With hockey season winding down and the NHL Entry Draft approaching, I thought I'd provide some notes on the Flames current minor pro, college and junior prospects. Hopefully this can foster some discussion as we hit the draft and free agent season.
Goaltenders:
IRVING, Leland
-Vitals: 23 years old, from Barrhead, Alberta
-Drafted: 2006 first round choice
-Status: Restricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Bounced back from iffy 09-10 season with very strong 10-11. Among AHL leaders in most goaltending categories despite playing on young team with consistency issues. Arguably Abbotsford's MVP.
-Potential: Likely targeted for another AHL season mentoring Joni Ortio, although he could put a scare into Flames back-up Henrik Karlsson with a strong showing at training camp.
KEETLEY, Matt
-Vitals: 25 years old, from Medicine Hat, Alberta
-Drafted: 2005 fifth round choice
-Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Strong junior performer never fully brought his game to the pros, due to injury and being stuck behind more high-profile netminding prospects (Curtis McElhinney, Leland Irving).
-Potential: Joni Ortio's North American arrival might put Keetley on the chopping block. Slight chance he gets kept on as ECHL depth goalie.
LAMOUREUX, Jean-Phillipe
-Vitals: 26 years old, from Grand Folks, North Dakota
-Drafted: Undrafted
-Status: Free Agent (had AHL contract)
-Skinny: Signed to have an extra netminding body in the minors, Lamoureux put up good numbers in limited action in ECHL Utah (11-7-1, 2.49 GAA) and AHL Abbotsford (8-4-3, 2.20 GAA).
-Potential: Unlikely to be anything more in Calgary's plans than a back-up in the minors that can show guys the ropes, but with Joni Ortio joining the organization he might find himself back in the same role as this year.
ORTIO, Joni
-Vitals: 20 years old, from Turku, Finland
-Drafted: 2009 sixth round choice
-Status: Three years left on current (new) contract
-Skinny: Positionally strong netminder, patterned after Miikka Kiprusoff and trained by same coaches on same club team. Didn't look amazing in only AHL outing (but then again, it was behind a Heat team that was eliminated from playoff contention and playing out the string).
-Potential: Almost definitely slated for Abbotsford, but amount of starts will depend on Leland Irving's play and how well Ortio acclimates himself to North America.
BALDWIN, Gord
-Vitals: 24 years old, from Winnipeg, Manitoba
-Drafted: 2005 third round choice
-Status: Restricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Steady if unspectacular on the back end, Baldwin doesn't have overly showy offensive numbers but isn't a liability, either. Bounced between second and third pairing in AHL, likely to stay in roughly same position.
-Potential: Once a fringe AHL player, Baldwin has managed to quietly round himself into a steady contributor. He's somewhat in the shadow of higher-drafted players (Brodie, Pelech) though.
BREEN, Chris
-Vitals: 21 years old, from Uxbridge, Ontario
-Drafted: Undrafted
-Status: Two seasons left on contract
-Skinny: One of the bigger surprises of the year, the 6-foot-7 Breen has become a top-four defender in Abbotsford and one of Jim Playfair's favourites. The secret? He learned to use his size to his advantage.
-Potential: With T.J. Brodie and Tim Erixon expected to contend for spots with Calgary, Breen could be eating up first-pairing minutes in Abbotsford. Playfair has told reporters that he expects Breen to be in the NHL someday.
BRODIE, T.J.
-Vitals: 20 years old, from Chatham, Ontario
-Drafted: 2008 third round choice
-Status: Two seasons left on contract
-Skinny: Strong puck-moving blue-liner surprised organization by making Flames roster out of camp. Eventually sent down to AHL to round out defensive game a bit. Ended up among team scoring leaders AND being a plus player on a team that didn't score very much.
-Potential: Should contend for a spot in Calgary. Either that or continue to be an offensive contributor in AHL until a spot in Calgary opens up.
ERIXON, Tim
-Gonzo.
LEACH, Joey
-Vitals: 19 years old, from Wadena, Saskatchewan
-Drafted: 2010 third round choice
-Status: One year remaining in junior
-Skinny: Though not as highly-touted as teammate Max Reinhart, Leach is a strong positional player with surprisingly good hands (as evidenced in three-assist game in WHL finals against Portland). Big kid (6-foot-4).
-Potential: Hard to say, but he's likely to be one of the older blueliners in Kootenay next year, which could test his maturity and leadership a bit.
