Flames have four players that will suit up for AHL playoffs

The Calgary Flames 2023-24 season has officially come to an end, but a few of their young players aren’t done just yet.

Following last night’s 5-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, the Flames announced that Dustin Wolf, Matt Coronato, Adam Klapka, and Ilya Solovyov had been assigned to the Calgary Wranglers. This will allow all four to play in the AHL playoffs.

Dustin Wolf, Ilya Solovyov, Matt Coronato, and Adam Klapka have been assigned to the @AHLWranglers.#Flames | @original16beer pic.twitter.com/XlIVGoF3H9

— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 19, 2024

The 2023-24 season was an up-and-down one for the Wranglers, who had to deal with several of their top players getting called up to the Flames on numerous occasions throughout the season. As a result, they currently sit seventh in the Pacific Division with a 35-27-8 record.

If the AHL season were to wrap up today, the Wranglers would be going up against the Tucson Roadrunners in the first round. However, they have two games remaining against the Abbotsford Canucks, which still gives them a slim but not impossible chance to catch the sixth-placed Bakersfield Condors.

Regardless of who they wind up playing, the Wranglers will have a good opportunity to pull off a first-round upset thanks to the talent they have just added. Perhaps the biggest addition is Wolf, who has won the AHL’s goalie of the year award in each of the past two seasons, along with a league MVP in 2022-23. He was phenomenal once again with the Wranglers this season, posting a 2.43 goals against average (GAA) paired with a .923 save percentage (SV%) in 35 appearances.

Coronato is also a massive addition, as the 21-year-old winger was excellent at the AHL level in what has been his first season in the professional ranks. In 40 games, he scored 15 goals and 42 points.

Klapka, who scored his first NHL goal last night, spent the majority of this season in the AHL. The 6-foot-8 winger really came into his own offensively, putting up 21 goals and 45 points in 64 outings.

Last but certainly not least is Solovyov, who is turning into a very nice find by the Flames, having been taken in the seventh round of the 2020 draft. The 23-year-old doesn’t provide much in terms of offence but has been an excellent shut-down defender in the 50 games he’s played for the Wranglers this season.

An exact start date for the Wranglers’ postseason has yet to be determined, but the wait won’t be a long one with the regular season concluding this Sunday. Fans wanting to see some playoff hockey may want to tune in, as several on this Wranglers roster could be integral parts of the Flames in the near future.

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