Friends, let’s get something out in the open: playing professional hockey is really, really hard. And the jump from playing college hockey against opponents juggling their calculus homework to playing against grown-ass men who play for a living can be gigantic.
In this light, the initial challenges Matt Coronato experienced as a first-year pro were completely understandable.
In the NHL, Coronato definitely had the offensive chops to hang with the big boys. He lacked a consistent role, and the details to his game to get into high-octane offensive situations at five-on-five. He was sent down to the AHL to get his swagger back and has emerged as one of the Wranglers’ most consistently strong offensive players. The details of his game, while not incredible quite yet, have improved.
The Flames are going to have openings at the NHL level between now and the end of the season. The big question, to me, is whether it’s better for Coronato long-term to be The Man for the Wranglers for the remainder of the season – and a potential run at the Calder Cup – and then give him a fresh start at the NHL in the fall, or to throw him back into the NHL mix when trades happen on the main roster and see if his details have improved enough for him to be effective at the NHL level.
There’s good arguments to be made for either approach, and it’s unclear to me which would be the best move. We’ll see if a clear path presents itself as the season continues to unfold.
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 | 26 | 13 | 15 | 28 | 22 | 14 | 12 | 106 | 26.67 |
2022-23 | 55 | 25 | 39 | 64 | 51 | 36 | 28 | 187 | 28.82 |
Bell has been really consistent over the past season and a half. He’s a reliable, all-situations player who produces at a bit north of a point-per-game pace, but relies a bit on special teams time to generate offence.
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 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0.00 |
2022-23 (NCAA) | 37 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 3.69 |
This is Boltmann’s senior year and he hasn’t hit the scoresheet yet.
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 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 30 | 2.95 |
2022-23 (WHL) | 63 | 28 | 47 | 75 | 53 | 54 | 37 | 194 | 29.48 |
Ciona’s a fourth-line checker right now who doesn’t get a lot of points, but he’s getting puck touches and throwing his body around in his role.
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 | 23 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 19 | 17 | 12 | 79 | 45.05 |
2022-23 (NCAA) | 34 | 20 | 16 | 36 | 31 | 19 | 16 | 141 | 24.31 |
Coronato’s work away from the puck is a work in progress, but man, you can’t be anything but impressed at his offensive output. He’s recently shown that he’s capable of taking over games at the AHL level, but hasn’t quite done it often enough to be in the AHL’s upper echelon. (Yet.)
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 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 20 | 34.67 |
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’s World Junior run is over, and he’ll be headed back to the Giants fairly soon. Now the challenge for him will be going on a bit of a run with his junior club, as it may be his final chunk of games as an amateur before potentially going pro full-time next season.
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 | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 25 | 16.85 |
SHL season to date | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
HockeyEttan season to date | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | — | n/a |
2022-23 (J20) | 34 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 47 | 3.82 |
With the SHL and J20 seasons in recess between Christmas and New Year’s, Hurtig played a game with Kristianstads IK in the third-tier pro HockeyEttan. He had an assist, representing his first-ever pro point.
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 | 31 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 18 | 20 | 15 | 76 | 29.57 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 71 | 17 | 37 | 54 | 41 | 28 | 21 | 202 | 30.31 |
Jones is essentially the Mikael Backlund of the Wranglers. You can quibble that he’s not quite a dominant or elite player at the AHL level, but man, he’s super consistent and touches every part of the game.
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 | 24 | 9 | 11 | 20 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 58 | 33.21 |
2022-23 (ECHL) | 38 | 17 | 20 | 37 | 31 | 25 | 21 | 117 | 22.36 |
After an initial torrid pace, Kerins is slowing down quite a bit offensively. He was a healthy scratch during a game this week and rotated back in due to an injury to Dryden Hunt. Kerins needs to get back to where he was a couple weeks ago, otherwise he could be a spectator when more Wranglers forwards get healthy.
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 | 29 | 10 | 10 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 74 | 27.48 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 60 | 13 | 12 | 25 | 18 | 16 | 11 | 103 | 16.61 |
We’ve praised players for their consistency this season, and Klapka has been a really effective offensive player since 2022 turned into 2023. With his size, poise and ability to move around the ice effectively, it seems like a matter of time before he gets called up.
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 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 1.64 |
2022-23 (NCAA) | 37 | 7 | 11 | 18 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 67 | 13.28 |
Koumontzis filled in as a winger due to some injuries to regular Steelheads forwards. He scored a goal in a blowout loss.