MEYERS, Josh
-Vitals: 25 years old, from Alexandria, Minnesota
-Drafted: 2005 seventh round choice (by Los Angeles)
-Status: Restricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Not particularly flashy, but the reliable Meyers has been decent as a 7th defender for the Heat. Puts up decent point totals for a blueliner that plays the amount of minutes he does.
-Potential: Unlikely to be much more than the 7th man on the back end, but he's fairly effective in the role.
NEGRIN, John
-Vitals: 22 years old, from West Vancouver, British Columbia
-Drafted: 2007 third round choice
-Status: One season left on contract
-Skinny: If Negrin could stay healthy, he might be in the NHL by now. He's missed a TON of time (he's appeared in 49 games over two seasons) but generally looks solid.
-Potential: Should see a fair bit of ice-time in Abbotsford, particularly if Brodie and/or Erixon hit the bigs. Very important for him to stay healthy, particularly heading into final year of contract.
NYREN, Giffen
-Vitals: 22 years old, from Calgary, Alberta
-Drafted: Undrafted
-Status: Free Agent (had AHL contract)
-Skinny: Bounced between ECHL and AHL, but played well in limited action at each level. By no means a top-level prospect, but has a ton of heart.
-Potential: Could get another look at training camp, although unlikely to factor into team's long-term plans.
PELECH, Matt
-Vitals: 23 years old, from Toronto, Ontario
-Drafted: 2005 first round choice
-Status: Restricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Big physical defenseman is all heart, no luck. Terrible track record with injuries, but he's quite effective when he's healthy. Great "team" guy, assistant captain in Abbotsford.
-Potential: While not quite a "project" the way Kris Chucko has developed into, Pelech could really use a full season to showcase himself.
RAMAGE, John
-Vitals: 20 years old, from Mississauga, Ontario (via St. Louis, Missouri)
-Drafted: 2010 fourth round choice
-Status: Two years left in college
-Skinny: Physical and positionally sound, key leadership guy on Team USA at World Juniors. Captained team to first back-to-back medals in US junior history.
-Potential: Has two years of college left before he turns pro (and plays in the often-hard-to-gauge NCAA). That said, he's looked good in international tournaments against comparable players.
SEABROOK, Keith
-Vitals: 22 years old, from Delta, British Columbia
-Drafted: 2006 second round choice (by Washington)
-Status: One season left on contract
-Skinny: Seabrook has seemingly played himself out of Calgary's plans, as he was sent to Manitoba to get ice time down the stretch. Not a bad player by any means, but has skill-set that is duplicated by many other Flames blue-line prospects.
-Potential: Unsure where he fits in for next season, though he could end up back in Abbotsford depending on which free agents are retained and which players end up in Calgary.
Forwards:
ARMSTRONG, John
-Vitals: 23 years old, from Unionville, Ontario
-Drafted: 2006 third round choice
-Status: Restricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Finally had a full season without major injury. Played fairly well, but many of the debuting pro prospects (Nemisz, Bouma, Patterson) likely leap-frogged him.
-Potential: Second/third line contributor in Abbotsford, at least for the next while.
ARNOLD, Bill
-Vitals: 19 years old, from Needham, Mass.
-Drafted: 2010 fourth round choice
-Status: Three years left in college
-Skinny: Point-a-game player on the US National Development Team when he was drafted, maintained a decent scoring pace (20 points in 39 games) in the NCAA against arguably better competition in a lesser role as a new college player. Finished junior year at Boston College, where he was on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team.
-Potential: Arnold's got three years of college left, but it's intriguing that he's already getting noticed by NCAA brass. He's definitely a long-term project, though.
BANCKS, Carter
-Vitals: 21 years old, from Marysville, British Columbia
-Drafted: Undrafted
-Status: Free Agent (had AHL contract)
-Skinny: Looked really good before sidelined with a concussion. Looked really good when he returned from said concussion. One of Jim Playfair's favourites, the coach said the team would've made the playoffs had Bancks not gotten hurt.
-Potential: If one "non-contract" prospect could get a deal, it'd be Carter Bancks.
BOUMA, Lance
-Vitals: 21 years old, from Provost, Alberta
-Drafted: 2008 third round choice
-Status: Two seasons left on contract
-Skinny: Former Vancouver Giant is all hustle. Earned 16 games in the NHL via hustle and didn't look out of place.
-Potential: Likely to contend for bottom-six time in Calgary. Either that or he continues hustling in Abbotsford.
