – LW/C, Vancouver Giants, WHL
18; Calgary’s first round pick (16th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 4th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 41.27 |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 43 | 23 | 33 | 56 | 40 | 36 | 26 | 134 | 32.25 |
Honzek returned to action! He played on the left side of fellow Flames draft choice Jaden Lipinski. He’ll get another weekend of games under his belt, then he’s off to Slovakia’s World Junior camp. (Playing five or six club games before heading off to a major tournament may be some sort of record.)
Axel Hurtig – D, Rögle BK, J20 Nationell/SHL
18; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| J20 season to date | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 16.85 |
| SHL season to date | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| 2022-23 (J20) | 34 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 47 | 3.82 |
Hurtig played two of Rögle’s three U20 games this weekend, missing one because he was making his SHL debut. He dressed, but didn’t play any shifts as he served as the SHL team’s seventh defender.
Ben Jones – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
24; Free agent signing; 12th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 20 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 13 | 16 | 11 | 48 | 35.87 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 71 | 17 | 37 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 21 | 202 | 30.31 |
The Wranglers may have more prominent or exciting players, but Jones is Mr. Reliable. He plays in every game situation, plays a smart, structured game, and consistently finds himself on the scoresheet.
Rory Kerins – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
20; Calgary’s sixth round pick (174th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 14th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 14 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 34 | 34.16 |
| 2022-23 (ECHL) | 38 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 31 | 25 | 21 | 117 | 22.36 |
Remember when Kerins was a healthy scratch? Neither do we. He’s really taken advantage of the opportunity he’s been given, and his play has basically made it impossible to move him out of the top six right now.
Adam Klapka – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Free agent signing; 18th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 20 | 8 | 8 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 53 | 31.88 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 60 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 103 | 16.61 |
Klapka’s been really consistently offensively this season. He’s generating shots and chances and helping his team win games. He’s scoring at nearly double the rate he was last season.
Demetrios Koumonztis – D, Idaho Steelheads, ECHL
23; Calgary’s fourth round pick (108th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0.00 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 37 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 67 | 13.28 |
Koumontzis played twice in the ECHL and registered zero points.
Yan Kuznetsov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Calgary’s second round pick (50th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 17th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 20 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 21 | 7.97 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 63 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 65 | 12.02 |
Kuznetsov isn’t really a points guy and tends to play a shutdown role. But he had a two-point game against Henderson, doubling his season production.
Jaden Lipinski – C, Vancouver Giants, WHL
18; Calgary’s fourth round pick (112th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 16th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 27 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 16 | 10 | 7 | 71 | 19.26 |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 66 | 19 | 32 | 51 | 36 | 35 | 23 | 152 | 19.14 |
So, remember when we noted – repeatedly – that Lipinski was doing his damnedest to hold the Giants together in Samuel Honzek’s absence? Well, Honzek returned to Lipinski’s line this week and Lipinski had a couple multi-point games. It’s probably reasonable to expect a bit more out of Lipinski offensively going forward now that he’s got a really good linemate.
Cade Littler – C, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, USHL / Penticton Vees, BCHL
19; Calgary’s seventh round pick (219th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| USHL season to date | 13 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 30 | 19.43 |
| BCHL season to date | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 6.56 |
| 2022-23 (BCHL) | 51 | 29 | 39 | 68 | 47 | 36 | 27 | – | 8.75 |
After debuting with the Vees last week, Littler had four points in three games this week. He’s playing on their top line and power play, and starting to build chemistry with his new team.
Brady Lyle – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
24; Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 46 | 19.96 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 51 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 124 | 24.22 |
Lyle had a couple points this week, playing mostly on the Wranglers’ third pairing (and the power play).
Etienne Morin – D, Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL
18; Calgary’s second round pick (48th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; tied for 5th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 21 | 5 | 13 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 67 | 19.96 |
| 2022-23 (QMJHL) | 67 | 21 | 51 | 72 | 47 | 34 | 21 | 213 | 25.03 |
On one hand, Morin had zero points in a pair of games on the first pairing. On the other hand, he was on the ice for a lot of Moncton goals for, and him not getting points wasn’t much of a reflection on his play.
