Calgary Flames Top 20 Prospects

This time 'round, I decided to prioritize projectability a little more than usual.  Also, because of the recent influx of talent, I was able to create a list of honourable mentions, since there were enough noteworthy players who didn't make the list who deserved mention.


1) Sven Baertschi, LW

LW Sven Baertshi blows past a pair of Avalanche defenders

The Swiss winger tops the rankings yet again--and, at the risk of repeating the mistake I made this time last year, probably for the last time.  Baertschi is a speedy, shifty offensive forward with an excellent physical game for a smaller player.  He is devastatingly opportunistic offensively, and patient defensively.
Upside: He could be a first line winger.

2) Sean Monahan, C

C Sean Monahan celebrates a goal with onetime teammate and Senators prospect D Cody Ceci (#83)

Just drafted, Monahan is a large two-way center with high-end all-around offensive skills and an advanced defensive game.  Monahan is extremely intelligent, protects the puck very well, and has a lethal mid-range shot.  His only flaw is his underwhelming skating.
Upside: He could be a first line, two-way center who shuts down the opposition's best and still racks up points.

3) Johnny Gaudreau, LW

LW Johnny Gaudreau celebrates a goal with teammate and fellow Flame C Bill Arnold

The tiny but electrifying winger has a sublime offensive skillset and lightning quick skating.  He has the ability to drive play and create chances from nothing, or to play a more patient, opportunistic game (rather like Sven Baertschi).  Gaudreau has very little defensive value, but he shows a willingness to engage without the puck and to pick off passes through smart reads.

Upside: He could be a first line winger, though his size and lack of defensive accumen could keep him away from the opposition's best.

4) Corban Knight, C

GM Jay Feaster presents C Corban Knight with his new Flames jersey

A new acquisition, Knight is, like Gaudreau, a recent finalist for the Hobey Baker trophy.  Knight, like Monahan, is a large center with excellent defensive accumen and less-than-impressive skating.  Knight doesn't have Monahan's offensive skillset, but he is not incapable in that area either, as he boasts a surprisingly explosive first step and a quick release on his shot.

Upside: He could be a second or third line center who is used in a shutdown role at even strength, but can also contribute offensively.  He also has a right-handed shot, so he may be converted to RW.

5) Roman Horak, C/RW

C Roman Horak has his game face on while sitting on the bench

Horak has played probably so many pro games that he maybe shouldn't be considered a prospect anymore, however I still think he has things to prove and development to do.  Horak seems to have difficulty deciding what kind of player he is, as at times he might show some excellent offensive accumen with a combination of his blazing speed and his solid hands, but at other times he may look more like a defensive specialist.  Horak plays it smart defensively, using defensive reads to prevent scoring chances rather than playing the body.  Offensively, Horak is inconsistent, but he does show a willingness to engage, especially near the net, and his shot has come a long way (though it could still use some improvement).  He will need to gain a more assertive edge with the puck on his blade in order to realize his full potential.  His future might be on the wing as a scoring forward.
Upside: Horak has the skillset to be a scoring line forward who can also play defense, but he might also be more of a defensive speciallist.  His versatility bodes well for his future, though.

6) Max Reinhart, C

C Max Reinhart attempts to keep his footing and return to the play after sending F Mason Raymond to the ice

Reinhart has Stephane Yelle written all over him, as he is a gritty defensive center with excellent faceoff ability and a solid offensive skillset as well.  He may never be a scorer in the NHL, but he does have a good shot and an ability to find open linemates with passes.  He is good along the boards, as he shows notable competitiveness and often comes away with the puck.  His skating still needs work, but he has solid speed.

Upside: Excellent third line defensive specialist.  He could be a center or a winger.

7) Mark Cundari, D

D Mark Cundari celebrates a goal with (clockwise from left) D TJ Brodie, LW Sven Baertschi, and C Mikael Backlund.  It is not known whether Cundari felt left-out being the only one without a 'B' in his name.

Cundari is another new arrival.  He is a small but physical defenseman with good mobility, a hard slapshot, and a solid skillset. Cundari looks like he'll be ready for full time NHL duty soon, and he seems to have utility on both specialty teams as well as even strength.  Cundari is surprisingly strong for his size.  He seemed to be rather far down the depth chart in St. Louis, so Calgary is a perfect opportunity for Cundari to show what he has.  A concern would be small sample size syndrome, though.

Upside: A middle pair defenseman who sees time on the second unit of both specialty teams.

8) Tyler Wotherspoon, D

D Tyler Wotherspoon of Canada fights for the puck against Sweden's C Elias Lindholm (#19)

Apparently I should have been paying attention, because Wotherspoon is not the same player the Flames drafted.  Wotherspoon has traded his rugged, temperamental game for one built on patience, positioning, and getting the puck out of the defensive zone.  Wotherspoon still has a strong physical game, but he has learned to pick his spots better, and has added a strong stretch pass to his repertoire.  Wotherspoon is an eminently reliable defender who shows great affinity for the penalty kill.  He often played on the top PK unit with Scott Harrington at the WJC.

