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7 intriguing Flames prospects that provide hope for the future

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
|
Mar 21 2024, 3:43 pm
7 intriguing Flames prospects that provide hope for the future

The Calgary Flames’ playoff hopes for the 2023-24 season don’t look good, but it isn’t all doom and gloom for the organization.

Despite their current struggles, the future of this team looks bright thanks to a stockpile of draft picks, as well as some prospects who appear to be on the pathway to NHL success.

While fans are generally aware of how prospects such as Matt Coronato and Dustin Wolf are performing, others with plenty of potential haven’t received the same recognition. Here is a look at how some of them are performing this season.

1. Hunter Brzustewicz

  • Team: Kitchener Rangers
  • Position: Defence
  • Age: 19
  • Stats: 65 GP, 15 G, 75 A, 90 PTS

Of all the players on this list, Hunter Brzustewicz is the one Flames fans are following the closest right now. The 19-year-old defenceman was a huge get for general manager Craig Conroy in the Elias Lindholm trade, as he appears to have some serious NHL upside.

Brzustewicz is in his second season with the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL, and is having a phenomenal year. Through 65 games, he’s managed 15 goals and a whopping 90 points. He sits second for points among his Rangers teammates and is tied for ninth in league scoring.

2. Samuel Honzek

  • Team: Vancouver Giants
  • Position: LW/C
  • Age: 19
  • Stats: 33 GP, 11 G, 21 A, 32 PTS

The 2023-24 season has been a bit of a frustrating one for Samuel Honzek, who was selected 16th overall by the Flames at the 2023 draft. The 19-year-old missed a significant portion of the season for the Vancouver Giants of the WHL after suffering an injury in Flames training camp.

It’s taken Honzek some time to find his game since returning, though he has picked things up offensively as of late. Through 33 outings this season, he has 11 goals and 32 points. It will be interesting how he fares in what should hopefully be a much healthier 2024-25 campaign.

3. Jeremie Poirier

  • Team: Calgary Wranglers
  • Position: Defence
  • Age: 21
  • Stats: 13 GP, 1 G, 10 A, 11 PTS

The 2023-24 season marked the second of Jeremie Poirier’s pro career, and it started phenomenally. He had a goal and seven points in just four games before having his season derailed after suffering a skate laceration to his arm in a game against the Abbotsford Canucks.

Poirier was recently able to return from the injury, and in the nine games since his return has recorded four points. Had he remained healthy, he may very well have earned himself a stint with the Flames this season.

4. Aydar Suniev

  • Team: UMass-Amherst
  • Position: LW
  • Age: 19
  • Stats: 34 GP, 12 G, 13 A, 25 PTS

While the Yegor Sharangovich for Tyler Toffoli trade seems like a big enough win for the Flames, it is even better when you remember that they also received a third-round pick at the 2023 draft in the deal. They used that pick to select Aydar Suniev 80th overall, and have to be thrilled with how it’s looking so far.

Suniev is excelling in his first season with the University of Massachusetts Amherst, scoring 12 goals and 25 points through 34 games. Those are quite impressive totals for a player who was just 18 years old when the season started, and have quickly turned him into a prospect the organization is quite excited about.

5. Jaden Lipinski

  • Team: Vancouver Giants
  • Position: Centre
  • Age: 19
  • Stats: 65 GP, 23 G, 42 A, 65 PTS

It’s early, but Jaden Lipinski is looking like a nice find for the Flames. The 19-year-old was selected in the fourth round of the 2023 draft after a 19-goal, 51-point season for the Giants. He has been able to improve on those totals in 2023-24.

Through 65 games this season, Lipinski is up to 23 goals and a team-leading 65 points. While those totals may not blow you away, they show that Lipinski has some offensive talent in his game. Pair that with his excellent skating ability and you have a player who could very well wind up becoming an NHL regular.

6. Etienne Morin

  • Team: Moncton Wildcats
  • Position: Defence
  • Age: 19
  • Stats: 56 GP, 12 G, 35 A, 47 PTS

Along with Brzustewicz and Poirier, the Flames have another highly gifted offensive defenceman, Etienne Morin. Just a season ago, Morin recorded 21 goals and 72 points in 67 games with the Moncton Wildcats on his way to being selected 48th overall by the Flames.

Morin’s numbers have regressed this season, though 12 goals and 47 points through 56 games are still solid. It seems as though they have come with a sacrifice, as he is working hard to improve his defensive play, which was a concern heading into the 2023 draft.

7. Joni Jurmo

  • Team: Ilves Tampere/KooKoo Kouvola
  • Position: Defence
  • Age: 21
  • Stats: 46 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 PTS

While Brzustewicz was the prospect fans were most excited about in the Lindholm trade, they should be keeping an eye on Joni Jurmo, too. His offensive game isn’t anywhere close to the other defencemen on this list, but the fact that he is playing his fourth season in Finland’s SM-liiga at just 21 years old speaks volumes about his game.

A big part of the reason why Jurmo has been able to play at a high level from a young age is both his size and speed. He is listed at 6-foot-4, 207 pounds, but skates like he’s closer to 5-foot-8. He has the potential to be a much bigger acquisition in the Lindholm deal than most are suggesting.

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