Welcome back to Top Shelf Prospects, the column that brings you the next crop of professional hockey players. As we go through the summer of 2024, each day our LWOS Prospects Writers will bring you a look at one NHL team’s top prospects or other topical article. Be sure to bookmark the site, follow Ben Kerr and Frederik Frandson on Twitter, and spread the word for the site that will bring you analytical and critical profiles and scouting reports! You can find all the articles here as well as our extensive NHL Draft preview. Today, we look at the 2024 Calgary Flames Top Prospects.
For those wondering, the cut-off for what is or isn’t a prospect is typically about 50 NHL games played (including playoff games) or is 25 years old. These are not hard or fast rules though, and we may make some exceptions depending on the circumstances.
2024 Calgary Flames Top Prospects
1.) Top of the Flames Prospects: Zayne Parekh
Zayne Parekh is a riverboat gambler, always pushing the offence. It is not unusual to find Parekh joining or even leading the rush. With the play in the offensive zone, he loves to pinch in on the boards or even to get himself into the slot to create a scoring chance. He is able to do this and get back defensively most of the time at the junior level. However, it remains to be seen if he can do it at the next level due to his lack of straight-line speed. He will need to learn to pick his spots going forward and work on his defence. However, that is something that can be worked on and can be taught. Parekh has a level of offensive skill and the instincts to create scoring chances that come naturally and is much harder to teach to a young player.
Parekh has an excellent array of shots. He can score with his slapshot and one-timer from the point. He also understands how to keep his shot low and allow his teammates to get deflections, screens, and rebounds. However, the bread and butter of Parekh’s game is his excellent wrist shot and snapshot. He can score off the rush or sneak in from the point and let his shot go at the top of the circles. His release is quick and deceptive. It fools goalies. Parekh is also an excellent playmaker. His lateral agility and edgework allow him to open up shooting and passing lanes. He has excellent vision and can make a tape-to-tape pass to set up a teammate.
2.) Dustin Wolf
After the trade of Jacob Markstrom, Wolf is expected to move from being one of the Flames Top Prospects to competing in the NHL. Wolf has a strong technique. He comes out of the net and challenges shooters. At just 6’0″, Wolf is small compared to what teams are looking for in a modern goaltender, but his ability to get to the top of the crease helps him to take up as much space as possible. His quick reflexes and strong legs take away the bottom of the net. Wolf also tracks the puck well and moves side-to-side exceptionally quickly. He also gets in and out of the butterfly well, getting up and down quickly.
He is very athletic and can make incredible saves at times. A quick glove hand takes away the top of the net, while he also uses his blocker effectively. His rebound control is advanced for his age, though like most young goaltenders it can continue to improve. He keeps his body square to the shooter. This is true even when he gives up a rebound, as he is always in the correct position to minimize the amount of net the opponent can see and make the next save. He is also good at handling the puck.
3.) Matthew Coronato
A versatile forward who can play both centre and wing, Coronato has an outstanding wrist shot and release. He has real power and accuracy on his wrist shot, as well as the ability to quickly change the angle and release point with his quick hands. This extends to his snapshot as well, and he can use that as a weapon on the wing. Coronato has a very good one-timer and a knack for getting it on the net from the “Ovechkin Spot” on the power play. He is also able to establish his position in front of the net, getting deflections and pouncing on rebounds. He has the ability to elevate the puck quickly and beat goalies in tight.
4.) Samuel Honzek
Honzek comes in at 6’4″ though he can still add muscle to his frame as he is just 185 lbs right now. The 19-year-old WHL forward will need time to add muscle to his frame and round out his game. However, the ceiling is very high. He is already a very good skater, comparable to many smaller forwards. This will allow him to develop into a power forward once he puts on that mass. Honzek has good hockey sense and vision. He does a great job of transitioning the puck through the neutral zone and establishing effective zone entries. His shot is powerful, but he could improve his accuracy. One would also like to see him do a better job of getting to the front of the net and playing less of a perimeter game as he grows into his body.
