Prospect Info: Jakob Pelletier, Left Wing, 26th Overall

[Ace Rimmer]

Coronato’s happy he just has to wait another 3 years to pick the team he wants to go to.

I look forward to our collective hand wringing in 3 years, and (hopefully) again in 10 years.

 

[BRobMint]

This Reddit user posted these two charts analyzing the top AHL forward prospects. Pelletier rates well as a dual threat in primary scoring and as a two way stud

 

[Rubi]

Is this the year Pelts becomes a regular top 6 in the Flames lineup? Or is he another 1st round draft pick (not necessarily talking about the Flames) that just didn't pan out the way everyone hoped?

 

[Lunatik]

Is this the year Pelts becomes a regular top 6 in the Flames lineup? Or is he another 1st round draft pick (not necessarily talking about the Flames) that just didn't pan out the way everyone hoped?

Pelletier was always projected as middle 6, just like Zary and Coronato

 

[Backlund]

He wasn't bad before he got injured but when he came back he was invisible. Hopefully he's healed properly and can get back on track but I've always expected him to be a middle 6 guy when he made it.

 

[User1996]

My view is that he’ll be in tough to get top 9 minutes over Kuzmenko, Sharangovich, Kadri, Huberdeau, Zary, Coleman, Backlund, Mantha, Pospisil, and probably Coronato based on their showings late last year.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

My view is that he’ll be in tough to get top 9 minutes over Kuzmenko, Sharangovich, Kadri, Huberdeau, Zary, Coleman, Backlund, Mantha, Pospisil, and probably Coronato based on their showings late last year.

Top 9 minutes may not mean much, this team might run a top line and 3 "other" lines.

Especially if they're trying Popsicle at centre on the 4th line.

 

[User1996]

Top 9 minutes may not mean much, this team might run a top line and 3 "other" lines.

Especially if they're trying Popsicle at centre on the 4th line.

This is true. Would be completely on board with evening out the minutes up front.

 

[Yepthatsme]

My view is that he’ll be in tough to get top 9 minutes over Kuzmenko, Sharangovich, Kadri, Huberdeau, Zary, Coleman, Backlund, Mantha, Pospisil, and probably Coronato based on their showings late last year.

Huberdeau-Zary-Sharangovich
Kuzmenko-Kadri-Mantha
X-Backlund-Coleman
X-Pospisil-Lomberg

Coronato and Pelletier battle it out to earn that initial top 9 slot, then post Mantha trade they both can get inserted into a higher role depending on the winner.

Top 9 minutes may not mean much, this team might run a top line and 3 "other" lines.

Especially if they're trying Popsicle at centre on the 4th line.

I don’t think this is the season to just role 4 lines. If we really are trying to add picks while getting younger, play the top 6 in the most high minute roles to boost values. Eases the young guys in, while giving them a great opportunity when those older players/rentals are eventually moved for larger roles.

 

[Lunatik]

Top 9 minutes may not mean much, this team might run a top line and 3 "other" lines.

Especially if they're trying Popsicle at centre on the 4th line.

I think Zary could be tried there too

 

[Fig]

Top 9 minutes may not mean much, this team might run a top line and 3 "other" lines.

Especially if they're trying Popsicle at centre on the 4th line.

For as much as Sutter kinda went crazy near the end, I'm really glad he showed that rolling 1A/1B lines, rolling 3A and 3B lines and then 2A/2B defense pairings is a successful way to spread out talent or attempt to cover up weaknesses. I like this idea.

 

[HighLifeMan]

Pelletier's game is a perfect compliment to Backlund and Coleman. Start him there and give him time.

The kid's a gamer.

 

[Lunatik]

Pelletier's game is a perfect compliment to Backlund and Coleman. Start him there and give him time.

The kid's a gamer.

Coronato and Zary have also played strong 2-way games coming up. Pelts is likely a 4W to start the year though, playing with Pospisil and Rooney or Lomberg

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

Was just looking through the list of restricted free agents and noticed Pelletier. Other than him being a former first round pick and suffering a shoulder injury I haven't heard much about him.

I'm assuming he re-signs with the Flames but is he good enough to spend the full year with the Flames?

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

Was just looking through the list of restricted free agents and noticed Pelletier. Other than him being a former first round pick and suffering a shoulder injury I haven't heard much about him.

I'm assuming he re-signs with the Flames but is he good enough to spend the full year with the Flames?

He lost waiver exemption this summer so no real choice on the matter

 

[Jersey Fan 12]

He lost waiver exemption this summer so no real choice on the matter

If he gets waived does he definitely get claimed? I haven't seen him play and if you go by the fan poll here (not always the most reliable resource) he's the seventh or eighth best prospect in the Flames' system.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

If he gets waived does he definitely get claimed? I haven't seen him play and if you go by the fan poll here (not always the most reliable resource) he's the seventh or eighth best prospect in the Flames' system.

