Flames not rushing prospect Aydar Suniev as he transitions to NHL
Whether Aydar Suniev makes his NHL debut before the end of the season or continues to practice with the team, the feeling is plenty can be gained by having him assimilate with the big boys. Eric Francis has more on the newest Flame.
CALGARY — Because his luggage never made the trip, Aydar Suniev showed up at Thursday night’s Calgary Flames game wearing a purple suit he borrowed from Mikael Backlund.
He might as well have worn a cape, as the 20-year-old collegiate sniper sure seems to be arriving as a future saviour of sorts.
After all, he’s exactly what the Flames organization needs most — a scorer.
For an organization languishing 30th in league scoring, this week’s signing and arrival of a 6-foot-2, 215-pound playmaking finisher sure seems to be another important piece to the puzzle being assembled by Craig Conroy.
Drafted in the third round of the 2023 draft with a pick acquired in the Tyler Toffoli trade, Suniev is a product of Conroy’s hybuild (hybrid rebuild) that has him stockpiling picks at the same time as the team chases an unlikely playoff spot.
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Drafted out of Penticton where he scored almost a goal a game two season’s back, the Russian-born winger continued to progress at UMass-Amherst where his world-class shot saw him finish with 20 goals and 18 assists in 35 games this year as a sophomore.
Signed this week to a three-year deal right after his season ended, he raced to Calgary where he’s making quite the first impression.
“He’s a big boy,” smiled Ryan Huska of his initial meeting with the left-shot winger.
“When he walks around the corner you’re like, ‘Whoa, nice to meet you.’”
Fans will likely get their introduction to Suniev by season’s end, assuming his equipment shows up anytime soon.
In the meantime he’s focused on soaking up everything he can with an eye on trying to make the next step as seamless as possible.
“The last couple days have been really busy and I’m just processing through all of it right now,” said Suniev, who is ineligible to join the Wranglers this season.
“I developed a lot this year, I think, and now I’m ready to take that next step.”
There’s already plenty of talk about his shot being as deadly as Matt Coronato’s, which has folks excited for his debut.
His impressive release was evident Friday morning when he was reunited with his gear in time to take part in the Flames’ optional skate.
“I’m a two-way power forward, I try to be consistent on both sides of the puck,” he said when asked to describe his game.
“My shot, my ability to score goals, is my strength.”
His 54 goals (and 59 assists) in 65 games with Penticton during his draft year certainly speak to his innate ability to create offence.
“I really liked Pavel Datsyuk growing up, but right now I like to watch Auston Matthews,” he said, when asked who he idolized.
“I try to compare my game to him.”
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A native of Kazan, Russia, Suniev grew up attending international school, which helps explain why his English shows very few hints of a Russian accent.
He’s been in North America for four years now, and as a business marketing major said he intends to continue his schooling online.
“A lot of what we’ve heard is the shot — that’s one thing you hear pretty consistently from whoever you talk to,” said Huska.
“In a perfect world he’s going to turn into a pretty good power forward. So we’re excited to have him here. I think it’s a great opportunity for him, and even better for us, to really get a better idea of what he’s going to be like for us moving forward.”
Whether that’s by watching and working with him in practice, or eventually letting him make his NHL debut, the feeling is plenty can be gained by having him assimilate with the big boys.
“We’ll see,” said Huska, whose club’s playoff fate will dictate when or if the youngster gets into a game.
“But I do think sometimes you take a little bit of the pressure off of a young guy when they get a chance to be around a little bit. But (being in Calgary for just the second time since his development camp) is going to allow him to come back next year in a position where he feels way more comfortable and confident, and in a position to really push to make the team.”
