Calgary Flames: Top 10 Prospects Entering 2018
The Calgary Flames have a decent pool of prospects that can help them compete in the future. Here are the 10 best to help the team back to the playoffs.
The Calgary Flames have made the playoffs just three times in the past 10 seasons. The last time they were in the postseason, they got swept. They haven’t been past the second round since 2004. The Flames should expect more, especially with a talented young core.
Still, that failure to make the postseason has given the Flames a good pool of prospects. Players who can help the team along, surround the Flames core with talent, and help the team back into contention.
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These prospects are ranked by multiple factors. They include ceiling, NHL readiness, and the likelihood they play consistently with the Calgary Flames. They come from multiple drafts, multiple rounds, and multiple junior leagues.
Goaltenders
Jon Gillies [24 years old]
Stats: 39 gp, 2.53 GAA, .917 SV%. Stockton Heat, AHL.11 gp, 2.88 GAA, .896 SV%. Calgary Flames, NHL
Jon Gillies was a top 20 goaltender in the AHL this season, though he didn’t get the hardware to prove it. He had the 13th best save percentage and 17th best goals against average in the regular season.
If he had a better team in front of him this season, he could have driven the Stockton Heat to the playoffs. Gillies didn’t do as well in the NHL, but at 24, the kid has time.
He improved over a tremendous previous season this year. While he took a back seat in the NHL, he did show some promise, and the room to improve should be filled.
It’s remained clear why Gillies was a third-round pick, and if he takes another step this season and helps launch the Heat to the playoffs, he’ll be on the Calgary Flames roster sooner rather than later.
That’s if Gillies is in the AHL this season. He could very well start the season as the NHL backup to Mike Smith and look to earn himself the Flames’ future starting job.
10. Adam Ruzicka, C/W [19 years old]
Stats: 63 gp, 36 g, 36 a, 72 p (12 pgp, 0 g, 3 a, 3 p).11 PPG (17 A), 10 GWG, 236 SOG, 58.6 FO%, 1.14 pts/g [40 SOG, 56.4 FO%]. Sarnia Sting, OHL
Adam Ruzicka was a solid player in the OHL in his post-draft year, getting more than a point per game and being a member of one of the best teams in the league in the Sarnia Sting. In the regular season, he was tied for 25th in scoring, 28th in points per game, and 14th in goal scoring. Ruzica was a top 30 player in the major categories, but he’s a better goal scorer than playmaker.
Ruzicka was a tremendous power-play threat, scoring 28 points on the man advantage. He was excellent at shot generation this season as well, getting 236 shots on goal in 63 games, or 3.74 shots per game. Even in the minors, that’s a tremendous rate. Ruzicka also delivered 10 game-winning goals and should be a player to watch next season, even if he is stuck in the OHL.
He’s an interesting player who should be getting AHL time very soon. The Stockton Heat could certainly use someone like him. If Ruzicka’s overall game improves, Ruzica could be a quality top-nine forward. He’s more likely to stick at wing than at center, but he could be a short-term option there since he’s good at face-offs.
9. D’Artagnan Joly, RW [19 years old]
Stats: 55 gp, 23 g, 45 a, 68 p (5 pgp, 0 g, 6 a, 6 p). 7 PPG (14 A), 2 SHA, 148 SOG, 4 GWG, 44.6 FO%, 1.24 pts/g [17 SOG, 41.8 FO%]. Baie-Comeau Drakkar, QMJHL
D’Artagnan Joly was taken after Ruzicka in the 2017 draft, but both of them have made the arguments after their draft that they should have been taken higher. Joly has become an excellent playmaker, 18th in assists in the QMJHL, while not being a bad goal scorer. In each of the three most important categories – goals, assists, and points – Joly improved well this season.
He scored about a third of his points on the power play, and was able to create plays while shorthanded. His shot production is a bit wanting (2.69 shots per game), which may help explain his low goal total. Still, 27th in scoring, 14th in points per game, Joly did really well. His lack of scoring is also a result of an injury season.
At 6’3″, injury seasons could be commonplace for Joly. This upcoming season will be all about staying healthy and proving his value in a full season. If he does what he has the potential to, and gets top ten in the two most important categories – points per game and scoring – Joly will be seen highly by the Calgary Flames coming into his first Stockton season.
8. Morgan Klimchuk, LW [23 years old]
Stats: 62 gp, 19 g, 21 a, 40 p. 3 PPG (8 A), 1 SHG (1 A), 4 GWG, 4 ENG, 123 SOG, .65 pts/g. Stockton Heat, AHL
The best thing that can be said about Klimchuk is that he was tied for 100th in AHL scoring, and was at about a .65 point-per-game pace. But as a 23-year-old, long past his rookie AHL season, and with a background as a former first-round pick, it feels like Klimchuk is destined to not live up to that potential.
The only difference between Klimchuk and the prospects below him on this list (Joly and Ruzicka) is that Klimchuk was playing at the professional level and is likely more NHL ready than the two in the juniors.