Upside: A second pair shutdown defenseman who plays on the top penalty kill unit.  He won't put up points, but he'll do all the things a defenseman is supposed to do.

9) Laurent Brossoit, G

G Laurent Brossoit backstopped the Edmonton Oil Kings in a tough playoff series against the Calgary Hitmen.  Though the Hitmen scored on this play, Brossoit would have the last laugh, as the Oil Kings won in 7 games.

Brossoit has shown some nice progression with the Edmonton Oil Kings, and is now set to turn pro.  He is a tall goaltender, standing 6'3", and he shows notable quickness for such a large man.  Brossoit still needs to work on his positioning, though that aspect of his game has improved markedly since he was drafted.  His reflexes are good, and his side-to-side movement is excellent.  He should be able to fight with Reto Berra and Joni Ortio for starting minutes with the Abbotsford Heat.

Upside: Solid starting goalie.

10) Morgan Klimchuk, LW

LW Morgan Klimchuk handles the puck in a game against the Moose Jaw Warriors

Klimchuk was a solid pick by the Flames at the end of the first round.  He has good upside, but he is also a fairly safe projection for a 5'11" forward.  Klimchuk is a worthy two-way player who does well defensively, making good reads and playing the body.  Klimchuk has a very accurate shot and quick hands to go with his well above-average skating.  He is a solid prospect, and I would expect him to move up in the organizational ranking rather quickly.

Upside: A middle rotation winger who contributes at both ends of the ice.

11) Emile Poirier, RW

RW Emile Poirier demonstrates his odd gait and tremendous speed in one of many breakaways

The last of the three most recent first round picks, Poirier was considered a reach.  He is a skilled, fast winger with a good shot.  His defensive game could use some work, but he has shown to be good at causing turnovers and quickly taking the puck up ice.  Has a bit of Alex Tanguay in him, in that he seems to get at least one breakaway every game.  His skating stride is extremely odd as he keeps a wide base, which causes a lot of unnecessary side-to-side movement.  It doesn't seem to effect his speed or quickness, however.

Upside: A top six, two-way forward with speed.

12) Bill Arnold, C

#24 meets #24 as C Bill Arnold (left) clobbers University of Minnesota RW Zach Budish 

Arnold has long been one of my favourite prospects.  He has a very underrated offensive skillset, and posesses one of the best two-way games in college hockey.  Arnold isn't exactly big, but he's solidly built and tremendously strong.  His skating is solid, and has come a long way since he was drafted.  He protects the puck very well, especially along the boards.  His future may be on the wing in spite of his good faceoff ability.

Upside: A superb third line two-way forward who becomes a fan favourite because of his honest, physical game.  His skillset may allow him to sneak into top six winger territory.

13) Ken Agostino, LW

Shortly after being traded for RW Jarome Iginla, LW Kenny Agostino (#18) hoists the National Championship trophy

One of the prospects acquired in exchange for Jarome Iginla, Agostino is a solid all-around winger.  Agostino has a blistering shot with a quick release, which is regarded as his best asset.  He is a very good skater, with solid speed and agility which, combined with his above-average hands, can make defenders miss.  Reports suggest that he was the force that drove the top scoring line of the champion Yale team.

Upside: Solid middle rotation winger.

14) Brett Kulak, D

D Brett Kulak may not have had much to celebrate last season, but he seems happy enough celebrating a goal against the Kelowna Rockets

Kulak was--and remains--my favourite pick from the 2012 draft.  He is a smart two-way defenseman with intriguing tools in all categories.  He was often the best player for an abyssmal Vancouver Giants squad last season.  Kulak's physical game will improve as he gains strength, but he could also work on his decision making in the defensive zone, which is not always top-notch.  Kulak has solid hands and excellent skating with a heavy shot, which raises his offensive ceiling.  He is currently tracking similarly to another Flames fourth rounder, T.J. Brodie.
Upside: An above-average top four two-way defenseman.

15) Eric Roy, D

D Eric Roy saw his draft stock plummet over the course of a somewhat disappointing season

Roy was, at one time, considered a candidate to go in the first round of the 2013 draft, but he slipped into the Flames' lap in the fifth.  Roy is a skilled offensive defenseman with good size and excellent skating.  He has a heavy shot, and shows good distribution skills.  Roy needs to work on his decision making, especially in the defensive zone, and on using his great size more to his advantage.

Upside: An above-average top four two-way defenseman.

16) Mark Jankowski, C

C Mark Jankowski (#10) had an underwhelming freshman season with Providence College.  Hopefully he can parlay his tremendous tools into a more impressive season and a long career

A very skilled centerman with great size, Jankowski still has the potential to move sharply in either direction of this ranking based on how this season goes.  Jankowski has, according to reports, gained roughly twenty pounds of muscle since he was drafted, which should hopefully help him.  Jankowski is, what some would call, "soft", and though he has superb all-around offensive tools, he hasn't yet shown if he can think the game at the pace of the higher levels.  This coming season will go a long way to showing whether Mark has the goods to realize his immense potential.
Upside: First line center.

