‘He’s a giant child that may transfer. He’s calm. And he simply has a confidence to him, a bit of little bit of a swagger, however an actual laid-back and humble man’
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With Dustin Wolf presently using a three-game win streak on the NHL degree, the Calgary Flames proceed to buy goaltender-of-the-future competitors.
The Flames introduced Monday the signing of free-agent puck-stopper Waltteri Ignatjew, who hails from Finland and was saluted as the highest netminder this season in Sweden’s second-tier Allsvenskan.
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It’s a one-year, two-way deal for the 2024-25 marketing campaign. If he earns a big-league call-up, the contract carries a cap hit of US$870,000.
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Ignatjew, 24, totalled 45 appearances this winter because the starter for Mora IK, registering a 26-18 document with a 2.34 goals-against common and .918 save proportion.
“He simply stood out as a man we thought we should always take an opportunity on,” stated Flames director of goaltending Jordan Sigalet. “He’s a giant child at 6-foot-3 and simply has an aura to him when he performs. There’s this calm confidence to his recreation. And it’s simply how constant he was all 12 months — he performed 45 of their 52 video games, so he was a workhorse for Mora, and he simply put the identical recreation on the desk each single evening. He went on a great run within the playoffs, too, and misplaced in Recreation 6 in double time beyond regulation, 1-0, within the convention remaining. So he was a pair wins away from going to the finals.
“He’s a giant child that may transfer. He’s calm. And he simply has a confidence to him, a bit of little bit of a swagger, however an actual laid-back and humble man.”
Whereas there are many questions on Calgary’s crease plan, beginning with whether or not Jacob Markstrom or Dan Vladar will likely be traded in the summertime to open up a full-time spot for Wolf, Ignatjew can presumably be pencilled in as one of many netminding choices subsequent winter for the AHL’s Wranglers.
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It’s price noting the Flames have had some success with their scouring for undrafted goaltenders within the European professional ranks. The very best instance is David Rittich, who was signed out of the Czech Extraliga in 2016, spent elements of 5 seasons on the Saddledome and even represented the staff on the NHL All-Star Recreation. Rittich now’s busy getting ready for a playoff run with the Los Angeles Kings.
Impressed by what he was seeing as he studied video of Ignatjew, Sigalet made a visit to Sweden in December to scout a pair of video games and to have dinner with this intriguing prospect. The Flames weren’t the one staff concerned with bringing him to North America.
“That’s been his dream is to attempt to make it to the NHL, and I believe he sees alternative right here,” Sigalet stated. “He needed to be a Flame and we’re enthusiastic about that and simply trying ahead to getting him over right here and getting acclimated. It’s going to be a little bit of a distinct recreation, clearly, on the smaller ice, so it may very well be a bit of little bit of an adjustment interval, however we see a whole lot of upside. He appears to be like like a late bloomer to me.
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“I believe there’s a whole lot of NHL attributes in his recreation … You hope he’s a man that’s going to come back over and take off and excel. He has the instruments. Now, he simply has to translate it over right here.”
The Flames presently have three goalies underneath contract for subsequent season in Markstrom, Vladar and Ignatjew, whereas Wolf will undoubtedly be reupped as a restricted free agent. The 22-year-old Wolf surrendered 5 targets on 35 photographs Sunday however nonetheless earned the ‘W’ in a comeback victory over the Arizona Coyotes.
The group can also be excessive on Connor Murphy, who’s tending twine for the Wranglers on an AHL-level deal.
BACK IN THE BIGS
Adam Klapka was included in Monday’s staff photograph on the Saddledome — and didn’t want any prodding to smile for the digital camera.
The towering right-winger was recalled from the AHL’s Wranglers for an end-of-season audition and can quickly add to a resume that to date exhibits 4 NHL appearances.
Since his preliminary big-league look-see in late January, Klapka has piled up 11 targets and two dozen factors within the minors, bumping to the highest of the Wranglers’ staff scoring charts.
“It actually confirmed me that it’s way more steps up than the AHL,” Klapka stated of that first call-up alternative. “Once I acquired again down, I labored on my stuff that I believed I didn’t do rather well up right here. So I hope I enhance it and it’s going to be higher this time.”
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With two video games remaining, beginning with Tuesday’s conflict towards the Canucks in Vancouver (8 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan), the 23-year-old Klapka will likely be angling to make an announcement that he may very well be prepared for full-time duties within the fall.
“There’s a sure position that he has to play up right here,” stated Flames head coach Ryan Huska of this 6-foot-8, 235-lb. presence. “He’s a giant man that has good pace and has a great ability set for his measurement, however we really feel he’s handiest when he’s rumbling round within the offensive zone, arduous on the forecheck, creating free pucks. That’s after we really feel like he’s at his finest and may actually assist our staff sooner or later, in order that’s what we’re in search of out of him.”
THIRD-STAR SALUTE
Nazem Kadri’s scorching streak hasn’t gone unnoticed.
The Flames’ scoring chief was saluted Monday because the NHL’s third star of the week.
Kadri has amassed eight factors — a mixture of 4 markers and 4 assists — over his previous 4 video games. The 33-year-old centre is one snipe shy of hitting the 30-goal plateau for the third time in his profession.
ICE CHIPS: Flames winger Blake Coleman received’t be an choice in Vancouver, however the Flames are hoping he will likely be cleared for Thursday’s season finale towards the San Jose Sharks. Coleman, the winner of the Peter Maher Good Man Award for 2023-24, can also be on the point of 30 targets.
wgilbertson@postmedia.com
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