He can still play on both special teams units, can score at the right time, and can generate shots. But he doesn’t do it well enough (below two shots per game) and four of his goals were on an empty net.
Klimchuk has only played one NHL game in five possible years and didn’t make much of an impact, playing just 7:25. If he was going to be a permanent member of the Calgary Flames, he likely would have played more. His ceiling will always be somewhat high because teams believed he was first-round pick worthy, but, again, it just seems like he’s never going to be there.
7. Spencer Foo, RW [24 years old]
Stats: 62 gp, 20 g, 19 a, 39 p.7 PPG (9 A), 2 SHG, 1 GWG, 3 ENG, 161 SOG, .63 pts/g. Stockton Heat, AHL. 4 gp, 2 g, 0 a, 2 p. Calgary Flames, NHL
Foo is a year older than Klimchuk, but scored one fewer point in his rookie season at the professional level and earned more than one NHL game with the Calgary Flames this season. He played four games at the end of the season and scored two goals.
Foo averaged 15:51 of playing time per game during his cup of coffee in the NHL. He made a significant impact in the time he had and looked like a permanent future member of the Calgary Flames.
The question is, does Foo make that impact again this season or is he back in Stockton? He did well in the AHL, tied for 17th in rookie scoring,12th in rookie goal scoring, and 22nd (of rookies with more than 10 games) in points per game. But it seems like he could be a dynamic presence for the Flames and a good depth goal scorer.
That’s his ceiling, which keeps him low. Foo is likely a member of the Calgary Flames’ third line either next season or the one after, but that’s about as high as he can go. Still, adding a great goal scorer to the third line is never a bad thing, especially when the Calgary Flames still want to get Sam Bennett going. Giving him a presence like Foo to complement could be the last remaining factor Bennett needs.
6. Matthew Phillips, C [20 years old]
Stats: 71 gp, 48 g, 64 a, 112 p (11 pgp, 6 g, 13 a, 19 p). 17 PPG (27 A), 5 SHG (4 A), 8 GWG, 273 SOG, 75 FO%, 1.58 pts/g [1 PPG (4 A), 1 GWG, 41 SOG, 1.73 pts/g]. Victoria Royals, WHL
Phillips is only this low because of his size. His ability to transition his game to the professional level, likely starting in the AHL this season, is currently unknown, and that hampers his overall expectations (and thus, his ceiling). That will change in the upcoming season, but until it does, he’s not a proven commodity.
The reason that’s a concern: he’s 5’7″, two inches shorter than Johnny Gaudreau and smaller than Alex DeBrincat. With the way the league is moving, away from physicality and towards speed and skill, that might not be a problem.
Phillips has all the skill and speed he needs. That’s how he’s racked up 112 points this season, 90 last year, and was better than a point-per-game in his draft year. If he was three inches taller, he’s a top 50 pick, maybe better.
This season, Phillips was fifth in scoring, fifth in goal scoring, sixth in assists, and ninth in points-per-game in the regular season. In the playoffs, he was seventh in points per game. He’s an excellent prospect for the Calgary Flames, and if he was a year younger with those numbers, or three inches taller, who knows. He might be number one on this list or at least the best forward.
5. Oliver Kylington, D [21 years old]
Stats: 62 gp, 7 g, 28 a, 35 p. 2 PPG (6 A), 110 SOG, .56 pts/g. Stockton Heat, AHL
Oliver Kylington is the third member of an exciting future blueline for the Calgary Flames. He’s somebody who likely tops out as an offensive-minded member of the bottom four, but who definitely has NHL potential and the ability to quarterback the power play.
There’s still time for Kylington to have to make an impact, with Mark Giordano, Noah Hanifin, TJ Brodie, and Travis Hamonic all in the NHL right now, but he’ll make his presence known once it’s required.
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Kylington tied for 15th in defensive scoring in the AHL, was 30th in defensive points per game, and tied for 36th in defensive goal scoring. He got eight points of his 35 on the power play, including two of his seven goals, and was on an excellent point-per-game pace.
Even with Kylington being as impressive as he was this past season in the AHL, he likely won’t be with the Calgary Flames soon. Not with a solid top five and two prospects ahead of him. But again, that’s fine. It just gives Kylington more time to develop, work on his game, and turn himself into more of a two-way presence.
4. Andrew Mangiapane, LW [22 years old]
Stats: 39 gp, 21 g, 25 a, 46 p. 6 PPG (8 A), 2 GWG, 3 ENG, 105 SOG, 1.18 pts/g. Stockton Heat, AHL.10 gp, 0 g, 0 a, 0 p. Calgary Flames, NHL
Andrew Mangiapane was the best forward in the AHL for the Calgary Flames. He earned himself extended time in the NHL and proceeded to do nothing with it. That’s a negative, but it’s one of the very few negatives about the 22-year-old. Mangiapane could have an opportunity to do much better this season.