5.) Hunter Brzustewicz
Brzustewicz is new to the Flames Top Prospects list as he was acquired in a trade with the Canucks at the trade deadline. Brzustewicz had 92 points for the Kitchener Rangers last season. He uses excellent skating ability to play a two-way game. Brzuteswicz can rush the puck up the ice or join as a trailer and still get back defensively. His excellent edgework and agility allow him to avoid forecheckers and carry the puck through the neutral zone, avoiding defenders. He creates efficient zone entries, getting the puck in the offensive end with control and setting up the offence. Once there, he has excellent vision and the passing skills to set up teammates for scoring chances. His lateral agility allows him to walk the line and create passing and shooting lanes. He also has a good shot.
6.) Jakob Pelletier
Pelletier is an undersized playmaker with outstanding speed. His speed allows him to take a defender wide and cut to the net. The 2019 first-round pick had a strong AHL season and will push to make the jump this year. He has an excellent hockey IQ. Pelletier anticipates plays. He knows where his teammates are and is able to thread passes through tight areas. He has the patience to wait for a linemate to get open and in ideal scoring positions. His quick movements and good hands allow him to control the puck down low. Pelletier uses his skating skills to create space and openings. Defenders must back off and respect his speed. When this happens he can slow down the play and find an opening in the passing lane. He also creates passing lanes with his quick changes of direction as well as his soft hands changing angles against defenders.
7.) Matvei Gridin
Gridin is a pure sniper. He has an excellent array of shots. Gridin shows power and accuracy in his wrist shot, slapshot, snapshot, and even his backhand. He also has a very quick release which can fool goaltenders. Gridin is also able to finish plays in close to the net with the soft hands to beat goalies on a deke. His playmaking game is a bit underrated as Gridin is a smart player who sees openings in the offensive zone. A quick flick of his wrists can toe-drag the puck and create passing lanes. He also have very good vision and can set up a teammate. In order to take the next step, Gridin will need to improve his defensive game.
8.) Andrew Basha
Basha uses his excellent skating and puck control to create offence. He is one of the fastest skaters in the WHL and combines that speed with the ability to carry the puck and make plays at top speed. This allows him to attack in transition. Defenders have to back off to avoid him beating them to the outside and cutting to the net. When they do, this opens up passing and shooting lanes. He can get off a quick shot, using the defender as a screen. However, his playmaking ability is his bread and butter. Basha is very creative with the puck, making plays that defenders can’t anticipate and creating chances for his teammates.
9.) Henry Mews
Mews is another offensive defenceman added to the Flames prospect list at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. Mews combines excellent skating ability with decent puck control. He is very good in transition, carrying the puck through the neutral zone and creating effective zone entries. He is also strong at handling the puck in the offensive zone. Mews controls the play at the blueline. He is calm and composed and this helps him to be an effective power play quarterback. Mews’ patience allows his teammates time to get open. When they do, he has the vision to find them and the passing skills to make a tape-to-tape pass through tight areas. Mews’ lateral agility also allows him to walk the line and open up passing and shooting lanes. He could improve his slapshot going forward.
10.) Aydar Suniev
Suniev has a really good shot, and he knows how to get open to let them off and be a scoring threat away from the puck. Not only that, but he has surprisingly good puck skills, allowing him to create space for himself. He also has a great motor, which helps him be a pain with his physicality. A modern-day power forward, Suniev needs to improve his skating and playmaking to make it to the NHL. He projects as a bottom-six power forward type.
Honourable Mention (Fourth Round Pick or Later, Not Necessarily #11 Flames Prospect): Luke Misa
Misa is another outstanding skater, one of the fastest players in the OHL. He uses that speed in all three zones, playing a strong 200-foot game. Misa also likes to attack defenders with speed, threatening to carry the puck wide on a defender and cut to the front of the net. In terms of his playmaking game, he makes short quick passes to teammates and then keeps his feet moving, looking for the return pass. While he is a bit undersized, Misa is not afraid to take the puck to the front of the net and play in the dirty areas of the ice.
Main Photo: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