CAMERON, Bryan
-Vitals: 21 years old, from Brampton, Ontario
-Drafted: 2007 third round choice (by Los Angeles)
-Status: Two seasons left on contract
-Skinny: Former OHL sniper didn't set the world on fire in Abbotsford and was sent to Victoria of the ECHL to get ice time.
-Potential: With two more years left on his deal, he might bounce between the AHL and ECHL, unless he re-finds his scoring touch.
CARPENTIER, Hugo
-Vitals: 23 year old, from Hull, Quebec
-Drafted: 2006 fourth round choice
-Status: Restricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Carpentier is a marginal AHLer, but a pretty strong ECHLer. He's bounced between the two levels, but just hasn't been able to stick in the AHL.
-Potential: AHL depth guy. Unsure if he gets qualified.
CHUCKO, Kris
-Vitals: 24 years old, from Burnaby, British Columbia
-Drafted: 2004 first round choice
-Status: Restricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Kris Chucko is tremendously unlucky. He missed half of last season and all but 2 games this season. When he's healthy, his numbers are actually pretty decent.
-Potential: I'm not entirely certain where (or if) Chucko fits into Flames plans. He's got the same basic skillset as guys like Nemisz and Bouma (and Stefan Meyer...and Stone...) but just can't stay healthy long enough to show he can hack it at the NHL level.
CUNNING, Cam
-Vitals: 25 years old, from Powell River, British Columbia
-Drafted: 2003 eighth round choice
-Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
-Skinny: I'd say that Cam Cunning is the most unheralded prospect in the organization, which is a shame, because he's a pretty great contributor. Mostly utilized as a two-way, shut-down forward, Cunning is strong defensively and chips in a fairly good number of goals for a guy that plays so sparingly.
-Potential: Unsure if the Flames re-sign him. He's developed into a very good AHL role player, but he's had plenty of time to claw into the NHL.
FERLAND, Michael
-Vitals: 19 years old, from Brandon, Manitoba
-Drafted: 2010 fifth round choice
-Status: One year of junior remaining
-Skinny: Point-a-game player in the Dub. More of a passer than a shooter.
-Potential: Difficult to say, but he's at least a solid two-way guy with upside.
GRANTHAM, Ryley
-Vitals: 22 years old, from Hanna, Alberta
-Drafted: 2008 sixth round choice
-Status: One season left on contract
-Skinny: Won WHL Championship with Mikael Backlund three years ago. Backlund has upped his game, Grantham has stalled out. Was hurt a bit this year, but was also a healthy scratch quite often.
-Potential: Likely bouncing between AHL and ECHL this season.
HOLLAND, Patrick
-Vitals: 19 years old, from Lethbridge, Alberta
-Drafted: 2010 seventh round choice
-Status: One season left in junior
-Skinny: Nearly doubled previous season's point total (36 in 09-10 vs. 62 in 10-11) and emerged as clutch player for Tri-City.
-Potential: Much like Michael Ferland, hard to tell, but he seems to be another two-way forward with scoring potential.
HORAK, Roman
-Vitals: 20 years old; from Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
-Drafted: 2009 fifth round choice (by the Rangers)
-Status: Signed for three years, turning pro most likely
-Skinny: Haven't seen much of him, but he's shown great chemistry with Horak.
-Potential: Much depends on how he makes the transition to pro and how willing he is to listen to Jim Playfair. Could help anchor the offense in Abbotsford.
HOWSE, Ryan
-Vitals: 19 years old, from Prince George, British Columbia
-Drafted: 2009 third round choice
-Status: Signed a three-year deal with Flames, likely turning pro
-Skinny: Kid is a goal scorer. He likes scoring goals. He is good at scoring goals. Scored 98 goals over last two WHL seasons. Plus/minus ain't amazing, though.
-Potential: Spencer Bennett is arguably more well-rounded, but Howse is made of offensive skill. If Playfair can surround him with good two-way guys, Howse could be a big difference-maker in Abbotsford.
LARSON, Nick
-Vitals: 21 years old, from Apple Valley, Minnesota
-Drafted: 2008 fourth round choice
-Status: Two years left in college
-Skinny: Decent numbers in college.
-Potential: Uncertain, but should continue to develop with Notre Dame.
MacMILLAN, Logan
-Vitals: 21 years old, from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
-Drafted: 2007 first round choice (by Anaheim)
-Status: One season left on current contract
-Skinny: A project that hasn't panned out quite yet. 11 points in 55 games isn't impressive for a first rounder. Was a healthy scratch many times.
