Selected 13th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Matthew Coronato has been one of the Calgary Flames most exciting prospects the past couple of seasons. After leaving Harvard early to join the Flames, Coronato has been learning the professional game. In his first professional season, he showed flashes of talent but struggled with consistency. Now in his second professional year, it appears he’s officially arrived in the NHL.
Matthew Coronato the Flames Prospect Needed More Time
Coming into the season, Matthew Coronato was looking to prove he was ready to be a full-time NHLer. He had a solid training camp but the surprise camp of fellow prospect Samuel Honzek, meant that Coronato started his second professional season in the press box. Coronato made his debut on October 13th against the Edmonton Oilers. He followed his debut up with a two-goal performance against Chicago. After his solid start, Coronato looked to cool off a bit and went from looking like a difference-maker to being just okay. He found himself playing primarily on the Flames fourth line. He would eventually be sent down to the Flames AHL affiliate, the Calgary Wranglers. At the time Coronato wasn’t playing poorly, but as the Flames got healthier, he hadn’t done enough to stay up with the big club.
Returning to Make a Difference
Coronato spent just six days with the Wranglers following his assignment. When he returned to the NHL lineup, he found a new home in the Flames top nine. He was slotted alongside the Flames most stable duo, Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman. The trio found instant chemistry and Coronato looked great upon his return to the Flames. Over the past few seasons, Backlund and Coleman have been used as the place Calgary sends slumping forwards or young players to get on track. The duo’s strong two-way play provides a bit of a security blanket for players. They’ve helped previous prospects like Matthew Tkachuk and Andrew Mangiapane make the leap to the NHL. With that in mind, it’s not necessarily surprising to see a young player finding success on their line. However, Coronato hasn’t just been benefiting from playing alongside two strong players, he’s been elevating his linemates.
Since he’s returned to the lineup, he’s picked up four points and been a plus player for Calgary. He put together a signature game against the Montreal Canadians on November 5th. He scored a beautiful late goal to tie up the game and force overtime. Then just seven seconds into overtime he ripped one by Sam Montembeault for the fastest overtime goal in franchise history.
With a nickname like “Scoronato” it’s easy to fixate on his goal-scoring. However, it’s other areas of his game that have been the difference in his recent play.
The Little Things Make a Big Difference for Matthew Coronato as Flames Prospect
Ever since the Flames took Coronato in the 2021 draft, the hockey world has known about his offensive skills. He has a heavy wrist that he can fire past opposing goaltenders and loves to have the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. He also seemed to have no issue with contact for a player who isn’t the biggest. During his first professional season, he struggled at times to create space for himself to use his offensive skills.
Since his recent call-up, Coronato seems to finally be able to use his other abilities to help create time and space. His skating looks much better than a season ago. He’s able to use his edges to shake defenders and his straight line-speed has helped him become an effective forechecker. He also appears to have gotten stronger both on and off the puck. He’s winning board battles for the puck and maintaining puck control through contact. This combination of skating and strength is allowing Coronato to be a difference-maker all over the ice.
The biggest difference from the Matthew Coronato of a season ago is his ability to impact the game outside of goal-scoring. He’s been noticeable for all the right reasons in all five games since his return to the Flames. Whether he’s winning races to 50-50 pucks, or disrupting opponents breakout with a solid forecheck, Matthew Coronato has been contributing to the Flames positively in every game.
Building for The Future One Prospect at a Time
It looks like the Flames NHL prospect Matthew Coronato has officially arrived. If he can keep playing the way he has in his last five games, he won’t be seeing AHL action anytime in the near future. Coronato finally arriving and starting to reach his full potential is a massive win for the Calgary Flames. As they continue their rebuild the Flames are looking to find out which prospects will become part of their future. Coronato provides the Flames with goal-scoring talent they don’t have anywhere on their roster. He could become a big part of their powerplay and has 30-goal scorer potential.
His arrival means a player like Andrei Kuzmenko could be expandable and the Flames look to move him for future assets as Coronato earns more ice time.
The future appears to be bright for this young Flame. It will be fun to watch him continue to improve as the season and the Flames’ rebuild continue.
Main Photo Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
