Corey Pronman’s latest prospect lists have already stirred up plenty of noise, and Ethan Wyttenbach is another name that seems to have slipped through the cracks.
That’s hard to square with what the Calgary Flames have in the 2025 fifth-round pick. Wyttenbach, born in Roslyn, New York, came up through minor hockey on Long Island before moving on to the Sioux Falls Stampede for his rookie season in the USHL.
He produced 24 goals and 51 points in 44 games ahead of the 2025 NHL Draft, finishing second among rookies and eighth overall in points per game among players who appeared in more than one game. Even with that production, NHL Central Scouting slotted him 185th in its North America final rankings, and the Flames still had to wait until 144th overall to grab him.
The size label clearly mattered, too. Wyttenbach was listed at 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, and after leaving the USHL he followed through on his commitment to Quinnipiac University, enrolling a year earlier than expected after committing at age 15.
That’s where the real breakout arrived. In 40 NCAA games as a freshman, he scored 25 goals and 59 points, leading the nation in points per game and turning himself into a much bigger name.
This season has only pushed him further into the conversation. Wyttenbach is now viewed as one of the Flames’ marquee prospects, alongside Cullen Potter, Cole Reschny and Carson Carels, all of whom are expected to make their NHL debuts by the end of the 2026-27 season.
Still, the rankings haven’t reflected that rise. He didn’t appear in The Athletic’s Top 150 players under 23, and he also was left out of The Athletic’s Top 100 prospects drafted outside the first round. Even in Pronman’s re-ranking of the 2025 NHL Draft Class, Wyttenbach came in 59th among his peers, despite being a Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalist.
The pattern is familiar: smaller players keep getting pushed down because size still matters in a league this physical. That’s a reasonable factor, but it also has a tendency to flatten the evaluation. There’s risk in betting on undersized prospects, sure, but the game keeps proving that smaller stars can still become real difference-makers.
Flames fans know that as well as anyone after watching Johnny Gaudreau emerge from the fourth round. The list of smaller players who have turned into major NHL talents is long, and it includes Cole Caufield, Lane Hutson, Brad Marchand, Alex DeBrincat, Jonathan Marchessault, Mats Zuccarello and Logan Stankoven.
The college path matters here, too. Caufield put up 36 points in 36 freshman games, and Gaudreau had 44 points in 44 games. Wyttenbach’s 59 points in 40 games compares very favorably, especially in an NCAA environment that has become even tougher now that top Canadian Hockey League players can move to college without penalty.
He also made a strong impression at the Flames’ prospect development camp and again at the World Junior Championship summer showcase, with no sign that his progress has slowed.
Stephen Ellis of Daily Faceoff sees a player with a real NHL future, saying Wyttenbach “might end up becoming the biggest steal from the 2025 NHL Draft. As long as he continues to get quicker, he has a legit path to a middle-six role in the NHL,” and that feels a lot closer to the mark than treating him like a non-factor.
With the Flames wanting him in the fold sooner rather than later, this is one debate that won’t stay theoretical for long.
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