FLAMES RETOOL TRACKER: Potential options on defence at the NHL Draft
If there's one thing that's become clear as we've looked through the state of the defence in our Flames Retool Tracker series this week, it's that the organization is well-stocked with young talent on the blue line.
Article content
That makes it pretty unlikely that the Flames will take a defenceman with their first of two first-round picks at the NHL Draft later this month.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Measurements: 6-foot-1, 192 lbs.
Article content
The skinny: It's not just that Brzustewicz's brother, Hunter, is one of the most highly regarded prospects in the Flames system and could be part of the blue-line puzzle next season. Henry also played big minutes for the Knights as they won the Memorial Cup this year and was one of the big risers on most draft boards as the season progressed. Scouts praise him for his super-high hockey IQ and his dependability on both ends of the ice, while acknowledging there's room for him to be more assertive offensively. Brzustewicz is expected to be picked in the second round and it would be a great story if the Flames wound up with both brothers.
Article content
Article content
Article content
Measurements: 6-foot-4, 200 lbs.
Article content
The skinny: The son of eight-time Canadian long ball champion Lisa Vlooswyk is a defensive defenceman who brings real physicality to the ice and that could have real value for a Flames team that already has its fair share of offensively minded blueliners in its system. FC Hockey's draft guide credits Vlooswyk for his physical presence, positioning and stick work and notes that he 'excels in denying net-front access (and) tying up threats without losing structure' — and that's exactly what coaches like in a defenceman. If he's available in the later rounds, the Flames just might look at bringing another Calgary kid home.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edmonton Journal
4 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
The bottom line on why the Edmonton Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers: 9 Things
Article content The business of the National Hockey League allows very little time for emotions to settle before we charge head-long into new business. As such, this column will spend equal time gazing back on the end of the Edmonton Oilers ' season with some regrets, as well as glimpsing hopefully into the future. Article content 9 Things 9. I was glad to see Kris Knoblauch participate in the handshake line after Game Six. I have all kinds of good things to say about Paul Maurice as an NHL coach. But he was way off base in his approach to this tradition. It is all about respect and class, something the world could use more of. Article content 8. All the Oilers key assistant coaches will need new contracts to stay on. While Stan Bowman is somewhat limited in how much he can (or perhaps even should) change the roster, the coaching staff is a place where a new infusion of energy and ideas may be helpful. I am not here to call out any one guy. But as Lao Tzu said: 'If you do not change direction, you night end up where you are heading'. 7. I do not miss the days when all we did in Oilers land was look forward to the NHL draft. For a long span of dark days it was about the only hopeful thing to look forward to. On the face of it, this draft promises to be uneventful for the Oilers. They only have a third-round pick (#83), a sixth-round pick (#191) and finally a seventh (#223). Of course, all sorts of other things could happen on that day on the trading front. We shall see… 6. I listened intently to Connor McDavid 's season-end media avail. Thoughts: I felt he was honest and straightforward. Who among us would not ensure our family comes before anything else? But I also heard his words through a filter that recognizes the loss will still have been fresh and painful for him. In the end, I heard a guy who is absolutely driven by the will to win. Who else would you choose to be the leader of your team than that? Article content 5. I have not disagreed with the addition of veteran depth to this Edmonton Oilers team over the past two years. I absolutely see the value in it. But in any successful organization a mix of experiences is vital and the absence of it can leave a team stagnant. And so as Stan Bowman goes about his business this summer, youth is a box he will need to check. But that is much tougher to achieve when you are in a 'win-dow', if you will. Picks and prospects typically do not play in June. 4. Sunday is our departed Cult of Hockey colleague Bruce McCurdy's celebration of life. Bruce's absence during the Stanley Cup Playoffs was acutely felt around The Cult. Perhaps the nicest thing I can say about Bruce's fine work here at the CoH is that it has influenced how we do things going forward. Bruce's attention to facts and details and his unwavering sense of