-Potential: Unsure. Has some bad habits and spends his time in bottom-six, which isn't really suited to his strengths. Problem is he hasn't shown his strengths when given the chance.
MARVIN, Aaron
-Vitals: 22 years old, from Warroad, Minnesota
-Drafted: 2006 third round choice
-Status: Graduated from St. Cloud State, played a handful of games for Abbotsford, but needs to be signed by August 15 for Flames to retain his rights
-Skinny: Marvin had one really good season in the NCAA, but hasn't been all that consistent.
-Potential: Not sure whether he fits into Flames plans. Likely a depth guy if he does get signed.
MEYER, Stefan
-Vitals: 25 years old, from Fox Valley, Saskatchewan
-Drafted: 2003 second round choice (by Florida)
-Status: One season left on current deal
-Skinny: Played 16 games for injury-riddled Flames early-on and looked good in a bottom-six role. Didn't set the world on fire in AHL (to the point where Nemisz and Bouma got call-ups instead), but he played quite well and potted 12 goals in a half-season with Abbotsford.
-Potential: Should get another long look at Flames camp and, barring a call-up, should factor into the Heat's top-six in a big way.
NEMISZ, Greg
-Vitals: 20 years old, from Courtice, Ontario
-Drafted: 2008 first round choice
-Status: Has two years left on current deal
-Skinny: Hard-working player gradually growing into the pro game. Among Heat's leading scorers and earned a call-up to Calgary at end of the season.
-Potential: Nemisz needs to continue to grow into his body a bit and learn to play a bit "bigger", so to speak (in terms of physicality), but his upside could be similar to that of Joel Otto - a clutch, heart-and-soul player. He looked good in Calgary on the fourth line, but is better suited to third line duties.
PATTERSON, Gaelan
-Vitals: 20 years old, from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
-Drafted: 2009 seventh round choice
-Status: Two years left on current contract
-Skinny: Very quietly emerged a a tremendous contributor in Abbotsford before he got hurt (his line with Nemisz and Carter Bancks was great). Never quite got his swagger back when he returned, but he still remained a steady hand.
-Potential: Solid two-way second/third line player for Abbotsford, with a bit of upside if he gets his rhythm back.
REINHART, Max
-Vitals: 19 years old, from Vancouver, British Columbia
-Drafted: 2010 third round choice
-Status: Has one year left in junior
-Skinny: Continued his steady progression by putting up 79 points with Kootenay. Was tied for the team lead in playoff scoring.
-Potential: Will be relied upon more as a leader next season in Kootenay and may be a contender for a spot on Canada's World Junior squad.
RHEAULT, Jon
-Vitals: 24 years old, from Providence, Rhode Island (by way of Arlington, Texas)
-Drafted: 2006 fifth round choice (by Philadelphia)
-Status: Free Agent (had AHL contract)
-Skinny: After an impressive playoff run and strong training camp, Rheault emerged as a strong (if inconsistent) scorer in the AHL. He finished among the Heat's leading scorers.
-Potential: Not sure where he fits into the big club's plans, but he's definitely got the ability to contribute to any AHL team.
(AHL deal; likely expired)
SEVERYN, C.J.
-Vitals: 21 year old, from Beaver, Pennsylvania
-Drafted: 2007 seventh round choice
-Status: Just finished senior year with Ohio State, would need to be signed by August 15 for Calgary to retain his rights
-Skinny: Has decent numbers in four years in the NCAA, but nothing that makes you really want to sign him. He had 12 points this season - NCAA rookie Bill Arnold had 20.
-Potential: Assuming he gets signed, he's likely a depth guy in Abbotsford for the time being.
STONE, Ryan
-Vitals: 26 years old, from Calgary, Alberta
-Drafted: 2003 second round choice
-Status: Unrestricted Free Agent
-Skinny: Came off serious injury and eventually emerged as strong presence in Abbotsford's top line. Showed some good offensive skill once he got his legs back.
-Potential: Hopefully he returns to the team, as he was considered a contender for a roster spot in Calgary before his recovery hit a set-back. He's exactly what the Flames need in their bottom six or what the Heat need in their top six - a reliable, physical guy with pro experience.
WAHL, Mitch
-Vitals: 21 years old, from Seal Beach, California
-Drafted: 2008 second round choice
-Status: Two years left on contract
-Skinny: Renowned as a steady goal-scorer, a concussion kept Wahl to a mere 17 games and single goal with Abbotsford. If he's fully recovered, hopefully his scoring touch returns.