17) Chris Breen, D

D Chris Breen drops the mitts in a game against the Peoria Rivermen

An immense defenseman, Breen has often been criticized as being something of a gentle giant.  He went a long way to keeping his NHL hopes alive by adding a bit of an edge this last season to the tune of 55 penalty minutes--which was very nearly a career high.  He even dropped the gloves once or twice.  Breen is a positional defender who uses his long reach to turn away opposing attackers, but his somewhat passive game paired with his still-underwhelming mobility limits his effectiveness.  Still, his skating has come a long way even since last season, and with his improving physical game we might yet see him wearing the Flaming C.
Upside: Third pair shutdown defender.

18) Pat Sieloff, D

D Patrick Sieloff patrolled the blueline for the OHL's Windsor Spitfires last season

Sieloff had a somewhat limited role with the Gold Medal winning American WJC squad, but he managed to find a niche as a physical addition to their penalty kill.  His role should increase this coming season.  Sieloff had a solid OHL debut as, in spite of scoring only 11 points and plaing only 45 games, he was named the Windsor Spitfires' top defenseman.  He also wore one of the 'A's for the team last year.  He should be able to secure a top four role with the American WJC team this season.  Sieloff has decent size and a punishing physical game, as he likes to throw open ice hits.  He is also a fairly good skater, with good four-way mobility.  He still needs to work on his decision making in the defensive zone.
Upside: Physical second pair shutdown rearguard.

19) Markus Granlund, C

C Markus Granlund and RW Joel Armia (center) formed the most prolific scoring duo in the WJC last year

The skilled Granlund had a somewhat disappointing season without brother Mikael, as he regressed somewhat in scoring.  Though he finished in the top three in scoring at the WJC, he scored most of his points in the relegation round against some of the weaker teams.  Granlund is a skilled forward with a very good--and underrated--shot.  His release, in particular, is impressive, as the puck absolutely explodes off his stick.  Granlund is a below-average skater which, combined with his size, hurts his projectability.  He received an ELC from the Calgary Flames this season, so it's possible he plays with the Abbotsford Heat against North American opposition.  It will be interesting to see if he can handle the physical pressure.  His defensive game has come a long way since he was drafted, though it is still the worst aspect of his game.
Upside: A top six scoring forward with little defensive utility.

20) Jon Gillies, G

Providence College G Jon Gillies making one of many saves last season

Gillies is a huge (6'5") goaltender with great positioning and a good skill level.  Though he still needs to improve his movement in the crease and the quickness of his feet, both aspects have come a long way since he was drafted.  Gillies was by far the best player on a surprising Providence College team which--amazingly--finished in the top four in the Hockey East conference.  The team didn't win a single one of the games in which Gillies did not play, while he was backing up John Gibson at the WJC.  Otherwise, Gillies started every game for the Friars, and posted a remarkable .931 sv%.  Gillies was named the Hockey East rookie of the year, was named to the Hockey East First All-Star Team, and made the NCAA Second All-American Team. He would be ranked much higher on this list, if not for the uncertainty surrounding goaltenders.

Upside: Talented starting goaltender.

Just Missed:

Lance Bouma, LW/C
Everyone's favourite plugger (unless you're partial to Carter Bancks) looks like a guaranteed 4th line forward, and has for quite a while now.  He would have been a fixture on the Flames' 4th line last year if not for a season-ending injury sustained early on in the AHL season.  Bouma has solid skating and picks his spots for body checks very well.  He isn't too shabby a fighter, either, in spite of being only 6'0".

Ryan Culkin, D
Culkin is a very popular prospect, given that he's one of the top defenders on a competitive Quebec Remparts team.  I'm not really a fan of Culkin's skillset, but he's a calm, methodical player with the puck and tends to make smart plays.  He has utility as a minutes muncher at even strength because of this.

Ben Hanowski, RW
A big RW acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Jarome Iginla trade, Hanowski has decent hands in tight and a heavy shot.  He is slightly gentle on the physical side, and his skating needs a lot of work.

Joni Ortio, G
I've always liked Ortio, and I think he has an excellent talent level.  However, I just couldn't justify ranking him in the top 20, given that goalies are so unpredictable and that he just spent his first season as a starter.  Ortio played nearly every minute for HIFK this season, and put up solid numbers, earning a spot on Finland's WC entry.

Rushan Rafikov, D
An intriguing late-round pick by the Flames in the most recent draft, Rafikov is the first Russian drafted by the franchise in more than a decade.  Rafikov has a solid skillset, excellent mobility, and a high panic threshold.

John Ramage, D

Ramage, a slightly undersized shutdown defender, is a prospect I've always liked, though he slips almost continuously in my rankings because a) subsequent drafts have flooded the system with more talent and b) he steadfastly refuses to take the next step.  That is, until this season, when he nearly doubled his offensive output with a career-high eight goals and 20 points.