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 | 31 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 38 | 9.00 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 63 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 19 | 11 | 65 | 12.02 |
Kuznetsov had a goal this week. He’s a little bit off last season’s scoring pace.
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 | 35 | 11 | 19 | 30 | 22 | 11 | 8 | 91 | 21.23 |
2022-23 (WHL) | 66 | 19 | 32 | 51 | 36 | 35 | 23 | 152 | 19.14 |
Earlier this season, Lipinski had to be one of the sparks for the Giants’ offensive attack in the absence of Honzek due to injury: his scoring pace wasn’t tremendous. Once again, his scoring wasn’t tremendous with Honzek away at the World Juniors. But we’ll see if he sparks again and goes on another run after Honzek returns, as he did when he returned from injury at the beginning of December.
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 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | – | 5.37 |
2022-23 (BCHL) | 51 | 29 | 39 | 68 | 47 | 36 | 27 | – | 8.75 |
Littler was held off the scoresheet this week. He still seems to be finding his rhythm in the BCHL.
Brady Lyle – D, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
24; Free agent signing
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 31 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 69 | 14.14 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 51 | 7 | 24 | 31 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 124 | 24.22 |
Lyle had no points 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 | 29 | 7 | 17 | 24 | 14 | 11 | 6 | 100 | 19.27 |
2022-23 (QMJHL) | 67 | 21 | 51 | 72 | 47 | 34 | 21 | 213 | 25.03 |
Morin scored twice over three games last week. He’s generating points at a lower pace than last season, but he’s still generating a ton of shots.
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 | 17 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 11.72 |
2022-23 (ECHL) | 40 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 97 | 18.94 |
Bouncing between the third and fourth lines due to some line shuffling, Nikolaev had an assist over four games.
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 | 31 | 6 | 17 | 23 | 17 | 17 | 11 | 48 | 29.57 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 61 | 19 | 25 | 44 | 35 | 35 | 29 | 118 | 28.75 |
Pettersen had a pair of assists this past week.
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 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 69.74 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 69 | 9 | 32 | 41 | 20 | 21 | 13 | 172 | 23.68 |
Poirier remains out “indefinitely” after suffering a serious laceration early in the season.
Martin Pospisil – LW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
24; 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
19; 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) | 19 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 3.90 |
Season to date (U20) | 5 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 22.96 |
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 twice, bouncing between a few different lines, registering zero points.
Cole Schwindt – C/RW, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; Acquired in a trade with Florida; 9th-ranked prospect
GP | G | A | P | P1 | 5v5 P | 5v5 P1 | SH | NHLe | |
Season to date | 31 | 7 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 54 | 20.57 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 70 | 14 | 18 | 32 | 20 | 16 | 10 | 118 | 18.22 |
In a week where the Wranglers didn’t score a ton, Schwindt scored a goal.
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 | 23 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 42 | 10.40 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 68 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 82 | 10.55 |
Solovyov has bounced between the NHL and AHL a few times this seaso, and he’s remained really consistent throughout the AHL portion of his calendar.
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 | 28 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 4.27 |
2022-23 (SHL) | 45 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 31 | 8.69 |
As with Ciona, Strömgren is a bottom-six fixture for the Wranglers in a checking role as he adjusts to the grind of North American pro hockey.
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 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 46 | 26.54 |
2022-23 (BCHL) | 50 | 45 | 45 | 90 | 73 | 47 | 40 | – | 11.81 |
Suniev had a two-point game, which maintained his pretty steady scoring pace so far through his freshman season.
Connor Zary – LW/C, Calgary Wranglers, AHL
22; 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 Chekhov, KHL/Ryazan-VDV, VHL
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 is listed on Ryazan’s roster, but has yet to see game action.
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 in UConn’s game on New Year’s Eve. He hasn’t seen game action since Nov. 10.
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 | 19 | 1103 | .924 |
2022-23 (AHL) | 55 | 3239 | .932 |
Wolf had a shutout this week. He also had two other starts where he allowed 10 goals, combined. The Wranglers’ blueline is a bit lean this season and Wolf’s numbers are, in part, a product of that.
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 | 16 | 871 | .928 |
2022-23 (MHL) | 15 | 786 | .915 |
MHK was idle this week.
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