This season, the Calgary Flames have been a mediocre squad. They have streaks where they appear like a playoff club and then they have streaks where they appear like a lottery team.
They are among the more active clubs in the NHL when it comes to transactions because of their inconsistent play.
The Flames have completed four significant deals thus far this season. They dealt Chris Tanev to the Dallas Stars, Nikita Zadarov and Elias Lindholm to the Vancouver Canucks, and most recently, Noah Hanifin to the Vegas Golden Knights. It is obvious that a retooling or rebuilding is underway because those players were integral parts of the club.
The Flames received eight picks back in the draft.these four deals. Think what you want about that number but that’s a different conversation. The Flames got back four really interesting prospects that need to be talked about.
Andre Kuzmenko was traded to Calgary in December as part of the Zadorov deal. He struggled to perform in Vancouver this year, scoring only 8 goals in 43 games compared to his impressive 39 goals in 81 games the previous season. However, his performance has significantly improved in Calgary, with 5 goals and 3 assists in 13 games.
Kuzmenko may not replicate his 40-goal season, but he still has the potential to score 15-20 goals in a season. His prowess as a pure goal scorer is beneficial for a rebuilding Calgary team.
On the other hand, Hunter Brzustewicz, an Ontario Hockey League player with the Kitchener Rangers, has been impressive with 86 points in 62 games at just 19 years old. While the transition to the NHL may be challenging, his performances in the OHL suggest that he has a bright future.
Artem Grushnikov, known for his physical style of play, and Daniil Miramonov, a controversial acquisition in the Hanifin deal, add depth to the Flames’ roster. The team’s overall talent indicates that they may not need a complete rebuild, but only time will reveal the true outcome of these acquisitions.
