Looking at the Flames D prospects, right shots still extremely rare. Starting to think the Flames have no plans to sign Bruce before his rights expire June 1st. His OHL career is already over and he hasn't been signed to an ATO or anything like AOM just was. At least the other two younger righties are "high end" with Rasmus and Fox.
They've also got 21 year old Doetzel on an AHL deal as a right hand shot, and he's dressed in 49 games so obviously the coach likes him, but does management like him enough to give him the Lomberg treatment?
RHD
(20) Rasmus Andersson (Signed)
(25) Kenney Morrison (RFA)
(20) Riley Bruce (Unsigned - OHL)
(19) Adam Fox (Unsigned - College)
LHD
(24) Tyler Wotherspoon (RFA)
(19) Oliver Kylington (Signed)
(23) Brett Kulak (RFA)
(23) Ryan Culkin (RFA)
(22) Keegan Kanzig (Signed)
(20) Adam Ollas Mattsson (Unsigned - ATO)
(21) Rushan Rafikov (Unsigned - Europe)
(20) Brandon Hickey (Unsigned - College)
(20) Stepan Falkovsky (Unsigned - ECHL)
Gotta think Culkin won't be renewed, and possibly Wotherspoon too. BT has shown he has no problem cutting loose prospects that aren't cutting it so they can bring in new blood, although D do usually take longer to ripen. Does BT have more patience with D?
Kulak should be back, but again with him I guess it depends on whether management thinks he just needs more time, or if he's already maxed out.
Kanzig, if that guy ever makes he's going to take a long time to do it. Makes you wonder why Burke signed him so dang quickly after the draft. That one was a head scratcher then, and nothing has happened since to change that IMO.
So if Ollas-Mattsson shows enough to get an ELC, Hickey turns pro (hopefully) and Falkovsky moves up with an ELC as well, these things would make it even more likely that guys like Wotherspoon and Culkin get let go.
Rafikov I imagine will just stay in Russia as he's never shown any real interest in coming over.
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