Yardbarker
x

With the 211th pick, the Calgary Flames selected left-shot centre Yan Matveiko from CSKA Red Army in the MHL. Matveiko, born in August 2006, was in his second year of draft eligibility. The Russian centre had a strong sophomore season in the MHL, scoring 24 points in 42 games. Let’s further explore who Matveiko is and how he potentially fits into the Flames’ future.

Who is Yan Matveiko?

Yan Matveiko has a late birthday, born August 13, 2006. The centreman was reportedly on the Flames’ radar last season, but after struggling with his 6’1″, 150-pound frame in the MHL, the team decided to pass. This season, Matveiko had a breakout season in the MHL and a drastic growth spurt. Despite his height and weight remaining the same online, Flames Director of Amateur Scouting Tod Button reported to Flames TV that Matveiko was closer to 6’4″ and 185lbs in his 10-goal, 24-point sophomore season.

Season Draft Relative Team League GP G A P
2023–24 D+0 CSKA U18 Russia U18 1 0 0 0
CSKA Red Army MHL 26 1 0 1
2024–25 D+1 CSKA Red Army MHL 42 10 14 24

His first draft-eligible season, 2023–24, was a difficult transition for Yan as he progressed into Russia’s top junior league, scoring only a single point in 26 games. The 2024–25 season was a major breakout season for Matveiko, scoring at a 0.57 point/game pace in the MHL. Turning 19 in August, the Flames and Russian scout Denis Grebeshkov believe Matveiko could play in the KHL next season.

Matveiko did not attend the Flames rookie development camp. The Russian centre is under contract with CSKA Red Army until the end of the 2025–26 season. After next season, there could be a possibility that the Flames try to sign Matveiko if his development continues to ramp up.

Matveiko and his role with the Flames

Matveiko was the last of four centres selected by the Flames in their 2025 draft class. It’s clear the Flames made efforts to bolster their prospect pool up the middle. This gives the Flames’ second seventh-round pick in 2025 a better shot than most players in his position, especially when you consider the mystery surrounding his drastic uptick in performance and size this past season. If his reported growth spurt was as sudden as it appears, last year could’ve been his first season finally filling out his frame. That bodes well for the Flames.

If Matveiko continues to gain confidence with his size and growing strength, he can apply his offensive touch in a way that could be extremely effective at the next level. We will see if he does make the jump to the KHL next season. If so, Yan could be closer to making his North American debut than it seems. Even so, he remains behind a list of prospects that includes Cullen Potter, Cole Reschny, Luke Misa, and Theo Stockselius.

Next season will surely shed more light on Matveiko as he continues to play with CSKA Red Army.

How this player fits into the Flames’ core

Matveiko could fit into the Flames’ core down the road, but it would have to include a number of changes from my perspective. It’s obvious the Flames’ priorities for young centres will surround Cole Reschny and Cullen Potter while they continue to work Connor Zary into a full-time centre role. The Flames have quickly gone from one of the weakest prospect pools at centre ice to one of the strongest league-wide.

It feels much more likely that Matveiko could develop into a prospect with some intrigue and be used in a trade going forward. The organization obviously drafted him for a reason, but Matveiko will have a lot of competition around a similar age in the Flames system. Time will tell, seventh-round picks have done well in Calgary’s system the last few years.

This article first appeared on The Win Column and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!