They seem like two dudes heading in opposite directions.
Matvei Gridin has all the makings of a future NHL star — and probably sooner than later.
Daniil Miromanov, meanwhile, might feel like a forgotten man. It’s fair to wonder if he has logged his last game on a big-league blue-line.
Both started this season with the Calgary Flames, with Gridin scoring a goal on opening night and Miromanov mostly watching from the press box as a scratch.
Now, they are teammates with the AHL’s Wranglers.
“Griddy, he’s a stud,” Miromanov said after a Wranglers practice earlier this week at WinSport. “It was awesome to see him do his thing right from the git-go for the Flames, and he’s been tearing it up for the Wranglers.
“He is going to be in the NHL. He’s going to be an NHL player. And it’s very cool to see his development. He’s a great kid.”
Every guy on a minor-league roster, whether they’re a first-round pick, an undrafted long-shot or something in between, is working toward the same goal.
The 19-year-old Gridin has been thinking about getting back to the NHL since about 30 seconds after he was reassigned to the farm team in mid-October so Jonathan Huberdeau could be activated from injured reserve.
That doesn’t mean the speedy winger was moping about his demotion — everyone will tell you he arrived with the right attitude — but he didn’t grow up daydreaming about the Calder Cup.
The first-year pro has been immediately productive with the Wranglers, mixing four goals and seven assists in nine outings so far.
“Maybe four games in the NHL helped me with that,” said Gridin, who is one of 16 teenagers to skate in the bigs at any point this fall, cinching his status as the Flames’ most exciting forward prospect. “There’s not a lot of time to make a play in the NHL. When I played four games, I’m getting used to this. Here, I probably get like a half a second more to make a play, so that helps.
“So just try to keep up the speed of the game, how you play in ‘The Show,’ and try to do the same here.”
Asked if he has been tracking the AHL’s rookie scoring race, in which he has quickly soared to second, Gridin doesn’t bother bluffing.
“I do pay attention,” he replied matter-of-factly. “Yeah, it’s good to be there. But obviously I want to be in ‘The Show.’ But I think if I will be up there, that probably helps me to be at top of the list of who you call up.”
Miromanov, 28, wants to be on that list too.
It’s not up to him to worry about the groaning that you’d hear from the fanbase if he was recalled rather than a youngster such as Hunter Brzustewicz.
While the veteran righty and pending free agent likely doesn’t factor in the Flames’ long-term plans, he is determined to make the best of his first AHL assignment since he was traded to Calgary in March 2024.
Although the Wranglers’ five-game win streak was halted in Thursday’s 4-3 defeat to the San Jose Barracuda, their first regulation loss since Oct. 11, Miromanov did pick up a pair of assists. He’s now collected four points in seven games since he cleared waivers and was dispatched to the minors.
“I’m playing a lot, playing power-play, playing penalty-kill,” said Miromanov, whose focus is now on Saturday’s rematch with the Barracuda, a 1 p.m. start at the Saddledome. “So I’ve been enjoying hockey, really. It’s been great.”
That positivity can wear off on his Wranglers teammates, including a crew of fellow Russians that includes Gridin, Artem Grushnikov, Ivan Prosvetov and Aydar Suniev.
Daniil Miromanov, who has skated in 65 games with the Flames since arriving in a trade in March 2024, is now trying to rediscover his game in the minors.
It’s a role-model opportunity that is not lost on Miromanov, who has 94 nights of NHL experience and is adamant that his mindset can’t change regardless of what league he is in.
“I’m privileged, at the end of the day. I’m blessed,” Miromanov said. “Because I have been through a lot of difficulties throughout my career, a lot of ups and downs. I’ve been out of the game with injuries. And during those times, you understand that it doesn’t matter where you are, you see the guys playing and you can’t do anything about it.
“So it’s just a big blessing to go out there and play hockey, enjoy the game and just be yourself. Just be a kid again, you could say.”
One of the kids has taken notice.
“Miro is probably one of the nicest guys I know, and he’s good with the young guys,” Gridin praised. “And right now, he’s having fun playing hockey. I feel like he’s doing like Cale Makar in ‘The Show.’ He plays like that in the A. So he’s feeling good here. But obviously, he wants to be in ‘The Show’ too.”
Indeed, that’s something they have in common — even if their careers seem to going opposite directions.
“This is a good league for my development,” Gridin said. “And the production is there on my side, so just try to elevate my game without the puck and be ready for a call-up.”