As the Calgary Flames missed the playoffs, some young players had the chance to play more hockey. The AHL Calgary Wranglers recently won a three-game series against the Tucson Roadrunners; Matt Coronato, Jakob Pelletier, Adam Klapka, and Dustin Wolf were all beneficial factors in the series. It was a short series as the Calgary Wranglers swept the Tucson Roadrunners in two games.
Can the Calgary Flames prospects continue their fantastic play against the Coachella Valley Firebirds?
Process Of Young Guns
Plenty of the upcoming young players for the Flames made significant progress this year. Wolf and Coronato got some consistent NHL time. Each of them showed flashes of brilliance in the 2023-24 season. Most recently, a 46-save shutout for Wolf in the first round of the AHL playoffs. Coronato was a point per game in the AHL season.
Unfortunately, Jakob Pelletier had a rough year. He sustained a brutal shoulder injury in the preseason that forced him to miss half of the regular season. It is difficult to return halfway through a season after such a serious injury, especially for a young player. The Flames got to watch Adam Klapka score his first NHL goal in the final game of the season; a well-deserved moment for a great young player.
One player who has made a great impact in the last few weeks has been William Stromgren. He had ten points in the last eleven games of the regular season. Afterward, he went on to score a beautiful game-winning goal in the first round of the playoffs. Hopefully the 20-year-old can continue this amazing play down the stretch of the AHL playoffs.
Exciting Head-to-Head Matchup
Friday, May 3rd is the starting date of the upcoming series between the Calgary Wranglers and Coachella Valley Firebirds. It will be a tough one for the Wranglers as the Firebirds finished second place in the AHL. Either way, it should be an exciting series as the city of Calgary gets to watch some playoff hockey.
The Coachella Valley Firebirds have some young star power of their own. Shane Wright, Ryker Evans, and Logan Morrison should have a significant impact in this series. Each has put up solid point totals in the AHL while getting some playing time in the NHL. Who do you think will shine the brightest in this matchup?
The Calgary Flames prospects look to continue their journey toward the Calder Cup.
More must-reads: