12. Calgary Flames – Score 81.9

Top 15 Prospects

Individual Breakdown

Forwards:

Connor Zary made a good impression on Calgary this year with his performance, posting 21 goals and 37 assists over the course of 72 games. The second highest ownership rating in Fantrax at 36% right after Dustin Wolf.  His ownership percentage should go up next year with now being considered a mainstay on that flames roster, albeit he has his times where he fluctuates up and down the lineup. Nonetheless he has seen time on the first line and first powerplay at times and has shown flashes that he can produce but having players that make a lot more money than him will likely get the nod on the top unit before him. That also goes for the Flames first round pick in the 2021 Draft – Matthew Coronato.  Coronato had a good showing while in the AHL producing slightly over a point per game pace before he was called up to the Flames lineup. Being the new kid on the block his primary focus is to get in his reps and gain some solid big-league experience. He has played 32 games with a total of 8 points on the season. His Fantrax ownership seems a little high at this point but in all fairness we all rated him fairly high as we did Zary.   

Defensemen: 

Sameul Honzek and Hunter Brzustewicz are both great options for the Flames on the back end.  Honzek is a great offensive option, smart when he has the puck and a very reliable defenseman. I feel like many people did not know who Brzustewicz was until he was acquired in the deal to move Lindholm to Vancouver.  Only 19-years-old and he’s quickly emerging as a top end defenseman.  Many are hoping he pans similar to another high-end defensemen who now resides in New York.  I won’t go there but you know who I’m talking about.   

Goalie:

Alright, keep an eye on Wolf – he’s the heir apparent to Markstrom, ready to take the goalie throne sooner or later. Wolf was the AHL goaltender of the year and snagged the league MVP title two seasons in a row. He’s had a taste of the big leagues, playing 17 games over the past couple of seasons, mostly this year. Sure, his stats aren’t blowing anyone’s mind yet, but give him the full goalie gig and time as most goalies always need and we definitely will be signing a different tune. We have him rated the highest prospect in our Organizational Rankings and his Fantrax percentage reflects that with 45% ownership.   Wolf’s basically the golden boy of Calgary’s goalie hopefuls right now. His track record says he’s got what it takes to be more than just okay in the NHL. Plus, if Calgary’s heading into a rebuild, they might just hit their stride as Wolf is poised to be the starter.

Team Breakdown:

The prospect lineup for the Calgary Flames is pretty encouraging. They’ve got a ton of potential players, which is more than what most teams can boast about. However, the Flames really hit the jackpot in the 2023 Draft.  Not to mention, they snagged a couple of steals in the late rounds and getting Hunter Brzustewicz in the Lindholm trade was clutch.  While they might lack that standout superstar prospect, they’ve managed to assemble a roster that’s bound to churn out quality NHL players.  Who knows, they might even swap a few of these players for top-tier talents who are primed to step onto the ice and make a difference right away.

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Thanks for reading!

-Puneet Sharma