Calgary Flames Top 25 Under 25 Mid-Season Status Report: Part 1 (#25-#12)

We’re now well past the halfway mark of hockey season, and it’s time to do a checkup on the players from last summer’s Top 25 Under 25 list are performing this season. We’ll look at their basic stats, how their team is doing, and whether they’re trending up or down.

Note: These are their rankings from last summer, not their current ones.

#25: RW D’Artagnan Joly, Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL)

Age: 19

Drafted: 2017 6th Round (#171)

42 GP, 13 G, 17 A, 30 Pts, 21 PIM, +7

Joly started the season with Baie-Comeau Drakkar where he put up 26 points in 31 games, before being traded twice in a few days, once to Victoriaville and then to Rimouski. The Oceanic sit around the middle of the pack in the QMJHL. Joly’s production has dropped from last year where he put up 68 points in 55 games. The Flames have a deadline of June 1 2019 to decide whether or not to sign Joly.

Trending: Down

#24: RW Eetu Tuulola, HPK Hameenlinma (SM-Liiga)

Age: 20

Drafted: 2016 6th Round (#156)

43 GP, 8 G, 17 A, 25 Pts, 38 PIM, -2

Tuulola is scoring at roughly the same pace he did last season for HPK. They’re currently sitting fifth in the league. He’s not particularly lighting the league up or really taking a step forward compared to his production from last year.

Trending: The Same

#23: LW Ryan Lomberg, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Age: 24

NHL: 4 GP, 0 G, 0 A, 0 Pts, 17 PIM, +/- 0, AHL: 31 GP, 4 G, 5 A, 9 Pts, 26 PIM, -5

Ah yes, the first NHLer on the list and one of only two Flames to have been suspended this year. Lomberg is more or less what he is, a scrappy guy who you only really put on the ice for a few minutes to s*** disturb. I can’t see him carving out anything close to a full time role in the NHL, but I guess is alright as an occasional callup for rough games.

Trending: The Same

#22: C Hunter Shinkaruk

TRADED!

#21: C Adam Ruzicka, Sudbury Wolves (OHL)

Age: 19

Drafted: 2017 4th Round (#109)

41 GP, 15 G, 27 A, 42 Pts, 22 PIM, -9

Just like Joly, Ruzicka was also recently traded to a new team. The Sarnia Sting sent Ruzicka to the Sudbury Wolves in exchange for three draft picks. Since making it to Sudbury, Ruzicka has three points in four games as the Wolves try to push for a Top 3 spot in the OHL’s Eastern Conference. He also suited up for Slovakia at the World Juniors, scoring a pair of goals in five games.

Trending: Slightly Up

#20: LW Morgan Klimchuk

TRADED!

#19: C/RW Curtis Lazar, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Age: 23

Drafted: 2013 1st Round (#17), Acquired via trade on March 1 2017

40 GP, 13 G, 18 A, 31 Pts, 30 PIM, -5

The Flames bit the bullet and finally sent Lazar down to the AHL this year, and by all accounts he’s performed really well with a bigger role for Stockton. Whether that translates into getting another crack in Calgary remains to be seen, The Heat have been struggling this year, and Lazar has been one of the few things going well for them

Trending: Up

#18: C Glenn Gawdin, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Age: 21

37 GP, 10 G, 10 A, 20 Pts, 37 PIM, -6

Obviously the hype train was dialed back a bit this season after his ridiculous 157 points in 91 games last year with Swift Current Broncos of the WHL. He’s had a respectable rookie season with Heat, but his development will still take some time before he has a shot at the Flames.

Trending: The Same

#17: RW Matthew Phillips, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Age: 20

Drafted: 2016 Round 6 (#166)

38 GP, 10 G, 15 A, 25 Pts, 2 PIM, -3

The other super hyped WHL overager also had his production slowed upon entering professional hockey. However after an eight game pointless streak to start his season, Phillips has been scoring at close to a point per game, including a stretch where he had five goals and eight assists in eight games. He’s got the skill, now just needs some time.

Trending: Up

#16: D Oliver Kylington, Calgary Flames (NHL)

Age: 21

Drafted: 2015 Round 2 (#60)

NHL: 26 GP, 3 G, 2 A, 5 Pts, 4 PIM, +2, AHL: 18 GP, 7 G, 7 A 14 Pts, 8 PIM, +/- 0

Kylington has become a full time NHLer with the injury to Juuso Valimaki and has looked pretty good while doing so. Obviously there will be some growing pains with the a rookie in the NHL, but he’s been nothing if not steady on the bottom pairing, occasionally flashing some of his potent offense. Whether or not he stays in Calgary or heads back to Stockton, or is even trade bait remains to be seen.

Trending: Up

#15: G Tyler Parsons, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Age: 21

Drafted: 2016 Round 2 (#54)

11 GP, 6-3-1, 0.891 SV%, 3.98 GAA

Parsons has had some injury issues in his second professional season and has struggled to post strong numbers. Hopefully the numbers can start to even out as he gets more games under his belt. A 49 save victory the other night against Texas will certainly help.

Trending: The Same

#14: G Jon Gillies, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Age: 25

Drafted: 2012 Round 3 (#75)

26 GP, 5-12-4, 4.11 GAA, 0.867 SV%

Gillies turned 25 on January 22, and officially aging off our list in the process. He’s had an ugly year with Heat and the writing looks to be on the wall for him within the organization. It’s safe to say that barring something ridiculous, Gillies is not the goaltender of the future in Calgary.

Trending: Down

#13: C Dillon Dube, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Age: 20

Drafted: 2016 Round 2 (#56)

NHL: 23 GP, 1 G, 4 A, 5 Pts, 4 PIM, +4, AHL: 15 GP, 4 G, 10 A, 14 Pts, 10 PIM, -2

Dube has jumped up and down between the Flames and Heat this season, getting some bottom six ice time with Calgary and top six minutes with Stockton. He’s seen growth in his game in Stockton while being used in different situations, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him bounce up and down a few more times this year.

Trending: Up

#12: RW Spencer Foo, Stockton Heat (AHL)

Age: 24

41 GP, 10 G, 9 A, 19 Pts, 30 PIM, -16

Despite a number of Heat players receiving callups, even for just a short period of time for some, Spencer Foo was not among them. He’s scoring at a lesser pace than last year, and hasn’t really been a name mentioned when talking about the Heat. He was a hyped signing, and I was impressed with his brief audition last year, but it hasn’t materialized for him.

Trending: Down

Stay tuned for Part 2 in the coming days!

by Michael MacGillivray