The Wranglers are in tough right now: a Calgary Flames prospect update
By Ryan Pike
1 month agoFolks, the Calgary Flames have had a really good farm system over the past few seasons. Through some good drafting, smart development, and prudent additions of specific types of people and players, the Stockton Heat and Calgary Wranglers had two back-to-back very good seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
They haven’t had that type of runaway success in 2023-24, though they’re still likely to make the playoffs.
Since the beginning of February, the Wranglers have gone 6-8-2. It doesn’t help that they’ve missed big guns like Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, Dryden Hunt, Jakob Pelletier and Kevin Rooney, as they’re all currently with the Flames. Take five key players out of anybody’s lineup and they’ll have challenges.
When teams are hot, they often stay hot because they have different players carrying the mail offensively… or they have one player really carrying things perpetually. The Wranglers have gotten some decent offence since February began from folks like Adam Klapka (13 points in 16 games), Ben Jones (12 points in 16 games), Jonathan Aspirot (12 points in 16 games), and Coronato (11 points in 12 games). But they don’t have any point-per-game players and they’ve had challenges defensively, which has made life tough on their goaltenders.
Now that the Wranglers’ blueline group is getting healthier, though, perhaps that will change and they can get their mojo back.
Let’s dive into this week’s prospect update!
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 | 54 | 30 | 26 | 56 | 44 | 32 | 28 | 216 | 25.68 |
| 2022-23 | 55 | 25 | 39 | 64 | 51 | 36 | 28 | 187 | 28.82 |
Bell missed Tuesday’s game for unspecified reasons. However, prior to his absence, man, he’s put together a very nice season. He reached the 30 goal level for the first time in his WHL career. As the Americans wind down their season, Bell seems destined to join the Wranglers for their stretch drive.
Jake Boltmann – D, University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish, NCAA/Big 10
22; 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 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 1.82 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 37 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 3.69 |
Notre Dame has been eliminated from the post-season and Boltmann has used up his NCAA eligibility. His season, at least in college, is now over.
Hunter Brzustewicz – D, Kitchener Rangers, OHL
19; Vancouver’s third round pick (75th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Vancouver
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 62 | 12 | 73 | 85 | 42 | 59 | 30 | 130 | 36.31 |
| 2022-23 (OHL) | 68 | 6 | 51 | 57 | 32 | 31 | 21 | 110 | 22.20 |
Brzustewicz registered just one assist this week.
Lucas Ciona – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; 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 | 47 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 56 | 4.24 |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 63 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 53 | 54 | 37 | 194 | 29.48 |
Ciona remains a fixture on the Wranglers’ fourth line. He crashes. He bangs. He infrequently hits the scoresheet.
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 | 40 | 15 | 27 | 42 | 28 | 27 | 17 | 137 | 41.84 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 34 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 16 | 141 | 24.31 |
Coronato is in the NHL. He was papered to the Wranglers on trade deadline day, so he’s eligible to return to the Wranglers for the post-season.
Riley Damiani – C, Texas Stars/Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; Dallas’ fifth round pick (137th overall) in the 2018 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Dallas
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 55 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 84 | 16.67 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 59 | 13 | 18 | 31 | 24 | 18 | 14 | 87 | 20.94 |
Damiani played his first two games for the Wranglers. He registered a bunch of shots, but failed to hit the scoresheet.
Artem Grushnikov – D, Texas Stars/Calgary Wranglers, AHL
20; Dallas’ second round pick (48th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Dallas
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 50 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 50 | 3.99 |
| 2022-23 (OHL) | 65 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 116 | 6.93 |
Grushnikov has settled onto a pairing alongside Yan Kuznetsov, with Grushnikov playing a defensive role and Kuznetsov getting a bit more engaged offensively.
