The Wranglers scored 18 goals this week: a Calgary Flames prospect update
By Ryan Pike
8 months agoYou could be forgiven if you saw the changes to the Calgary Wranglers over the summer and thought to yourself, after two really strong seasons, “Okay, they might struggle.”
Head coach Mitch Love headed to Washington, followed by leading scorer Matthew Phillips. Jakob Pelletier got hurt in Flames training camp and Jeremie Poirier followed early in the season. Yet the Wranglers keep plugging along.
They played three games over the past week, all without reigning AHL most valuable player Dustin Wolf, who was up in the NHL with the Flames. The Wranglers won a trio of games against three different opponents (San Diego, Coachella Valley and Bakersfield) by a combined 18-7 score. 11 different Wranglers scored goals.
11 games into the season, different Wranglers have kept stepping up.
Let’s dive into our weekly 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 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 46 | 27.02 |
| 2022-23 | 55 | 25 | 39 | 64 | 51 | 36 | 28 | 187 | 28.82 |
Bell missed Tri-City’s games this week due to an upper-body injury suffered last week against Spokane after a high hit.
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 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0.00 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 37 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 3.69 |
Boltmann returned from a minor injury and settled back into his usual rhythm. He’s a shutdown defender and we’re awaiting his first point of his senior season.
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 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 3.99 |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 63 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 53 | 54 | 37 | 194 | 29.48 |
On one hand, Ciona hasn’t scored much and was a scratch once this week. On the other hand, he’s 20 and in a checking role. The adjustment from the junior ranks to the pros, even for a really good junior player like Ciona, can be tough and isn’t always smooth.
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 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 18 | 55.79 |
| 2022-23 (NCAA) | 34 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 16 | 141 | 24.31 |
If the idea behind demoting Coronato to the AHL was for him to get his offensive swagger back, consider this: he’s scoring at over a point-per-game pace, and every single point he’s scored in the AHL has been a primary point.
At 21, in the second-best league in the world, Coronato is an offensive driver.
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 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 43 | 23 | 33 | 56 | 40 | 36 | 26 | 134 | 32.25 |
Honzek remains out with an injury.
Axel Hurtig – D, Rögle BK U20, J20 Nationell
18; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 18.53 |
| 2022-23 | 34 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 47 | 3.82 |
It’s the international break in Sweden, so Hurtig didn’t play.
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 | 11 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 23 | 39.85 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 71 | 17 | 37 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 21 | 202 | 30.31 |
Jones had a bit of a quiet start offensively to the season, but he had a really impressive week. The Wranglers scored 18 goals over three games since last Wednesday: Jones had points on six of them, or one in three. When Jones is “off” his game offensively, he’s an effective two-way guy. When he’s on, he’s really good.
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 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 14 | 39.85 |
| 2022-23 (ECHL) | 38 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 31 | 25 | 21 | 117 | 22.36 |
Kerins began the season on the sidelines, primarily because he’s an offensive-minded player and putting him on the fourth line in a checking role didn’t make a ton of sense. Connor Zary and Martin Pospisil heading to the NHL opened up spots for Kerins, and he’s responded with five points in five games – including the game-winning goal against Bakersfield on Tuesday.
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 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 31 | 32.61 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 60 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 103 | 16.61 |
Klapka started the season on a point-per-game pace. He’s cooled off a bit offensively, but he’s still a consistently noticeable player and a positive contributor to the Wranglers’ success.
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 | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 7.25 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 63 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 65 | 12.02 |
Kuznetsov had a quiet offensive week, but that’s not what his game is all about anyway.
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 | 18 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 54 | 16.51 |
| 2022-23 (WHL) | 66 | 19 | 32 | 51 | 36 | 35 | 23 | 152 | 19.14 |
Lipinski is playing a big role for the Giants so far this season, but they continue to have some issues. (The absence of Samuel Honzek, their best player, from their lineup has exposed some depth issues.)
Cade Littler – C, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, USHL
19; Calgary’s seventh round pick (219th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 13 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 30 | 19.43 |
| 2022-23 (BCHL) | 51 | 29 | 39 | 68 | 47 | 36 | 27 | – | 8.75 |
Littler missed Cedar Rapids’ games this weekend with an unspecified injury.
Brady Lyle – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
24; Free agent signing
| GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
| Season to date | 11 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 27 | 18.11 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 51 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 124 | 24.22 |
Lyle’s started to find his footing offensively after a slow start to the season. He’s reliant on the power play for scoring chances, but that’s what he’s done in prior AHL stops and he’s been a pretty useful power play weapon elsewhere.
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 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 49 | 21.62 |
| 2022-23 (QMJHL) | 67 | 21 | 51 | 72 | 47 | 34 | 21 | 213 | 25.03 |
Morin is off to a somewhat quiet start offensively as the Wildcats have had some challenging weekends, but despite all this he’s still 11th among QMJHL defenders in points.
Ilya Nikolaev – C, 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 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 39.85 |
| 2022-23 (ECHL) | 40 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 97 | 18.94 |
Nikolaev got into his first games of the season over the last few weeks and, as Kerins has, Nikolaev has taken advantage of the opportunity to get some playing time in key situations.
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 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 25.36 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 61 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 35 | 35 | 29 | 118 | 28.75 |
Pettersen is another player who’s really taken advantage of a larger role with Zary and Pospisil in the NHL. He had five points this week on the Wranglers’ 18 goals.
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/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) | 12 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6.18 |
| 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 |
As noted last week, Rönni has returned to Tappara while his legal proceedings related to rape changes continue to work through the Finnish courts.
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 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 18.11 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 70 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 118 | 18.22 |
Schwindt had two points, but as a top six centre he’s in a really key role as a conduit for the Wranglers’ offensive game. (It’d be encouraging to see a bit more offence and shots, though.)
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 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 17 | 13.28 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 68 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 82 | 10.55 |
Solovyov remains quiet offensively, but he’s more of a defence-first guy so that makes sense.
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 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 7.97 |
| 2022-23 (SHL) | 45 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 8.69 |
Stromgren is being used in a checking role and, like Ciona, is dealing with some bumps in the road as he adjusts to the AHL game.
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 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 17.90 |
| 2022-23 (BCHL) | 50 | 45 | 45 | 90 | 73 | 47 | 40 | – | 11.81 |
Suniev scored another goal for UMass. He’s a third-line player and they’re sheltering his usage and bringing him along slowly, but you can tell based on how he’s used that the team has high hopes for his potential.
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.
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 started one game, allowed four goals on eight shots, and was pulled after two periods. His sophomore season is off to a bumpy start.
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 | 6 | 359 | .924 |
| 2022-23 (AHL) | 55 | 3239 | .932 |
Wolf spent this past week in the NHL. He was returned to the Wranglers on Tuesday.
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 | 9 | 483 | .914 |
| 2022-23 (MHL) | 15 | 786 | .915 |
Yegorov didn’t dress for either of MHK’s games this past week. They’re carrying three goaltenders and are trying to rotate them so they get some playing time early in the season.
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