Probably. But he won't get waived. After Mangiapane was traded he was pretty much guaranteed to make the team

 

[Khrox]

After Mangiapane was traded he was pretty much guaranteed to make the team

I don't know, I figured Mangi trade opened the spot for Coronato. It's really down to Coronato and Pelletier realistically, and due to Pelts injuries and Coronato's performance last year, I do think it's Coronato's spot to lose, rather than Pelletiers.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

I don't know, I figured Mangi trade opened the spot for Coronato. It's really down to Coronato and Pelletier realistically, and due to Pelts injuries and Coronato's performance last year, I do think it's Coronato's spot to lose, rather than Pelletiers.

We'll see what happens in camp but there is no chance Pelletier gets placed on waivers. I would expect both to make the team but with Coronato being waiver exempt still, unless he locks a spot in the top 6 there is a very good chance he is moved up and down. Apparently we will be trying both Pospisil and Zary at center so I could absolutely see a situation where both Pelts and Coronato get top 9 roles.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

I think guys like Hunt, Rooney & Duehr get waived 1st.
Pelletier is likely penciled in on the roster.

 

[Yepthatsme]

If he gets waived does he definitely get claimed? I haven't seen him play and if you go by the fan poll here (not always the most reliable resource) he's the seventh or eighth best prospect in the Flames' system.

He’s 7th or 8th because people have a hard time separating “what have you done for me lately” from potential. He had a much better profile than a guy like Zary did in the AHL, but his shoulder injury caused him to miss from preseason until into 2024, where he looked rough trying to become a full time player while dealing with trying to come back from his injury with limited opportunity. He also injured the same shoulder but a different injury again which caused him to miss more time, and he even spoke to how it affected him in an interview mentally. I still like his odds at becoming a 50 point, pesky two way winger, but a lot of people see a down year and shinier/newer toys and get down on him.

For his role this season, both he and Coronato will make the team barring a massive disappointment by Coronato coming into the season. The two will probably battle it out for the last top 9 spot, while the other gets 4th line time. We will have probably have atleast 1 top 9 player (Mantha then Kuzmenko being the most likely, with guys like Coleman and Kadri being longer odds) traded this season, and they’ll both move up accordingly when it happens

 

[Ace Rimmer]

If he gets waived does he definitely get claimed? I haven't seen him play and if you go by the fan poll here (not always the most reliable resource) he's the seventh or eighth best prospect in the Flames' system.

At 23, he's arguably the most NHL ready of those on the list, and there's some recency bias in the voting because new is always better.

Nobody thought Matthew Phillips would be claimed, he was claimed three times.

 

[Yepthatsme]

At 23, he's arguably the most NHL ready of those on the list, and there's some recency bias in the voting because new is always better.

Nobody thought Matthew Phillips would be claimed, he was claimed three times.

There was no way he wasn’t getting claimed, he was the leading scorer in the A. Everyone looks at a guy like that and thinks maybe they can fix him or maybe their system he will work better in.

Pelletier gets claimed 11/10 though, players his age usually get swapped in change of scenery trades when they’re actually struggling, any young team will line up to add him for free. He hasn’t even actually struggled though, he was just injured and had his role filled before he returned.

 

[Dack]

He’s 7th or 8th because people have a hard time separating “what have you done for me lately” from potential. He had a much better profile than a guy like Zary did in the AHL, but his shoulder injury caused him to miss from preseason until into 2024, where he looked rough trying to become a full time player while dealing with trying to come back from his injury with limited opportunity. He also injured the same shoulder but a different injury again which caused him to miss more time, and he even spoke to how it affected him in an interview mentally. I still like his odds at becoming a 50 point, pesky two way winger, but a lot of people see a down year and shinier/newer toys and get down on him.

For his role this season, both he and Coronato will make the team barring a massive disappointment by Coronato coming into the season. The two will probably battle it out for the last top 9 spot, while the other gets 4th line time. We will have probably have atleast 1 top 9 player (Mantha then Kuzmenko being the most likely, with guys like Coleman and Kadri being longer odds) traded this season, and they’ll both move up accordingly when it happens

His AHL numbers were better than Zary's because he played almost exclusively with Matthew Phillips while Zary was in the middle 6 with Justin Kirkland and friends. Zary has always been a better offensive player. I think Pelletier's likely path to the NHL is as a 3rd line Swiss army knife winger but he doesn't have a lot of runway left. This is a make or break year for him.

 

[Mobiandi]

Someone may take a flyer on him if he gets waived in Sept/Oct but it wouldn’t be shocking if they didn’t