Returning AHLers Participating in Flames Training Camp

Calgary Flames training camp is underway and preseason games kicked off on Sunday, September 25. The expanded roster for this preseason includes a handful of players that played for the Stockton Heat last year and are expected to join the new AHL team. the Calgary Wranglers, this year. These games and extended time with the Flames regulars are especially important for the cusp players looking to crack the opening night roster or be top of mind for the coaches regarding call-ups this year. 

Here is the list of players that made the Flames training camp roster and played for its AHL team last season:

• Walker Duehr (F)
• Matthew Phillips (F)
• Jakob Pelletier (F)
• Connor Zary (F)
• Adam Ruzicka (F)
• Martin Pospisil (F)
• Emilio Pettersen (F)
• Alex Gallant (F)
• Connor Mackey (D)
• Juuso Valimaki (D)
• Yan Kuznetzov (D)
• Colton Poolman (D)
• Nick DeSimone (D)
• Ilya Solovyov (D)
• Dustin Wolf (G)
• Daniil Chechelev (G)

Out of this list, only four of these players saw NHL time last season: Connor Mackey, Juuso Valimaki, Adam Ruzicka, and Walker Duehr. While Duehr’s NHL stint last season was just the game, the other three had pretty regular roles that put them in part-time positions. Someone like Mackey and Ruzicka are looking to make a solid impression in this camp to be able to transition into NHL regulars and make the opening night roster.

On the other hand, there has been a huge shake-up in the core of the Flames with the offseason departures of Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, and Sean Monahan over the summer. They have mostly been replaced with the new signings of Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau, but there could be some room in the forward depth for a young star to make a jump.

The three most under the microscope in this position would be Matthew Phillips, Connor Zary, and Jakob Pelletier. Pelletier is arguably the most prepared for this jump, but all three have the skill to earn some NHL minutes. Zary was injured in the preseason last year and didn’t seem to completely bounce back. The offseason could have been good for him and a lot of people see the potential this young forward has. 

Phillips has been a Calgary favorite but has been just beyond the reach of the Flames roster. His linemate Ruzicka earned his times with the Flames last year, but Phillips always seemed to be too far down the pecking order to have many call-ups in his career. To date, he has only played in one NHL game and continues to sign one-year, two-way deals with the Flames to hang on to his hopes of cracking the lineup with this organization. He is currently the longest-serving AHLer in the Calgary affiliation system after the departure of Glenn Gawdin over the summer. 

Phillips played alongside Pelletier last year and Pelletier could be the next big thing for the Flames. Pelletier has excelled in every league he has played in and stood out as one of the AHL’s best rookies in the 2021-22 season. He is a fan favourite and a nimble playmaker with some wicked abilities. If he can catch up to the pace of the NHL, he can be quite dangerous.

So far, the former AHLers have survived the first cuts, but they can’t all expect to be around for long. The next few games and weeks will bring more cuts and maybe some dreams to come true for some NHL hopefuls.