Observations:

January 2013 – The year 2012 finished very slowly for Irving as he only has found himself in only 5 AHL games and has struggled. His current status and loss of role in Abbotsford does not kill his outlook, he is more a victim of circumstances. He only played in a single start in December, preforming poorly and being replaced before halfway. Look for January to provide a few appearances as the end of the lockout seems to be close and they will need to see if he can compete with Hendrik Karlsson for backup duties or increase his trade stock. Jason Banks

August 2012 – Irving is one of the more steady goaltenders around. Very reliable, competitive, composed and calming to play in front of. He is currently on the fringe of the NHL, where he will likely thrive, in a city he would love to represent. He will battle Henrik Karlsson heads up in camp. Unfortunately for Irving, contractually and waiver eligibility dictate he can be placed with Abbotsford, and good management would place him there, as the Flames would be best served to have three quality goalies able to compete in the NHL. With Kiprusoff having only 2 years left, Irving is in the lead to be the goalie of the future. (Keep in mind GM Jay Feaster has stated he would like to sign Karri Ramo after finishing his KHL contract commitment)

Fantasy Outlook: B+

Irving is not a top end goalie prospect, but is a decent project to wait on as a diamond in the rough that will provide starts, wins, steady goals against average, and a reasonable amount of shutouts when he finally makes the NHL.

Footage: Excellent video displaying Irving’s work the past couple seasons, pay key attention to how calmly he moves in the crease and towards pucks. Also the video up-loader added extra profile information about his life & career thus far.

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Fantasy Prospects Report Notes (Any FPR’s released in the last 18 months will not be listed here):

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Leland Irving statistics courtesy of Elite Prospects