Welcome to a new feature here at FlamesNation: Five Flames Takes. After digging into a main topic, Mike will weigh in on five more popular discussion topics involving the Flames and their prospects. 

While it’d be hard for Adam Klapka to get much taller, he seems to keep growing as a player with each passing game.

The Czech behemoth has carved out a regular role on the Flames’ fourth line over the past few weeks and finally seems to be settling into a nice rhythm, earning more and more ice time and looking increasingly confident with and without the puck.

The 24-year-old Klapka has four points in his last six games and has a fantastic 68.20 expected goals rate at 5-on-5 over that span, second only to Kevin Rooney (!!) among Flames regulars. Klapka’s emergence as a capable NHLer has coincided with a drastic turnaround for the team’s fourth line, which has long been far more of a liability than an asset.

There aren’t many players out there with a development curve quite like Klapka’s, but then again, he’s one of the only 6’8″ forwards in the 108-year history of the National Hockey League. His physical gifts are obvious and impressive, but it’s taken him quite a while to develop a skillset to match.

It feels like Klapka has been in the Flames’ system much longer than just three years, but he’s managed to take significant steps forward in each of them. After advancing from AHL bottom-sixer to AHL top-sixer last year, Klapka has now graduated to the big leagues — and his overall game is leaps and bounds ahead of where it was even two months ago.

When Klapka made his Flames debut in 2023-24, he was a lumbering, uncoordinated giant who looked out of place on NHL ice. When he returned to the show in January after a two-month spell back in the AHL, he still looked a little awkward. But now? Klapka is one of the Flames’ best bottom-six options. He’s strong on the puck, dominant on the forecheck, and surprisingly skilled.

All of these attributes and more were on full display in Thursday’s win against Anaheim, particularly when Klapka set up Kevin Rooney for a huge goal in the second period.

Who knows exactly what the future holds for Klapka, although it does seem likely that he’ll get his first one-way NHL contract this summer. For now, that No. 4 right wing spot seems like it’s his to lose.

Of course, Klapka is playing with a ton of energy right now as he tries to lock down a full-time job, but as we saw with Walker Duehr two seasons ago, it can be very difficult for players to stay at 110 percent effort for more than a few weeks at a time.

The big question with Klapka will be whether he’ll be able to avoid getting too comfortable once he re-signs. After all, consistency is money — especially for depth players.

1. Klapka has been outstanding over these past few weeks, which just begs the question: who’s next? The obvious candidate is Rory Kerins, who now has 56 points in 57 games with the Wranglers this season. Kerins has four goals and five points in his last two games and already showed his stuff in a stint with the Flames back in January, piling up four assists over his first four NHL games before being benched in his fifth and demoted shortly thereafter. It’s hard to tell exactly how the Flames view Kerins, who spent the 2022-23 season in the ECHL and has never so much as appeared in a preseason game with the club, but his AHL numbers are at the point where they’re impossible to ignore. He should be the first man up if/when the Flames are eliminated from playoff contention.

2. Since being scratched for the game against the Dallas Stars on Mar. 27, Yegor Sharangovich has one goal, two assists, and a shootout winner in his last four outings. He also has a 59.67 expected goals percentage over that span, which is the best of any Flames forward not on the Klapka line. While he still can’t seem to let his trademark wrister fly with any consistency or velocity, Sharangovich has been a lot more noticeable in puck battles and along the boards since taking Connor Zary’s spot on Nazem Kadri’s wing. It’s a good spot for him as he works to get back to being the best version of himself.

3. It’s been nearly two months since Morgan Frost last scored a goal, but he was all over the ice against the Ducks on Thursday and continues to be an effective centre for Matt Coronato and Jonathan Huberdeau. That line has out-chanced its opposition 62 to 49 at 5-on-5 since being united but has struggled to overcome poor on-ice shooting and save percentages. Frost has long been hampered by finishing woes but is in an excellent position to take a step with two strong play-driving wingers on either side of him. It’ll come.

4. Joel Farabee is a much better player than he’s shown since arriving in Calgary, but it’s difficult to get around his lack of production since the trade. Zero points and just one shot on goal against the Ducks for No. 86, who has just five points in 24 games since February 1. For comparison’s sake, Matt Coronato has 12 over that same span, while Sharangovich has nine, Frost has eight, and both Rooney and Ryan Lomberg have six. Farabee isn’t nearly as quick or relentless on the puck as someone like Blake Coleman, with whom he was sometimes compared after being acquired from Philadelphia. His underlying numbers are decent, but they just haven’t translated into results. Would it make sense to rotate Farabee out for Aydar Suniev here and there down the stretch?

5. Finally, it’s worth noting that Zayne Parekh is now one Saginaw Spirit loss away from all-but-certainly joining the Flames for their final few games of the season. Parekh has done all he can to elevate an under-performing Saginaw team in these playoffs but it’s looking like it might not be their year. He certainly looked the part of a blue-chipper on Thursday when he set up Kristian Epperson for the opening goal in what ended up a 7-3 Saginaw defeat. At the end of the day, Parekh is too good for the OHL, even if his team isn’t. Suniev might still be on training wheels, but if Parekh does end up in Calgary in a few days’ time, don’t be surprised if he draws into the lineup right away. He really should.

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