We’re four games into the pre-season and there have been a few positive storylines for the Calgary Flames. At or near the top of that list is the play of Matt Coronato.

For the second straight year, Coronato has put on an impressive performance in the preseason. As of Sept. 27, Coronato leads the entire NHL in pre-season scoring with 12 points in 8 games. A pretty remarkable stat especially when you consider the fact some of the players he has outscored during that time includes Connor McDavid, Jack Hughes, Jack Eichel, and Jesper Bratt.

Coronato should be in the NHL this season. He’s proved it in the pre-season. He proved it in the AHL where he put up 42 points in 41 games last season. And he proved it at the end of last season where he showed tremendous improvement in his game despite playing on the Flames 4th line.

Most Flames fans would agree that he should be in the NHL. But where does he fit in the lineup? It’s a difficult question because it looks like the Flames have their top nine forward group written in pen.

Who is coming out of that top nine? How can the Flames make room in the lineup for Coronato? Let’s take a look at the different options for where Coronato can start the 2024-25 season and which one makes the most sense.

This move might upset some Flames fans because how good Pospisil was last season in the top nine. But when you look at the Flames forward group, which player could do the best job playing a fourth line role? It’s not any of Kadri, Kuzmenko, Sharangovich, Huberdeau, Zary, Mantha, Backlund, or Coleman. You’re left with one player to move down the lineup. And that’s Pospisil.

Putting Pospisil on the 4th line isn’t the worst idea. He is fast, tenacious, physical, and has some skill to go along with it. He on a line with Ryan Lomberg could do some damage.

Putting Pospisil on the 4th line to start the season doesn’t mean he’s going to be in that role all year. There are going to be injuries. There are going to be trades. Pospisil on the fourth line is a short term move to get Coronato into the top nine.

With Pospisil out of the top three lines, it means one of Zary or Sharangovich would have to move to centre and Coronato would play on the wing.

This wouldn’t be an unprecedented move as Coronato finished last season on the Flames fourth line with the likes of Kevin Rooney, Adam Klapka, and A.J. Greer. But he played less than 14 minutes a night in that role.

The 4th line is not the best place for a guy like Coronato to play. He doesn’t have the skillset to thrive in that type of role. Coronato is a smaller, skilled, offensively gifted winger. The Flames would get the most out of Coronato’s skillset by playing him in the top nine.

But there are a lot of players who get their start on a fourth line and work their way up the lineup. Look no further than a guy like Andrew Mangiapane. He started his time in the NHL on a fourth line with Derek Ryan and Garnett Hathaway. he eventually worked his way up to the top six and had a very successful career with the Flames. Now, Mangiapane is more of a grinder than Coronato is, but the comparison isn’t totally off because they can both score goals.

It wouldn’t be ideal for Coronato to be on the fourth line, but it’s not like good players have never started their careers there.

One thing we have to remember when it comes to Coronato is that he is only in his second year of professional hockey and is just 21 years old. He still has a lot of developing to do on and off the ice.

It might not be the worst thing to start Coronato in the AHL. He can go down to that league and play on the first line, first power play unit. Essentially have the offence run through Coronato. That opportunity and ice certainly won’t be given to Coronato in the NHL.

Coronato played in 41 AHL games last season and put up 42 points. He also put up 6 points in 6 AHL playoff games.

Starting the season in the AHL doesn’t mean he’s going to be there all year. There is going to be injuries in the NHL. It’s more likely than not that Andrei Kuzmenko and Anthony Mantha are going to be traded at or around the March trade deadline. There are going to be opportunities to play in the top nine of the Flames lineup this season. It just might not be right away.

Coronato is a goal scorer. He is an offensive player. He should be in an offensive role. Whether that’s a spot in the top nine of the Flames forward group, or the first line in the AHL. He needs to play an offensive role.

Ideally, the Flames should find a way to get Coronato in the NHL on a second or third line. That would come at the expense of Martin Pospisil.

If Craig Conroy and Ryan Huska don’t want to move Pospisil down the lineup, then I think sending Coronato to the AHL would be the best course of action.