It was a busy and productive trade deadline for the Calgary Flames as they added three new prospects to the system. These three prospects are forwards Jonathan Castagna, Max Curran, and Brennan Othmann. The Flames’ sole OHL prospect, Jacob Battaglia, was traded to the New York Rangers in exchange for Othmann.
Welcome to the TWC Calgary Flames prospect update. We have defined a prospect as a skater who has played fewer than 65 NHL games and was born in 2001 or later.
Jonathan Castagna, Forward, Cornell University, NCAA
Some Castagna Context:
The 2005-born forward is from Etobicoke, Ontario, and grew up playing at St. Andrew’s College. It was during his time at St. Andrews that a 72-point season in 2022–2023 put him on the radar of NHL scouts and eventually led to Castagna being drafted in the third round, 70th overall of that year’s NHL Draft.
From there, Castagna made the jump to the NCAA for the 2023–2024 season at Cornell and has been inconsistent offensively, with 11 goals and 14 assists in his first season, and only 15 points combined in his sophomore year.
With the trade to the Calgary Flames coming three quarters the way through his junior season in the NCAA.
This season looks to be a rebound year as a top-6 forward who averages 18:13 of TOI, with 3:14 of that being on the power play, and 2:10 of that on the penalty kill. With that opportunity, the young Canadian has also posted 14 goals, 18 assists, and 32 points across 29 games.
What Type of Game Does Castagna Play?
Castagna plays a high-energy two-hundred-foot game and proves to be an asset in all three zones. Castagna’s skillset is best defined by high-end skating ability, a strong compete level, and a capable hockey sense.
Castagna’s game is also unique because the Ontario-born product infuses flashes of physicality with his soft skills.
His major areas of growth include the forward’s questionable puck management tendencies, inefficient physicality, and average shooting.
What does Castagna do Well?
Skating
Skating is the fundamental base of his game, and for good reason, as the 20-year-old is a complete speedster. The Flames prospect excels with a wider base, good mechanics, and shifty footwork, he can get anywhere he needs to on the ice. His agility and edgework also allow substantial east-west movement.
Secondly, his skating is quick, with a rapid stride recovery, a quick rate of acceleration, and evident separation speed. Castagna is a breakaway threat on every single transition play.
Part of him being a transitional threat is because of his naturally high compete level, as the prospect’s motor, play engagement, and hustle further amplify the 6’02 forward’s already excellent speed. The Canadian is rarely a passive play passenger in any zone and drives the pace of play quite well.
The Ontario-born product also often injects energy into his line, and ramps up the pace and quality of play for his teammates.
Without the puck
Defensively, this motor and skating are showcased on Castagna’s forecheck as he manages space well, employs quality angles of attack, has an active stick, and isolates with unique route creation that either pushes opponents into the boards or pressures them into a bad decision.
Defensively, he engages physically, in board play (14 puck battles a game with a 51% success rate), and blocks shots (1.08 per game to be exact), which meshes with his defensive pressure exertion to be a quality penalty killer and risk reducer.
In all three zones, Castagna does use his 6’02 frame well to exert pressure and play through contact, which further reinforces his defensive and offensive pressure exertion.
Additionally, Castagna’s hockey senses, instincts, and play processing are advanced, and this articulates itself through a solid awareness, high scan rates, and consistent defensive habits like stick lifts. This also hints at good play anticipation for the 20-year-old as he prevents 1.88 scoring chances per game as well.
Offensive skillset
Offensively, Castagna has been a scoring machine this season. This 1.10 PPG rate is largely due to his growing hockey IQ (play reads are consistent, a good understanding of timing, and offensive instincts/anticipation).
This hockey IQ blends with his pro-active positioning to generate 3.4 scoring chances a game, which Castagna has a 14% conversion rate (so it’s not him just getting lucky). The Cornell forward also has solid spatial awareness, which means he knows when exactly to jump into plays and when to avoid them.
This compete level, skating, and advanced hockey sense make Castagna a prime rush creator with speed and pace, or a zone converter with timing and meticulous offensive habits and reads. This versatility and overall danger explain his 3:14 of power play and his high 0.51 goals expected rate.
Castagna also shows NHL-ready face-off mechanics as he implements suffocating leaning leverage on opponents (that actually makes their draw harder), has a quick drawback, and good centre of gravity. All of these elements allow the Ontario product to dominate NCAA face-offs to the tune of a 62% win-rate.
Where does Castagna Need to Improve?