He was second amongst all AHL players with more than 10 games played in points per game and was tied for 54th in scoring. Mangiapane only played 39 games in the AHL but made a significant impact in that time. He had two game-winning goals, scored consistently on the power play, and got off a good number of shots (2.69 shots per game).
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Even in the NHL, where Mangiapane was lacking, he was put in a position he likely won’t be in long-term and wasn’t given the chance to truly succeed, not on the fourth line getting 8 minutes a night. When he’s put in a skill position, he should start delivering. Mangiapane’s ceiling remains high, and while he might not be playing consistently this season, he’s a better player already than Spencer Foo or any of the forwards on this list before him.
3. Dillon Dube, RW [20 years old]
Stats: 53 gp, 38 g, 46 a, 84 p (4 pgp, 2 g, 0 a, 2 p). 9 PPG (15 A), 3 SHG (1 A), 7 GWG, 235 SOG, 54.4 FO%, 1.58 pts/g [10 SOG, 51.4 FO%, .50 pts/g]. Kelowna Rockets, WHL. 6 gp, 0 g, 4 a, 4 p. Stockton Heat, AHL
Dillon Dube was one of the best players in the WHL this past season and is finally able to graduate to the AHL, or the NHL if the Calgary Flames deem him ready. He’s likely bound for Stockton, however, where he’ll play with many of the other prospects on this list and get the chance to grow as a playmaker and goal scorer. He’ll play with a better level of teammates, and against better competition, as well.
Dube was 10th in the WHL in points per game and tied for 20th in goal scoring and 24th in scoring. Those are really solid numbers, but in an injury-shortened season, 10th in points per game stands out most. If he had played a full season, Dube may have been able to hit 100 points, a number which separates the excellent prospects from the good ones.
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He was a presence on the power play, while shorthanded, and came up with seven game-winning goals. Dube had one of the best shooting metrics in the WHL with 4.43 shots per game and was a volume shooter, which indicates good things for his NHL future as a goal scorer.
Great goal scorers like Alex Ovechkin and Max Pacioretty are volume shooters. His disappearance in the playoffs is the one kink to iron out, but with a better Stockton team next season, that problem should get addressed.
2. Rasmus Andersson, D [21 years old]
Stats: 56 gp, 9 g, 30 a, 39 p. 1 PPG (10 A), 2 GWG, 134 SOG, .70 pts/g. Stockton Heat, AHL.10 gp, 0 g, 0 a, 0 p. Calgary Flames, NHL
Andersson was one of the best players in the AHL this past season, period. Let alone the best player for the Calgary Flames. If the team doesn’t roll with Juuso Valimaki or someone else in the sixth spot this season, it’s likely to be Andersson. He was a power-play quarterback, though one who focused more on playmaking than goal scoring and did excellently in points per game.
He was seventh in defensive scoring amongst the AHL, tied for 17th in goal scoring, and was 11th in points per game (more than 10 games played). In other words, Andersson produced at the highest level in one of the highest leagues.
With a minutes reduction coming in the NHL, Andersson will likely take a few years to produce in the same way. But with a defensive partner like Michael Stone and the likely ability to play on the second power-play, Andersson will still find and make plays.
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He didn’t produce well in the NHL in the 10 games he was given this season, but with this being his first real taste, it was likely a matter of adjustment. Andersson would likely do much better in a full season this year, and his possession numbers indicate that he has a lot on the plate. While he doesn’t have as high a ceiling as this next guy, he’s more NHL ready and will likely be playing consistently sooner.
1. Juuso Valimaki, D [19 years old]
Stats: 43 gp, 14 g, 31 a, 45 p (12 pgp, 4 g, 13 a, 17 p).2 PPG (11 A), 1 SHG, 3 GWG, 170 SOG, 1.05 pts/g [2 PPG (6 A), 1 GWG, 36 SOG, 1.42 pts/g]. Tri-City Americans, WHL
Valimaki was a top-three defenseman in the WHL playoffs this past season, coming in fifth in defensive scoring in the postseason, fourth in defensive goal scoring, and third in points per game. That’s where he truly shone, but in the regular season, he wasn’t half bad.
He tied for sixth in defensive goal scoring and was seventh in points per game (17th in scoring). Valimaki proved why he was a first-round pick, and did it again in the World Junior Championships, scoring four points in five games.
Valimaki was a constant shot generator this season. 170 shots in 43 games is 3.95 shots per game, which is outstanding. It also proves that the Tri-City Americans trusted Valimaki to deliver goals, something he did 14 times in 43 games. He ran the power play, scored shorthanded, and was a factor in getting wins.
He’ll get to the professional level this season, either in the AHL or the NHL. Delivering quickly and getting out is a great way to develop for Valimaki, and now he’ll have consistent access to better teammates, better coaching, better medical staff, and have more expectations placed on him.
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With Andersson likely graduating to the NHL level, Valimaki will also get the opportunity to play the most minutes. The major thing the Calgary Flames should want to see now: how defensively capable Valimaki is. If he proves to be excellent at shutting down plays as well as making them, don’t be shocked to see him get NHL time in case of injuries.