Folks, time keeps marching on. In the hockey world, we’re nearing the month of March, when a lot of European leagues and collegiate conferences hold their playoff tournaments. And as the Calgary Flames chug along in their season, several of their prospects are vying to play in their respective post-season events.
In the American Hockey League, the top seven teams in the Pacific Division qualify for the playoffs. The Calgary Wranglers sit in fourth position. They’re 10 points ahead of the first non-playoff team and hold two games in hand. They’re closer to first place in their division than to missing the playoffs.
So how are the other prospects looking playoff-wise?
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
49
27
25
52
40
29
25
192
26.28
2022-23
55
25
39
64
51
36
28
187
28.82
Bell had a hat trick in one game (a loss) and an empty-netter in the other (a win). He remains a reliable offensive presence for the Americans and one of their key veterans.
Tri-City sits six points behind Spokane for the final playoff spot in the WHL’s Western Conference.

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
28
0
2
2
2
2
2
29
1.95
2022-23 (NCAA)
37
1
4
5
3
5
3
42
3.69
Notre Dame lost both of their games this weekend to finish their regular season. They ended up in fifth in their conference. They’re off this weekend and then head into their conference tournament next weekend. They’re ranked 21st in the “pairwise” system – which ranks teams based on the quality of the teams they beat – and they’ll need to win their conference tournament to quality for the 16-team NCAA national tournament.

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
57
11
69
80
40
57
29
123
37.17
2022-23 (OHL)
68
6
51
57
32
31
21
110
22.20
Brzustewicz had two assists in two games this week.
Kitchener is currently fourth in the Ontario Hockey League’s Western Conference and have clinched a playoff spot already.

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
41
2
1
3
2
3
2
51
2.92
2022-23 (WHL)
63
28
47
75
53
54
37
194
29.48
Ciona was a scratch twice this week.

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
38
15
26
41
27
27
17
132
43.00
2022-23 (NCAA)
34
20
16
36
31
19
16
141
24.31
Coronato continues to be an offensive difference-maker for the Wranglers, posting four points in two games.

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
24
8
17
25
18
12
9
62
25.80
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 had an assist in a pair of weekend games.
The Giants are sixth in the WHL’s Western Conference, 12 points up on Tri-City. They’ve gone 8-2-0 over their last 10 games and are attempting to chase down Wenatchee to get in the top half of the playoff bracket and gain home ice advantage in the opening round.

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
22
3
6
9
5
9
5
45
15.16
SHL season to date
5
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’s junior team is automatically qualified for the J20 playoffs by virtue of finishing in the top 10 in the first half of the season – the second half is used to determine seeding; they’re currently eighth.

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
50
15
16
31
25
22
17
137
24.71
2022-23 (AHL)
71
17
37
54
41
28
21
202
30.31
Jones was held off the scoresheet this weekend.

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
44
1
4
5
3
4
3
63
4.21
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
KooKoo is just outside the Liiga playoff picture – they’re tied for the final spot in points, but are just outside on tiebreakers – with five games remaining in the regular season.

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
41
12
15
27
22
17
13
98
26.24
2022-23 (ECHL)
38
17
20
37
31
25
21
117
22.36
Kerins had a pair of helpers over two games.

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
44
11
15
26
22
19
15
107
23.55
2022-23 (AHL)
60
13
12
25
18
16
11
103
16.61
Klapka didn’t hit the scoresheet this weekend.

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
31
6
5
11
7
8
6
53
7.13
2022-23 (NCAA)
37
7
11
18
12
10
7
67
13.28
Idaho is second in the ECHL’s Western Conference. The top eight teams qualify for the playoffs in each conference.
(Koumontzis is technically still Flames property, but they’ve scrambled to the ECHL to grab depth players for the Wranglers multiple times and he’s never appeared… which should tell you something about his organizational future or lack thereof.)

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
46
5
6
11
8
10
7
71
9.53
2022-23 (AHL)
63
5
14
19
11
19
11
65
12.02
Kuznetsov was kept off the scoresheet 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
56
16
33
49
32
22
13
144
21.67
2022-23 (WHL)
66
19
32
51
36
35
23
152
19.14
Lipinski keeps doing his thing. He had two assists in two games.

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
25
9
12
21
17
9
6
5.51
2022-23 (BCHL)
51
29
39
68
47
36
27
8.75
Penticton is in first place in the BCHL’s Interior Conference and has already clinched a playoff spot. (Littler had zero points 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
47
9
32
41
26
17
11
157
20.32
2022-23 (QMJHL)
67
21
51
72
47
34
21
213
25.03
Morin had an assist this week!
Moncton is third place in the QMJHL’s Eastern Conference and have already clinched a playoff spot.

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
26
3
3
6
6
6
6
29
9.20
2022-23 (ECHL)
40
13
20
33
21
22
15
97
18.94
Nikolaev had zero points this week.

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.

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
50
7
22
29
22
19
13
77
23.11
2022-23 (AHL)
61
19
25
44
35
35
29
118
28.75
Pettersen didn’t hit the scoresheet this 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 is practising with the Wranglers again! Hooray! We don’t have a timeline from the team estimating his return, but it seems reasonable to expect some news in the next few weeks about his progress.

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)
22
1
1
2
1
1
1
18
3.37
Season to date (U20)
17
9
20
29
22
12
12
41
27.98
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’s primarily playing with Tappara’s U20 team lately. They’re second in SM-sarja U20 and will make their post-season.

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
44
13
12
25
19
18
13
80
22.64
2022-23 (AHL)
70
14
18
32
20
16
10
118
18.22
Schwindt had three goals in two games this week, and is rolling along with a four game goal-scoring streak dating back to his assignment from the NHL. That’s some fine work.

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
46
2
10
12
9
7
6
48
10.40
2022-23 (SHL)
45
3
5
8
6
6
5
31
8.69
Strömgren was held off the scoresheet this week.

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
28
11
10
21
17
14
11
74
24.17
2022-23 (BCHL)
50
45
45
90
73
47
40
11.81
Suniev had an assist this week!
UMass is fifth in Hockey East and would go right into the quarterfinal playoff round. They’re ranked 13th in the country via the pairwise ratings, and so they stand a decent chance of being an at-large team in the NCAA national tournament.

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 done. He dressed twice as backup in the KHL this week, but Vityaz missed the playoffs.

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
12
637
.911
2022-23 (NCAA)
19
1104
.912
Sergeev is still splitting starts with senior teammate Ethan Haider.
UConn is tied for eighth in Hockey East and would play in the opening round. They’re 23rd in the pairwise ratings, and so they would need to win their conference playoffs to reach the NCAA’s national tournament.

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
32
1849
.927
2022-23 (AHL)
55
3239
.932
Wolf started twice, winning once and losing once.

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 will be backing up Maxim Yeryomenko in the VHL playoffs. MHK Dynamo Moskva has qualified for the first round, avoiding the play-in round.

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