The most pressing barrier for the young forward is his puck skills, as over-confidence with his (albeit smooth handling) puts him in unfavourable positions like charging the slot when it is a three on 1, or making a flashy deke that defenders interrupt with ease (1.76 dekes per game with a lowly 43% success rate).
Castagna also has a tendency to over-handle pucks that result in needlessly complicating plays, which also helps explain his 4.3 turnovers per game.
Passing also needs refinement as Castagna noticeably struggles in high-pace passing plays, leading to bad puck placement and poorer passing accuracy (84% on 16 mostly short passing plays per game). He has the speed to handle it himself, but when he incorporates passes, it reduces his offensive effectiveness.
His shooting also demonstrates some average mechanics, with a slightly predictable release, stiffer outward push mechanics, and problems with accuracy (65% on 5.2 shots per game). Castagna’s shot selection also looks rushed at times, which can explain his janky mechanics and poorer accuracy.
Physicality-wise, Castagna also demonstrates some inefficiencies, as his 1.64 hits per game often come after the play has moved on, and he has a tendency to get physically pushed around a bit more than ideal, while also relying on outside body positioning rather than inside body positioning.
The shooting and physical inefficiencies are minor issues that Castagna can work out as he adjusts to the pro ranks in the coming years, so he certainly has lots of time. It’s the passing and puck management tendencies that project as harder fixes for the young centreman.
What Can the Flames Organization Expect out of him?
Castagna is still a few years away from being NHL-ready. Expect the 20-year-old prospect to play his senior season in the NCAA next year, followed by a likely season with the Calgary Wranglers of the AHL. Castagna’s earlyseason play with the Wranglers will likely give a clearer NHL projection.
The former Utah pick has a speedy, intelligent, and hard-working base to build off of, and while Castagna won’t be NHL-ready next season, expect the third-rounder to be a competitive forward for a Flames roster spot in 2–3 years.
As of right now, there is lots to like about the prospect, and likely projects as a Top-9 secondary scoring forward at the NHL level.
Calgary Flames prospect updates
AHL
The Wranglers had another rough week, losing games against the Coachella Valley Firebirds 4–2 on the seventh and 4–1 on the ninth.
The race to the basement continues for Calgary. The Wranglers still sit 9th in the AHL’s Pacific Division, with a 19-24–14 record and 52 points. Last place in the AHL’s Pacific Division is the Abbotsford Canucks with 48 points.
Look for the 23-year-old Othmann to lead the offensive charge for the Wranglers in the coming games.
Bennan Othmann was assigned to the Wranglers after his trade from the New York Rangers on the 6th. Forward Matvei Gridin, and defender Hunter Brzustewicz were both called up to the Calgary Flames on the 8th.
ECHL
The Rapid City Rush had a rougher week, losing all three games to the Wheeling Nailers. The Rush collected a single point in their 4–3 SOL on the 4th, but then dropped their games in regulation 4–3 on the 6th, and 3–1 on the 7th.
Rapid City now sits 7th in the ECHL’s Mountain Division with a 22–28–5 record.
No Calgary Flames-affiliated prospects are currently assigned to Rapid City. Don’t be surprised if the organization uses their ECHL affiliate more next season.
Defender Simon Mack was called up to the Wranglers on the 8th. Forward Ryan Chyzowski has been reassigned from the Wranglers to the Rush on the 8th.
Europe
Defensive-oriented defender, and Flames 2025 7th-rounder, Jacob Leander had the most offensively productive week of his season, posting two assists against Västerås IK U20 on the 6th, and an assist against Södertälje SK U20 on the 7th. He continues to refine his offensive senses as he’s aging up.
2025 2nd round forward, Theo Stockselius, got called back up to the SHL on the 5th to play against Örebro HK. He then played a second game against Luleå HF on the 7th, where he officially posted his first-ever professional point, with an assist that set up a Mathias Emilio Pettersen goal in the 2nd period.
NCAA
The University of Denver defender, Eric Jamieson, played Miami University (Ohio) on the 6th and 7th. Jamieson continues to be a force in all three zones, even scoring a goal in their first game on the 6th.
Forward Aidan Lane played a single game against St. Lawrence University on the 6th and found the back of the net. He also set a new personal record for TOI with 21:10, which is almost double his normal ice time.
University of Maine forward Jayden Lipinski played a single game against the University of Vermont on the 7th, where he generated a quality scoring chance and an assist in their 5–3 loss.
In Trevor Hoskin’s sole appearance against UMass-Lowell on the 5th, the dynamic playmaker posted another two-assist game in their 5–3 win.
