As he remained signed during the team relocation, he was a regular for the Calgary Wranglers’ inaugural season and played in nearly every game. In 2022-23, Solovyov put up 18 points in 68 games in the AHL. That year in playoffs, he also put up a goal and an assist to help contribute to the Wranglers’ nine-game run.

In the 2023-24 season, Solovyov was usually a top or top two pairing for the Wranglers alongside Nick DeSimone (prior to his departure), Jordan Oesterle, Mark Pysyk or Jonathan Aspirot. He played in 51 regular season games for the Flames affiliate and made his NHL debut on Oct. 23, 2023, against the St. Louis Blues.

He had a few pockets of call-ups in late October, early to mid-December and mid-April that added up to a total of 10 games with the Flames. It only took him three games to get on the stat sheet with an assist on Connor Zary’s goal against the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 5, 2023. Solovyov ended up finishing the year with three assists at the NHL level.

In the AHL, he returned to the Wranglers to aid the team in their playoff journey. After wrapping up the regular season with the Flames, he played in the last regular season game with the Wranglers on Apr. 20. His AHL numbers finished up at 15 points in 51 games consisting of five goals and 10 assists.

In the post-season, Ilya Solovyov played in all six games but only registered one point with an assist in game two against the Tucson Roadrunners. However, his contributions in playoffs were not things that can be recorded in the box score. Solovyov was like an extra goaltender on the ice physically stopping pucks in the crease and blocking a lot of shots from even making it all the way to Dustin Wolf. His hockey IQ and ability to break up big plays helped keep his team in it against tough opponents like the Coachella Valley Firebirds.

FlamesNation writer Mike Gould provided some insight as well into what he sees out of Solovyov’s game. He said:

“I’ve been a fan of Solovyov’s pretty much ever since he made his North American pro debut with the Stockton Heat three seasons ago. Much has been said about Artem Grushnikov needing to carve out a Chris Tanev-like niche to make a go of things in the NHL, but Solovyov has already done so much of the work to get his game closer to that level. He’s absolutely rock-solid on his side of the red line, consistently making the correct decisions to break up plays and quickly move the puck in the right direction. He’s also a strong skater and surprisingly capable in the offensive zone, although that aspect of his game may not translate to the next level for him. I would be surprised if Solovyov doesn’t settle in as a quality bottom-pairing defender in the NHL, perhaps in the same vein as guys like Jani Hakanpaa and Dmitri Kulikov, but his upside is a little limited by the lack of dymanic elements in his game. Once the Flames inevitably move on from one or two of their more established depth defenders, Solovyov should get the first crack at locking down a full-time spot with the big club.”

Expectations for 2024-25

The first order of business is to 100% secure Solovyov’s spot in the organization next season. His entry-level contract expired this summer and he is a restricted free agent as it stands. He may be in a place to try and negotiate a one-way deal but if he and the Flames are not aligned on that, a one-year, two-way extension at minimum is as least earned.

If Solovyov is seen with the Wranglers this season, I imagine it will be brief or an end of season situation where the Flames are out of the playoff picture but the Wranglers remain. Depending on his year, this could be the last summer Soloyvov shows up on this list as he graduates from the prospect status.