Tyler Toffoli is gone, but the Flames might have a tailor-made replacement in their 2021 first-round pick.
The Calgary Flames have gone from flush to relatively light on the wings in the span of just a couple of seasons.
The Flames must now rely on relative unknowns to carry a lot of the weight in their top nine. Yegor Sharangovich and Dillon Dube both have appealing traits but are coming off seasons in which they struggled mightily to drive play. Making matters worse, promising youngster Jakob Pelletier is expected to miss months, not weeks, with a shoulder injury.
After being selected No. 13 overall by the Flames back in the 2021 NHL Draft, Coronato followed in the footsteps of former Flames prospect Adam Fox in heading to Harvard and immediately making an impact. But what Coronato has at his disposal that few others in the organization do is his world-class shot. He used it to his full advantage throughout his tenure at Harvard, scoring more goals during his two NCAA seasons than practically anyone else his age.
That’s not to say Coronato didn’t have any help at Harvard. Sean Farrell and Alex Laferriere both finished with more points than him last year. They’re also both middle-round draft picks who are a year older than Coronato. The Flames prospect is the real prize of that group and the one who could make an immediate impact in the NHL.