UND played the University of Nebraska-Omaha on the 6th and 7th. Flames first-rounder Cole Reschny netted an assist in each game, while Wiebe posted one assist in the latter, and Cade Littler had just his second multi-point game of the season with a goal and assist in the first matchup.
WHL
2024 6th-rounder Hunter Laing hit the 50-point mark for the first time in his career with an assist in his first of two games this week. The 6’06 forward is a clutch in-tight finisher, and with his frame and muscle mass, this role should translate to the professional level.
Andrew Basha’s point streak ended at 13 games after posting null in the Tigers’ 6–1 loss against the Oil Kings on the 7th. Basha’s speed and pace are impressive, and should continue to make him a rush asset with the Calgary Wranglers next season.
On the 8th, the Oil Kings announced that recently acquired Flames prospect and 2006-born forward Max Curran underwent surgery that will keep him out for the rest of the season. He posted 41 points across 31 games, with his most recent game being a January 14th matchup against Medicine Hat. That January game could be the last matchup Curran ever plays for the Edmonton Oil Kings.
Russia
Goaltender Yegor Yegorov only appeared in one game this past week. He stopped 33/36 shots in a 4–3 win against Akademiya SKA St. Petersburg on the 7th.
Fellow Russian netminder, Krill Zarubin faced a combined 138 shots across four games this past week. He stopped 129 of them, but only secured one victory. Zarubin’s backup is seeing almost no action, which is a good thing for Flames fans.
20255 7th round forward, Yan Matveiko continues to be a large asset in the Russian MHL, and in two games last week, he scored a clutch goal in his club’s 2–1 OTW over MHK Dynamo St. Petersburg on the 5th. In a rematch the following day, Matveiko also went +1 and showed growth in his overall offensive awareness.
Forwards
PlayerPositionGPGAPP/GPPIMTeamLeagueRory KerinsC/LW501728450.9016Calgary WranglersAHLBrennan OthmannLW/RW2888160.5751Calgary WranglersAHLCullen PotterC/LW241214261.0816Arizona State UniversityNCAACade LittlerC/RW3258130.4128University of North DakotaNCAAHunter LaingC/RW572327500.8833Saskatoon BladesWHLCarter KingC/LW5346100.196Calgary WranglersAHLCole ReschnyC/LW32528331.0320University of North DakotaNCAAJaden LipinskiC/RW3039120.4033University of MaineNCAALuke MisaC/LW34810180.532Penn State UniversityNCAATrevor HoskinsRW/C291418321.0712Merrimack CollegeNCAATheo StockseliusC/LW130110.084Djurgårdens IFSHLYan MatveikoC461519340.7416Krasnaya Armiya MoskvaMHLWilliam StromgrenLW/RW511030400.7836Calgary WranglersAHLMatvei GridinLW/RW371020300.8118Calgary WranglersAHLLucas CionaLW/RW435270.1667Calgary WranglersAHLParker BellLW/RW442240.0930Calgary WranglersAHLAndrew BashaLW/RW271427411.5224Medicine Hat TigersWHL:Aydar SunievLW/RW46133160.3510Calgary WranglersAHLEthan WyttenbachLW/RW362433571.5814Quinnipiac UniversityNCAAAiden LaneRW/LW3167130.4214Harvard UniversityNCAAMax CurranC/LW311427411.5224Edmonton Oil KingsWHLJonathan CastagnaC/LW291418321.1027Cornell UniversityNCAA
Defence
PlayerGPGAPP/GPPIMTeamLeagueYan Kuznetsov100220.202Calgary WranglersAHLEtienne Morin281450.188Calgary WranglersAHLArtyom Grushnikov490110.0219Calgary WranglersAHLJacob Leander36210120.3361HV71U20 NatHunter Brzustewicz3449130.388Calgary WranglersAHLAxel Hurtig59611170.2938Calgary HitmenWHLHenry Mews100990.906University of MichiganNCAAEric Jamieson3779160.4345University of DenverNCAAMace’o Phillips361890.25142Green Bay GamblersUSHLAbram Wiebe36522270.756University of North DakotaNCAAGavin White 363250.1412Calgary WranglersAHL
Goaltenders
PlayerGPGAASV%RecordSOTeamLeagueArsenii Sergeev183.20.8933-6-100Calgary WranglersAHLOwen Say193.36.8896-7-51Calgary WranglersAHLYegor Yegorov342.94.91813-16-01MHK Spartak-MAH MoskvaMHLKirill Zarubin452.03.93325-11-03AKM TulaMHLDaniil Chechelev132.12.9263-6-10Olimpiya Kirovo-ChepetskVHL
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