fairness set a great example that all journalists should aspire to. And, of course, he was just a great guy that is missed every day by family and friends alike. Article content 3. Not a whole bunch of time was spent on Leon Draisaitl's result in the 2024-25 Hart Trophy balloting other than the fact that he lost to Connor Hellebuyck. And I am not here to denigrate the accomplishment of the Jets' netminder. I find that sort of thing distasteful. The vote itself was fairly close (1,346 to 1,209, first-place ballots 81-53). But the much bigger gap was first-place ballots between second and third (Nathan MacKinnon, who actually finished fourth in total votes), 53-to-27. That Draisaitl's fifty-two goals and 106 points was done in just 71 games is additionally impressive. What a season. 2. I am late to this Spring's radio ratings review, as the quarterly release fell inside a busy playoff stretch. Edmonton radio listening is measured by NUMERIS and digital 'people meters'. This most recent (and most influential of the calendar year in terms of revenue) survey was R2/25. 2+ AD FC CUME measures total average daily cumulative audience. Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer on 880 CHED weekdays 4-6pm experienced substantial growth during the Oilers playoff run, attracting 40,184, up from 32,646 in the previous survey. That is an impressive increase of almost 19%. Inside Sports with Brenden Escott (M-F 6-8pm) drew 26,004. Sports 1440 is a welcome voice in Edmonton's sporting scene. However, they are not measured by NUMERIS. Article content is no shortage of voices who already have and will continue to assess how the Oilers came up just short this past season. Mine is hardly the definitive one. But allow me to weight in with my own two cents. At the Cult of Hockey, we chart every single shift with the aid of video to expose what factors turn games and when. We really take care to drill down into the reasons why this team wins or loses on any given night. So, I may have gained some insight there. And I have also spent a lifetime playing and covering hockey at a reasonable level, so my assessments may bring a certain perspective to the conversation. And hey…these may be no better or worse than yours, so if you will kindly indulge me: This team has been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. Losing in those situations is painful. But it also cements the fact that this team is no 'one fateful season', flash-in-the-pan phenomena. The repeat appearance confirms that they are the second-best team in the NHL. While certainly not the end goal, thirty other teams would trade places in a heartbeat. And until game Five, a majority of analysist were proclaiming it one of the best finals of the modern era. It really only came unraveled in the final two games. Article content It is easy to pin the loss on goaltending. The numbers tell a certain story. Florida had the better tending in this series. But Edmonton had the better goalies in the three previous series. And Edmonton only scored three times in Games Five and Six. So, goaltending was a factor, sure. But THE factor? Hmmm. I hate blaming injuries. Yes, they are factors, too. And they may affect one team more than the other. But almost all injuries are the result of bad luck, which can affect any team at any time. And it is not like Panthers players were not nicked up as well. Were Florida's best players better than Edmonton's? In the last two games. But the previous four? Was Florida's roster better built to win? Well yes, I believe that it obvious by the final results. But this was not even a full year on the job for Stan Bowman. A small sample by any NHL General manager's standards. So I am reluctant to pin it all on him, either. Article content Latest National Stories
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Adames scores twice in Reign's 4-1 win over struggling Royals
Emeri Adames scored two goals in the second half and the Seattle Reign beat the Utah Royals 4-1 in the National Women's Soccer League on Saturday. It was the first multi-goal game of Adames' career, and at 19 years and 79 days old, she became the second-youngest player to ever score two goals in an NWSL match. Elsewhere in the NWSL on Saturday, Gotham FC beat Bay FC 2-1 at home, the North Carolina Courage won 2-1 at home against the Houston Dash, and the Portland Thorns edged the Chicago Stars 1-0 to stay undefeated at Providence Park. At America First Field in Utah, the Reign (6-4-3) jumped out to an early 2-0 lead. Ji So-Yun scored from 14 yards out after a headed pass from Maddie Dahlien in the sixth minute. Ji then returned the favor and played Dahlien through on goal for the Reign's second goal in the 16th. Bianca St-Georges scored for the Royals in the 31st as the Canadian forward tapped in from close range after Ally Sentnor's strike rebounded off the post. Ji got her second assist of the match when she slipped the ball to