Connect with us

Calgary Flames

2021 Flames Top 25 Under 25: #11 – Adam Ruzicka

Ruzicka dressed in three games for Calgary last year

Published

on

#11 – Adam Ruzicka

Position: Centre

Age: 22

2020-21 Team: Stockton Heat (AHL), Calgary Flames (NHL)

Stats: 28 GP, 11 G, 10 A, 21 Pts (AHL) / 3 GP, 0 G, 1 A, 1 Pt (NHL)

Drafted in 2017, Round 4, Pick 109

2020 Ranking: #16 (+5)

Up next, we have 2017 4th round pick and Slovak native Adam Ruzicka. The Flames got Ruzicka into three NHL games towards the end of the 2020-21 season and he looks to be on the bubble this year heading into training camp.

Ruzicka also had a stellar shortened season with the Stockton Heat, with 11 goals and 21 points in just 28 games. In 2019-20, he had 10 goals and 27 points in 54 games, so it was a big jump forward for him. Ruzicka also spent time with Team Slovakia this summer, scoring two goals in three games in their Olympic Qualifying Group as they earned their spot in Beijing this February.

Moving into this season, it looked as though Ruzicka originally had a good shot at cracking the bottom of the Flames roster or at least making the top 14 out of camp, however that has changed with the Flames bringing in a number of veteran forwards for depth. With that in mind, the cards looked stacked against Ruzicka heading into training camp. He will really need to blow away the team to make it, and even then might not make it out of the gate as he won’t require waivers to be sent to Stockton. That is a luxury the Flames do not have with Glenn Gawdin or Matthew Phillips who are also competing for those final few spots.

Ruzicka does have the size to thrive in a Sutter system at 6’4’’ and 203 lbs, but he will have to continue getting better at leveraging it in puck battles while maintaining his offensive growth. He might not be a full-time NHLer this season, but I would not be shocked if he finds his way into 10-15 games over the course of the season.

by Michael MacGillivray