Well, we have finally reached the finale of my predictions series. I know it has been a rather long one, which I didn’t intend it to be, and I’m sure there are some readers of this website who are bored of seeing this series pop up in the top spot on the home screen. But fear not, dear readers, for this is the end.

Nonetheless, I thank you for sticking with me.

Now, onto the real subject of the article, my prediction! And, boy, was it wrong.

Coming into the regular season, after Matt Coronato was one of the top scorers in the NHL pre-season and looked comfortable wearing the Flames uniform, there was much hope for him to be an impact player in the team’s top-six. For a Flames team that didn’t have a consistent top-six weapon (and a young one at that), it appeared that he might get the chance from rookie head coach Ryan Huska to play in an elevated role and, potentially, shine.

However, that did not happen.

Coronato didn’t receive a single vote on any Calder Trophy ballots.

The caveat to all of this is that some bumps in the road are bound to happen. Coronato is still 21 years of age and has some kinks to work out in his game, which he did during his time with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers. But, as it was clear early in the regular season Coronato was struggling, the hope that he could be what many thought he might dwindled.

In Coronato’s first 10 games of the season, he scored only two points in just under an average of 14 minutes of ice time per game. And, as much as many around hockey spheres don’t trust the plus/minus stat (myself included), being a minus-9 through 10 games isn’t good enough to keep you in the NHL. For young players, being strong defensively will lead you to the light in the offensive tunnel, so to speak. Connor Zary is a perfect example of this, as he not only burst onto the scene offensively but also took care of his responsibilities without the puck.

Coronato was sent down to the Wranglers with the hope of working out some of the less refined areas of his game and rekindling the offensive touch that makes him so dangerous. And the move worked. In 41 games, he scored 42 points with 15 goals and 27 assists. That total was third on the Wranglers behind Adam Klapka (46 points in 65 games) and Ben Jones (43 points in 75 games). So, not only was Coronato a contributor, but he was the best source of offence on the team since his arrival, playing 24 fewer games than Klapka with only four fewer points.

After his offensive explosion and some injuries to the forward group (their playoff position likely played a factor as well, especially toward the end of the season), Coronato was brought back up to rejoin the NHL club. And he looked like a different player. There were still flawed pieces, but the comfortability and confidence levels that appeared low early in the season were much higher. And, as a result, so were his numbers.

In the 19 games he played from early March to the end of the season, Coronato posted two goals and four assists for six points in 11:22 of average ice time. He was also only a -7, and the analytics on a per-game basis started to look stronger and more consistently strong as well.

Obviously, because of the number of games he played and his not-so-great numbers, Coronato was not close to being on anyone’s Calder ballot despite being eligible. But, any trophy in the NHL is hard to win, and development is not a linear path. So, while he may have struggled this year, and he will have to fight tooth and nail for a decent position in the lineup this upcoming season, there’s no doubt Coronato showcased flashes of what he can bring to the table, especially with some of his late season performances last year.