-Potential: Fast and blessed with a good shot, he should be getting top six minutes in the AHL...if he's healthy.
In terms of players graduating to the pros from elsewhere, the Flames will likely need to decide what to do with Joni Ortio, Tim Erixon, Spencer Bennett and Ryan Howse. Bennett and Erixon still don't have contracts, though. Aaron Marvin and C.J. Severyn could also turn pro, but I'd rate that as a lower likelihood.
Next season (2012-13) sees Max Reinhart, Joey Leach, Michael Ferland and Patrick Holland likely turning pro, with John Ramage turning pro the year after (2013-14).
Erixon shouldn't be a big deal. As Feaster said couple days ago they are not allowed to negotiate while the player is still playing and that includes the world championships. With his season just ending couple days ago they can now concentrate on signing him.
Reinhart will also be offered a contract soon as Feaster wants to get him under contact right away.
Ramage I think will be turning pro sooner then 13-14. Flames just have to convince him to do so.
Rhienhart, Holland and ferland really intrigue me. These are the types of guys the flames need to turn into top 6 players in a hurry. Hopefully they can improve on there very solid seasons last year and push for nhl spots the year after.
REINHART, Max
-Vitals: 19 years old, from Vancouver, British Columbia
-Drafted: 2010 third round choice
-Status: Has one year left in junior
-Skinny: Continued his steady progression by putting up 79 points with Kootenay. Was tied for the team lead in playoff scoring.
-Potential: Will be relied upon more as a leader next season in Kootenay and may be a contender for a spot on Canada's World Junior squad.
Reinhart is listed as 6' and 182 lb. This is pretty average size wise although he has time to put on more muscle, I'm wondering how his centre of balance is? Is he easy to knock off the puck like Boyd or can he handle the heavy traffic? I don't have Shaw, so I'm eager to watch him for the first time, this Memorial Cup.
All I know is some of these kids better step up and make a difference at the next level. Tired of seeing players like Neal, Benn, Marchand , Ennis, etc step in and contribute.
I personally think Reinhart will turn out better than Howse, just seems to be more suited for the NHL style of play that coaches look for.
In terms of our goalie situation, I wouldn't mind seeing Keetley let go and maybe give an undrafted goalie a chance as the Heat's 3rd stringer.
You can guarantee Irving is #1 and Ortio #2, but the way Duane Sutter likes to do things in Abbotsford is sign a somewhat older goaltender (ages 25-27) to take care of being a 3rd stringer in case of injury (ie, Shantz and Lamoureaux).
Like I said in a previous thread. I wouldn't mind giving Nathan Lieuwen a PTO. That way he's available in case of injury and gets professional hockey experience in Utah. Plus, it can't hurt that he's a hometown boy.
You can guarantee Irving is #1 and Ortio #2, but the way Duane Sutter likes to do things in Abbotsford is sign a somewhat older goaltender (ages 25-27) to take care of being a 3rd stringer in case of injury (ie, Shantz and Lamoureaux).
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Apparently Duane Sutter has been demoted - I'm not sure if this will be his decision now.
I believe he was moved to a role in the pro-scouting department, Feaster talked about it during the press conference last week.
Didn't hear that mentioned in the press conference but I could see Duane Sutter moved to Western Pro Scout to replace Michel Goulet and Michel Goulet promoted to AGM Player Personnel.
Like I said in a previous thread. I wouldn't mind giving Nathan Lieuwen a PTO. That way he's available in case of injury and gets professional hockey experience in Utah. Plus, it can't hurt that he's a hometown boy.
I honestly doubt Lieuwen will get through undrafted. As a GM, I see too much starter goalie upside in him to not draft him at 4th or 5th round.
He's already been draft eligible and did not get drafted. It's unfortunate that he didn't because of his car crash followed by a concussion.
BTW, you said "As a GM". Are you really a GM or did that just mean if you were a GM?
"If I were". I'd love to be a GM though if you know of something though
I think he'll get draft though because he's had an outstanding year. The last two years, he's shown to have the tools there, but didn't do much with them, posting poor save %'s. This year seemed to be much different though, given that he was by far one of the Ice's best players flat out towards the end of the year and into the playoffs. Given the lack of red flags about the concussion's lasting effect, I don't think it is a huge factor anymore and can't imagine a team spending a mid to late draft on his potential (especially since he can enter the AHL right away if needed).
Freeway's Pre-Draft Flames Prospect Scouting Report Thread
