LD Yan Kuznetsov (2020, 50th, CGY)

[HighLifeMan]

Brings no offense at all at the AHL level, it's hard to expect him to be an NHLer if he can't get a single point in 18 AHL games. Feels like he should have staye din the NCAA one more year.

He's a 19 year old defensive defensemen playing limited minutes on a quality AHL roster - if anything being able to keep up at that level is a promising sign for his future, although I don't disagree that he likely should have stayed in college another year. Some speculation circulating that he will be loaned back to the Q to get consistent playing time.

 

[Yepthatsme]

Brings no offense at all at the AHL level, it's hard to expect him to be an NHLer if he can't get a single point in 18 AHL games. Feels like he should have staye din the NCAA one more year.

If a defensive defenseman who is 19 playing in the AHL was putting up points in a limited role, it’d be much bigger news honestly. 32 defenseman in the history of the AHL have put up 10+ points as a 19 year old, it really just doesn’t happen. At this stage learning to ply his craft against grown men is good enough. More interested in seeing how he performs at the world juniors this year.

 

[HighLifeMan]

He will be joining fellow Flames prospects Jeremie Poirier and Ryan Francis in Saint John for their memorial cup push.

 

[Caser]

 

[wings5]

He has taken a step down in the level of competition he was playing against by going to the Q after playing AHL and NCAA. Maybe still he can find some offense there though

 

[KristichBabych]

Do you think he will return with Russia for the WJC? At least, he will develop some offensive tools in the Q...And a run to go to the Memorial cup.

 

[ETTHAKING67]

Do you think he will return with Russia for the WJC? At least, he will develop some offensive tools in the Q...And a run to go to the Memorial cup.

He should be joining Russia. I expect him to have a big role with them at the WJC. Going back to the Q might turn out to be a really smart move in the futur, I think.

 

[TheBeastCoast]

He should be joining Russia. I expect him to have a big role with them at the WJC. Going back to the Q might turn out to be a really smart move in the futur, I think.

Was left off the Russian team it seems.

 

[ETTHAKING67]

Was left off the Russian team it seems.

Really odd, looks like Russia didn't bring any players that are playing in NA. Kuzy was expected to be a top 4 D.

 

[wasunder]

Signing him to a pro contract when he could have stayed in the NCAA was a strange decision. I wonder if he wanted to go back to Russia to play professionally, and the Flames signed him to keep him in NA. That thoughts ran through my mind a bit. It's not great for development to be bouncing around from team to team all the time. Hopefully he gets some momentum playing top minutes in the Q and can come into the AHL next year ready for a larger role.

 

[Dack]

Signing him to a pro contract when he could have stayed in the NCAA was a strange decision. I wonder if he wanted to go back to Russia to play professionally, and the Flames signed him to keep him in NA. That thoughts ran through my mind a bit. It's not great for development to be bouncing around from team to team all the time. Hopefully he gets some momentum playing top minutes in the Q and can come into the AHL next year ready for a larger role.

I don't know about the threat of going back to Russia but it's very clear to me he would have benefited from at least one more season in the NCAA. He didn't look AHL ready at all when I watched him play, just didn't look comfortable with the pace of play, turnovers and odd man rushes resulted from it.

Hopefully he can grow as a player on the Seadogs. He's joined there by 2 other Flames picks and they're hosting the memorial cup. So that could be good for developing chemistry between those guys who will all be in Stockton next year.

 

[TopC0rner]

Signing him to a pro contract when he could have stayed in the NCAA was a strange decision. I wonder if he wanted to go back to Russia to play professionally, and the Flames signed him to keep him in NA. That thoughts ran through my mind a bit. It's not great for development to be bouncing around from team to team all the time. Hopefully he gets some momentum playing top minutes in the Q and can come into the AHL next year ready for a larger role.

Could be as simple as he didn't want to do another year in college (academically) and he was looking at his options.

He's not the first nor the last player who's best served by going back to juniors for a year, it depends on the situation.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

Very odd development path, in particular for a Russian.

 

[Caser]

 

[Caser]

 

[Bounces R Way]

 

[Bounces R Way]

Had a Markstrom rebound go right off his shin for a GA his 2nd shift but was otherwise quite solid for a dman drafted in 2020.

Excellent edge work and really liked the way he moves for a kid with his size. Stayed with his man keep it simple. If he pans out he could be a Lindell, Siegenthaler, or Brodin type top 4.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Had a Markstrom rebound go right off his shin for a GA his 2nd shift but was otherwise quite solid for a dman drafted in 2020.

Excellent edge work and really liked the way he moves for a kid with his size. Stayed with his man keep it simple. If he pans out he could be a Lindell, Siegenthaler, or Brodin type top 4.

So much better than Oesterle.

 

[Caser]

 

[KOS21]

Any chance of making the flames out of training camp?

 

[DFF]

Any chance of making the flames out of training camp?

They only have 3-4 real NHL dmen so yeah plenty of room

 

[Caser]

 

[hypereconomist]

Any chance of making the flames out of training camp?

Not unless he takes a huge leap forward. Outside of the six dmen with one-way contracts, the Flames also have Solovyov, Poirier, and Grushnikov ahead of him on the depth chart and playing bigger minutes in the AHL.

He's been getting better every year and he'll only be 22 years old next season. There's still time for him to pan out as a bottom pairing defensive dman, but he's losing runway as the Flames continue to add higher profile players like Brustewicz and Parekh to their prospect pool.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Not unless he takes a huge leap forward. Outside of the six dmen with one-way contracts, the Flames also have Solovyov, Poirier, and Grushnikov ahead of him on the depth chart and playing bigger minutes in the AHL.

He's been getting better every year and he'll only be 22 years old next season. There's still time for him to pan out as a bottom pairing defensive dman, but he's losing runway as the Flames continue to add higher profile players like Brustewicz and Parekh to their prospect pool.

He’s not behind Grush or Poirier, not at this point. I bet Kuz plays like 25 games this year in the NHL. Same with Solo.

 

[Figgy44]

Not unless he takes a huge leap forward. Outside of the six dmen with one-way contracts, the Flames also have Solovyov, Poirier, and Grushnikov ahead of him on the depth chart and playing bigger minutes in the AHL.

He's been getting better every year and he'll only be 22 years old next season. There's still time for him to pan out as a bottom pairing defensive dman, but he's losing runway as the Flames continue to add higher profile players like Brustewicz and Parekh to their prospect pool.

I think he and solo would be paired with grushnikov or Poirier for a defensive minded and an offensive minded guy pairing in the AHL.

The current roster guys (ie: Bean,Bahl, Hanley LD & Miromanov, Pachal, Hanley RD) would have to really crap the bed or get really injured in large batches for those young guys to play on the Flames.