Ilya Nikolaev – C/LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Calgary’s third round pick (88th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 9 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 17.71 |
| 2022-23 (ECHL) | 40 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 97 | 18.94 |
Nikolaev has settled into a bottom six checking role.
Emilio Pettersen – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; Calgary’s sixth round pick (167th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft; 20th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 20 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 26 | 29.89 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 61 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 35 | 35 | 29 | 118 | 28.75 |
Pettersen’s settled in on the second line for the Wranglers lately and he had a productive week, including a three-point outing on Sunday that helped the Wranglers win.
Jeremie Poirier – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
20; Calgary’s third round pick (72nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; tied for 5th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 4 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 69.74 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 69 | 9 | 32 | 41 | 20 | 21 | 13 | 172 | 23.68 |
Poirier is out indefinitely after suffering an arm laceration that required surgery.
Martin Pospisil – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; Calgary’s fourth round pick (105th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 39.85 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 20 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 48 | 19.93 |
Pospisil is in the NHL.
Topi Rönni – C, Tappara Tampere, Liiga/SM-sarja U20/CHL
18; Calgary’s second round pick (59th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft; 10th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date (Liiga) | 13 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 5.70 |
| Season to date (U20) | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 27.33 |
| Season to date (CHL) | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | n/a |
| 2022-23 (Liiga) | 22 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 8.42 |
Rönni played a couple games for Tappara’s U20 team, but remains a constant healthy scratch for the pro team of late.
Cole Schwindt – C/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Acquired in a trade with Florida; 9th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 20 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 27 | 17.93 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 70 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 118 | 18.22 |
The emergence of Kerins as an offensive producer has pushed Schwindt down the rotation a bit. On one hand, it’s allowing Schwindt to help prop up the third line and balance things out a bit, but he’s not with guys that generate a ton of offence. (Oddly enough, he had two assists this week.)
Ilya Solovyov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; 8th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 16 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 30 | 12.45 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 68 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 82 | 10.55 |
Solovyov is in the NHL.
William Strömgren – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
20; Calgary’s second round pick (45th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 19th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 18 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 12 | 4.43 |
| 2022-23 (SHL) | 45 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 8.69 |
Strömgren didn’t hit the scoresheet this week. He’s playing on the fourth line in a checking role.
Aydar Suniev – LW/C, University of Massachusetts Minutemen, NCAA/Hockey East
18; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; 13th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 13 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 30 | 14.87 |
| 2022-23 (BCHL) | 50 | 45 | 45 | 90 | 73 | 47 | 40 | – | 11.81 |
Suniev spent the week on UMass’ third line. He didn’t hit the scoresheet.
Connor Zary – LW/C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Calgary’s first round pick (24th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; tied for 5th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 6 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 15 | 66.42 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 72 | 21 | 37 | 58 | 36 | 31 | 21 | 183 | 32.10 |
Zary is currently in the NHL.
Daniil Chechelev – G, HC Vityaz Podolsk, KHL
22; Calgary’s fourth round pick (96th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | – | – | – |
| 2022-23 (ECHL) | 39 | 2135 | .892 |
Chechelev signed with Vityaz last week but hasn’t played (or dressed) yet.
Arsenii Sergeev – G, University of Connecticut Huskies, NCAA/Hockey East
20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (205th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; 15th-ranked prospect
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | 6 | 340 | .897 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 19 | 1104 | .912 |
Sergeev dressed as backup twice, but didn’t get any game action in.
Dustin Wolf – G, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; Calgary’s seventh round pick (214th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft; 1st-ranked prospect
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | 13 | 744 | .920 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 55 | 3239 | .932 |
Wolf started twice and backstopped the Wranglers to two wins in two very different games. He allowed one goal in a 2-1 win, then allowed four goals (on 47 shots) in a 7-4 win. Then he was called up to the NHL to help cover for Jacob Markstrom’s injury.
Yegor Yegorov – G, MHK Dynamo Moskva, MHL
18; Calgary’s sixth round pick (176th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | 12 | 659 | .925 |
| 2022-23 (MHL) | 15 | 786 | .915 |
Yegorov made one start, made 25 saves and backstopped MHK Dynamo to a 2-1 win. Yegorov’s posted a 6-3-1 so far in 12 appearances.
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