DEEP ON YOUNG D, FLAMES SEE STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Suddenly, the Calgary Flames’ prospect pool is deep with puck-moving, offensive-minded defencemen.
That isn’t something you could say a year ago, when the Flames’ cupboard was considered an area that needed a lot of strengthening.
But when they took Zayne Parekh with the No. 9 overall pick in the NHL Draft last week and took Henry Mews a couple of rounds later, at No. 74 overall, it was easy to start daydreaming about a potentially dynamic power-play in a few years.
And Hunter Brzustewicz is a big part of that.
The 19-year-old was acquired in the trade that sent Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks back in January, and finished second in scoring among defencemen in the OHL last year behind only Parekh himself. Mews was seventh.
After Day 1 of his first summer development camp with the Flames on Thursday, Brzustewicz admitted that just like most Flames fans, he’s been wondering how explosive the Flames blue line could be in a couple years, too.
“I would be lying if I said no,” Brzustewicz said. “But we’ve all got to make it, but for sure it’s exciting to think that some of these guys could be teammates.”
Brzustewicz is one of the more exciting prospects in the Flames system. He scored 13 goals and added 79 assists for the Kitchener Rangers last year and has elite puck-moving skills.
Similar things have been said about Parekh and even Mews, so there will be competition for places down the road, but in the modern NHL there’s no reason why a couple of strong, puck-moving defencemen can’t fit into the same lineup.
You might have described Rasmus Andersson and Noah Hanifin similarly, and it never hurt the Flames having them in the same lineup when they were both with the organization.
This certainly doesn’t seem like the Flames have too much of a good thing. They’ve got strength in depth. That’s what teams want.
And while the narrative surrounding Brzustewicz may focus on his offensive abilities, he’s got more to his game than that.
“I definitely do think I can do anything, whatever the team needs me to do,” Brzucstewicz said. “I think multiple guys can play multiple roles. I think even myself, I can play any role you want me to and I think it’s cool to see that there are a lot of offensive guys in the organization.”
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Not entirely clear
There does seem to be a little bit of uncertainty surrounding the immediate future of Matvei Gridin .
The winger was taken No. 28 overall by the Flames in the draft last week after a season for the Muskegon Lumberjacks that saw him lead the USHL with 83 points.
At the time, it was believed that he’d be playing college hockey with the University of Michigan Wolverines next season.
On Wednesday, though, he was selected first overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Val d’Or Foreurs.
Asked directly where he’ll be playing in the fall, the Russian admitted he wasn’t entirely sure.
“I know the same as you guys,” Gridin said. “After that, it’s just my agent’s work. That’s it.”
Ice chips
Samuel Honzek has been working out in Slovakia with Flames winger and pest-extraordinaire Martin Pospisil. To this reporter’s eye, the Flames’ first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft has definitely added some bulk to his frame … Spotted in the crowd at WinSport — a fan in a ‘Scoreonato’ jersey … Trevor Hoskin, the centre out of the OJHL’s Cobourg Cougars who the Flames took in the fourth round last weekend, was unable to attend this weekend’s development camp because he came down with the flu.
2024-07-04T21:47:06Z dg43tfdfdgfd