Adames in the 66th and the youngster found the corner with a swift left-footed shot from 12 yards to make it 3-1. Adames converted a penalty kick in the 90th. She leads Seattle with four goals this season. It was the first time the Reign scored four in a game since May 2023. The Royals (1-10-2) extended their winless streak to eight and remain in last place in the NWSL standings as the league heads into a monthlong break. Gonzalez scores league-leading 10th goal of the season for Gotham Esther Gonzalez scored her 10th goal of the season and Gotham came from behind to defeat Bay. The Spaniard is the top scorer in the NWSL and has already surpassed her total of nine from the 2024 season. Gotham (5-5-3) won its second home match of the season. Penelope Hocking put Bay up 1-0 in the 11th minute. Hocking latched onto a looping pass from Hannah Bebar and poked the ball past Ann-Katrin Berger in the Gotham goal. Gonzalez got Gotham's equalizer in the 29th when she pounced on a loose pass in the box by Alyssa Malonson. Geyse netted the winning goal for Gotham in the 55th. Nealy Martin found the Brazilian with a bending 40-yard long pass out of the defense. It was a second straight loss for Bay (4-6-3). The San Jose-based team has lost all three of its meetings with Gotham since joining the NWSL in 2024. Befort completes comeback for Courage Hannah Betfort scored the winning goal in North Carolina's comeback victory. The Courage (5-5-3) are on a two-game winning streak and are up to ninth in the NWSL standings, outside the playoff places on goal difference alone. It was the second consecutive game head coach Sean Nahas missed due to a medical issue, but he was spotted in the stands at WakeMed Soccer Park. The Dash (3-8-2) are winless in their last five games. Avery Patterson put Houston ahead 1-0 in the opening minute of the match. The deflected strike from inside the box came after just 52 seconds and was the fastest goal in Dash history. Acting head coach Nathan Thackeray made a triple substitution in the 66th minute, putting Jaedyn Shaw, Ashley Sanchez and Betfort into the game. Dash midfielder Sarah Puntigam was sent off for a second yellow card for a foul on Shaw in the 70th. Shaw scored the equalizer with a simple finish from the center of the box in the 71st. The goal was Shaw's first for the Courage since joining this past offseason. Manaka Matsukubo spotted Betfort in the box and whipped the ball towards the forward, who got just enough of a touch to score the winning goal in the 81st. Tordin scores and Portland stays unbeaten at home. Pietra Tordin scored the only goal and the Thorns (6-3-4) remained undefeated at Providence Park this season. Portland hasn't dropped a game at home in nine straight matches dating back to last year. After a scoreless first half, Sam Coffey crossed the ball to the back post for Tordin to smash home her third goal of the season in the 59th minute. Thorns goalkeeper Bella Bixby recorded a team record 27th NWSL clean sheet, making three saves. The Stars (1-7-3) are winless in their last nine games. Two-time World Cup winning U.S. women's national team goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher missed a third consecutive match for Chicago due to an upper extremity injury. ___ AP soccer:
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Checkers beat Canucks 4-3 in OT to force Game 6 in Calder Cup final
ABBOTSFORD – Jesse Puljujarvi spoiled the party in Abbotsford on Saturday night when he scored at 15:22 of overtime to lift the visiting Charlotte Checkers to a 4-3 victory over the Canucks. A sold-out crowd at Abbotsford Centre was hoping to see the Canucks — who entered the game leading 3-1 in the best-of-seven championship series — hoist the Calder Cup on home ice, but the best the American Hockey League squad can do now is win the title at Bojangles Coliseum in North Carolina. Ben Steeves, Brett Chorske and Rasmus Asplund also scored for the Checkers, who outshot the hosts 40-32. Linus Karlsson scored twice for the Canucks, while Arshdeep Bains had a goal and assist. The teams were tied 1-1 after the first period and 3-3 heading into the third. Each team went 1-for-2 on the power play. The first two games of the series were played in Charlotte, with the Canucks winning Game 1 4-3 in double overtime. The Checkers bounced back in Game 2 with a 3-2 win in overtime. The series shifted to Abbotsford, B.C., for Games 3, 4 and 5. Abbotsford won Game 3 6-1 and took Game 4 3-2. Only one Canadian team has won the Calder Cup in the previous 11 A-H-L seasons — the 2017-18 Toronto Marlies. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Checkers, the AHL affiliate for the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, swept the Laval Rocket in the Eastern Conference final, while the Canucks bounced the Texas Stars in six games in the Western Conference final. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 21, 2025.
