After ranking the top 100 NHL prospects for 2015-16 and ranking each team by organizational depth, ESPN Insider Corey Pronman ranks the top 10 prospects for each NHL team. Here is his entry for the Calgary Flames. Extended write-ups on prospects ranked in the top 100 can be accessed here.
After some graduations and other moves during the past 12 months, the depth in the Flames' system has thinned a little, but their top end is very strong, with the top five or six prospects being able to go toe-to-toe with most top farm systems around the league.
Rasmus Andersson is a dynamic offensive talent with great puck skills, especially for a player with a pro-sized frame. He has an aggressive, attacking style of play and loves to have the puck on his stick. The red flags are his lackluster defensive play in terms of his off-puck reads, up-and-down effort levels, being too aggressive offensively and his habit of getting beat with speed at times. His weight has also been an issue.
Tyler Wotherspoon is a bit of a bland prospect, but he remains a decent one. He's very smart and effective on defense with decent mobility, but he lacks any puck skills or offensive creativity to be a threat in the NHL.
Netminder Mason McDonald shows above-average athleticism in terms of his side-to-side movements and ability to play at the top of his crease and play the puck. His hockey sense is decent to solid, although his positioning can still use a little cleaning up, especially as he moves up in levels and the shooters improve and take advantage of his aggressiveness.
Andrew Mangiapane's skating is excellent in all regards. His skill level isn't as high-end, but he makes a lot of plays. His defense isn't superb, but he's shown he can be an asset on the penalty kill. His physical game is the big question mark, given his small frame.
Noteworthy prospect
Morgan Klimchuk has stagnated a little after being a first-round pick back in 2013. He's certainly skilled, with pretty good two-way hockey sense, but he doesn't have dynamic abilities and projects as a bottom-six forward -- if he even makes the NHL.
2015-16 impact
Sam Bennett's name is already in the starting lineup, and look for him to potentially be a middle-six forward (if not better) this upcoming season. Emile Poirier and Wotherspoon should also make cases for themselves at the NHL camp; if not, they are the first injury call-up options. The Flames are a little light in the pro ranks in net, so Joni Ortio could see starts this season again.