Samuel Honzek – LW/C, Vancouver Giants, WHL/Slovakia, WJC
19; 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 | |
| WHL season to date | 28 | 9 | 18 | 27 | 20 | 13 | 10 | 76 | 23.88 |
| WJC season to date | 5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | n/a |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 43 | 23 | 33 | 56 | 40 | 36 | 26 | 134 | 32.25 |
Honzek played just once this week, as he had to be away from the team for a mandatory exam. (The phrasing of the team’s announcement was he had to go “home,” and we’re not sure if that’s Vancouver or if that’s Slovakia.) Either way, he’s expected back shortly.
Axel Hurtig – D, Rögle BK, J20 Nationell/SHL / Kristianstads IK, HockeyEttan
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 | 25 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 10 | 6 | 50 | 14.83 |
| SHL season to date | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| HockeyEttan season to date | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | n/a |
| 2022-23 (J20) | 34 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 47 | 3.82 |
Hurtig played twice on Rögle U20’s second paring. He’s having a pretty good season, especially when you consider how much time he missed due to his shoulder surgery.
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 | 56 | 19 | 19 | 38 | 31 | 26 | 21 | 152 | 27.04 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 71 | 17 | 37 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 21 | 202 | 30.31 |
Jones has scored slightly less than he did a year ago, but he’s played every game for the Wranglers, plays in every game situation, and has provided them with really consistent, reliable play.
Joni Jurmo – D, Ilves Tampere/KooKoo Kuovola, Liiga/CHL
21; Vancouver’s third round pick (82nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Vancouver
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Liiga season to date | 46 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 63 | 4.03 |
| CHL season to date | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 8 | n/a |
| 2022-23 (Liiga) | 52 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 118 | 9.27 |
Jurmo’s been in and out of KooKoo’s lineup lately. When he plays, he’s either on the third pair or works as the seventh defender. KooKoo missed the Liiga playoffs, so we’ll see what ends up happening with Jurmo going forward.
Rory Kerins – C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; 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 | 44 | 12 | 16 | 28 | 23 | 18 | 14 | 100 | 25.36 |
| 2022-23 (ECHL) | 38 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 31 | 25 | 21 | 117 | 22.36 |
Kerins hasn’t been able to maintain the momentum he generated earlier this season, and he’s in and out of the lineup. He’s a pretty good offensive player with the right linemates, but his play away from the puck doesn’t make him suitable yet for a checking role.
Adam Klapka – RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; Free agent signing; 18th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 50 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 28 | 25 | 19 | 136 | 27.90 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 60 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 103 | 16.61 |
Klapka’s had a really nice season, building nicely on a strong second half performance in 2022-23.
Demetrios Koumonztis – D/RW, 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 | 37 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 9 | 12 | 8 | 65 | 9.93 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 37 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 67 | 13.28 |
Koumontzis was quiet offensively this week for Idaho.
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 | 52 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 78 | 9.20 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 63 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 65 | 12.02 |
Kuznetsov was quiet offensively this week.
Jaden Lipinski – C, Vancouver Giants, WHL
19; 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 | 62 | 20 | 39 | 59 | 40 | 28 | 18 | 165 | 23.57 |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 66 | 19 | 32 | 51 | 36 | 35 | 23 | 152 | 19.14 |
Lipinski has had a really effective season for the Giants. He feels like somebody who is a strong contender to be signed by the Flames, especially considering he’s a right shot centre (and the Flames don’t have many of those).
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 | 24 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 17 | 9 | 6 | – | 5.51 |
| 2022-23 (BCHL) | 51 | 29 | 39 | 68 | 47 | 36 | 27 | – | 8.75 |
Littler is injured and didn’t play this week.
Brady Lyle – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
24; Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 46 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 100 | 13.00 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 51 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 124 | 24.22 |
Lyle is injured and didn’t play this week.
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 | 52 | 11 | 33 | 44 | 29 | 18 | 12 | 169 | 19.71 |
| 2022-23 (QMJHL) | 67 | 21 | 51 | 72 | 47 | 34 | 21 | 213 | 25.03 |
Morin had three points in three games this week. There’s a bit of time left in the season and he could flirt with point-per-game status with a strong finish.
Ilya Nikolaev – C/LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; 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 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 30 | 8.86 |
| 2022-23 (ECHL) | 40 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 97 | 18.94 |
Nikolaev continues to be in and out of the Wranglers lineup.
Jakob Pelletier – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Calgary’s first round pick (26th overall); 3rd-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 4 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 29.89 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 35 | 16 | 21 | 37 | 32 | 18 | 14 | 92 | 42.13 |
Pelletier is in the NHL. He was papered to the Wranglers on trade deadline day, so he’s eligible to return to the Wranglers for the post-season.
Jeremie Poirier – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
21; 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 | 9 | 1 | 9 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 44.28 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 69 | 9 | 32 | 41 | 20 | 21 | 13 | 172 | 23.68 |
Poirier’s back, and he’s chipping in assists here and there. He has yet to have a monster offensive breakthrough game, though.
Cole Schwindt – C/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Florida’s third round pick (81st overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft; Acquired in a trade with Florida; 9th-ranked prospect
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 50 | 14 | 15 | 29 | 21 | 20 | 13 | 97 | 23.11 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 70 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 118 | 18.22 |
It feels like Schwindt has figured out what he is within the Flames/Wranglers system, and he’s found a nice rhythm to his game. Over the past few months, he’s been one of their most consistent players. (Yes, it would be nice if he scored more, but he’s about to surpass last season’s production, so that’s a plus.)
Ilya Solovyov – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
23; 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 | 38 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 76 | 10.49 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 68 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 82 | 10.55 |
Solovyov is injured.
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 | 52 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 57 | 13.03 |
| 2022-23 (SHL) | 45 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 8.69 |
In a new country, playing a new role, in a new style of hockey, and on a smaller ice surface, Strömgren has figured things out. Since Feb. 1, he has eight points and has quietly become a really reliable player for the Wranglers.
Aydar Suniev – LW/C, University of Massachusetts Minutemen, NCAA/Hockey East
19; 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 | 33 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 93 | 24.41 |
| 2022-23 (BCHL) | 50 | 45 | 45 | 90 | 73 | 47 | 40 | – | 11.81 |
Suniev wasn’t named to Hockey East’s All-Rookie Team, but he had a really strong first regular season. The playoffs begin for UMass on Saturday when they face Providence College.
Daniil Chechelev – G, HC Vityaz, KHL / Ryazan-VDV, VHL
22; Calgary’s fourth round pick (96th overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| KHL season to date | 1 | 58 | .880 |
| VHL season to date | 5 | 271 | .908 |
| 2022-23 (ECHL) | 39 | 2135 | .892 |
Chechelev’s season is complete.
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 | 14 | 816 | .915 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 19 | 1104 | .912 |
Sergeev made 25 saves in UConn’s regular season finale, a win over Vermont, on Thursday. They open the Hockey East conference tournament against Vermont on Wednesday. We’re curious to see if Sergeev or senior Ethan Haider get the start for the Huskies in the one-and-done playoff.
Dustin Wolf – G, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Calgary’s seventh round pick (214th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft; 1st-ranked prospect
| GP | TOI | SV% | |
| Season to date | 35 | 2025 | .923 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 55 | 3239 | .932 |
Wolf had a weird week. On one hand, he lost both of his AHL appearances. He hasn’t been out-and-out bad and he still ranks among the AHL’s top goaltenders in basically every statistical category, but he hasn’t been able to paper over some rough spots in the Wranglers’ defensive scheme lately. On Tuesday morning, Wolf was called up and he worked a perfect third period in a 6-2 loss to Colorado.
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 | 25 | 1319 | .917 |
| 2022-23 (MHL) | 15 | 786 | .915 |
Yegorov is currently the backup to Maxim Yeryomenko, MHK’s older, number-one goaltender. MHK is currently leading their opening round playoff series.
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