The early part of the season is rarely smooth for young players, and a few of the Flames’ European prospects are running into that reality right now.
There’s some good news in the group, but not every development has been a clean step forward. Alan Shaikhlislamov is putting up points for HC Tolpar Ufa in the MHL, yet his team is still finding ways to lose.
Yan Matveiko has been sent back down from the All-Russian Hockey League to junior hockey after a difficult start. And Theo Stockselius’ Swedish club still hasn’t picked up a win.
Here’s where things stand with this week’s updates.
Chase Harrington, LW, Spokane Chiefs, WHL
18; Calgary’s second round pick (36th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 202 pounds; shoots left
Harrington had a packed week after coming back from Flames training camp. He was named Spokane’s captain, recorded a Gordie Howe hat trick, and then signed his entry-level NHL contract. It was a strong stretch by any measure.
Joe Iginla - RW, Vancouver Giants, WHL
18; Calgary’s third round pick (65th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 5’10”, 170 pounds; shoots right
Iginla hasn’t piled up the points yet, but the shot volume is there. If that keeps up, the production should start to catch up.
Simon Katolicky - LW, Sarnia Sting, OHL
18; Calgary’s fifth round pick (132nd overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 6’5″ 197 pounds; shoots left
Katolicky is still adjusting to the North American game and is working on Sarnia’s third line. He’s been getting shots consistently and has chipped in offensively at times.
Bode Laylin - D, Everett Silvertips, WHL
18; Calgary’s sixth round pick (164th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 5’11”, 178 pounds; shoots right
Season to date 3 0 1 1 1 1 1 5 4.65
2025-26 (USHL) 55 11 27 38 26 21 14 119 15.86
Laylin picked up his first WHL point over the weekend.
Jakob Leander - D, Calgary Hitmen, WHL
18; Calgary’s seventh round pick (208th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’4″, 196 pounds; shoots right
Season to date 3 0 1 1 1 1 1 3 4.65
2025-26 (J20) 38 2 11 13 8 11 8 52 5.61
The Hitmen are still undefeated, and Leander has been lining up on the top defensive pair with Hunter Aura.
Yan Matveiko - C/LW, Zvezda Moskva, VHL / Krasnaya Armiya Moskva, MHL
20; Calgary’s seventh round pick (211th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’1″, 150 pounds; shoots left
VHL season to date 9 0 3 3 2 1 1 8 10.11
MHL season to date 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.00
2025-26 (MHL) 50 15 22 37 23 28 17 89 8.68
After nine games of being moved around the lineup with Zvezda Moskva, the Red Army affiliate, Matveiko has been dropped to junior with Krasnaya Armiya. He’s in his 20-year-old season, so he’s one of the older players in that league, and the expectation is that he can make more of an impact there. So far, though, it’s been a quiet start, with two games and no points.
Mace’o Phillips - D, Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL
18; Calgary’s third round pick (80th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’6″, 228 pounds; shoots left
Season to date 4 1 2 3 2 1 1 7 10.46
2025-26 (USHL) 44 1 10 11 6 9 6 77 5.74
Phillips has already matched his goal total from last season in just four games. He scored his first WHL goal over the weekend and also picked up an assist after a stat correction from the previous weekend.
Alan Shaikhlislamov - RW, HC Tolpar Ufa, MHL
18; Calgary’s second round pick (55th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft; 6’0″, 190 pounds; shoots left
Season to date 9 7 5 12 12 5 5 35 17.46
2025-26 (MHL) 31 18 17 35 29 20 16 98 13.24
Shaikhlislamov is producing at a high level early on and is among the MHL’s top scorers. He’s also generating a lot of shots.
The flip side is that much of his scoring has come on the power play, and he’s carrying a minus rating despite being one of the league’s leading offensive players. He missed Tolpar’s game on Thursday, presumably because of illness or injury, though that hasn’t been confirmed.
Theo Stockselius - C/LW, Djurgårdens IF, SHL
18; Calgary’s second round pick (54th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft; 6’2″, 181 pounds; shoots left; FN’s 12th-ranked prospect 2025
Season to date 5 0 1 1 1 1 1 6 10.50
2025-26 (J20) 11 4 12 16 10 12 9 39 23.85
Stockselius has settled onto the wing on Djurgårdens’ third line. He’s been reportedly playing fine, but the team itself has not gotten off the ground, dropping its first five games without a win.
In Other News...
Flames Opening Night Disaster Raises One Brutal Early Question
The Calgary Flames did not get the kind of start anyone around the Saddledome wanted to see, opening the 2026-27 regular season with a 6-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken on home ice. Seattle set the tone early and never really let go, while the Flames spent most of the night chasing the game after a rough first period put them in an immediate hole.
What made the performance harder to digest was how many of the problems were of Calgarys own making. Penalties and defensive mistakes kept feeding the Krakens momentum, and the lone Flames goal came only late in the third period after the outcome was long since tilted. For a team trying to establish a better early-season footing, the question now is how quickly this group can clean up the details before one bad opener starts feeling like a pattern. [Read more 🡒]
Flames May Have A Familiar Blue Line Option Back In Play
A familiar name has surfaced around Calgarys system, and it comes with the kind of low-risk depth look teams lean on when the blue line needs a little more certainty. The Wranglers brought in veteran defenseman Derek Forbort on a professional tryout, giving the organization a chance to see where his game is after an injury-plagued year in Vancouver and, from his side, a path toward proving he still belongs in an NHL conversation.
For Calgary, there is at least some built-in familiarity if this turns into more than a camp stop, since Forbort once wore a Flames sweater in 2019-20 and already knows the market and the expectations that come with it. His arrival also fits the broader shuffle around the league, where teams are continually balancing injuries and reinforcements, and it leaves open the question of whether the veteran can turn this latest opportunity into a real contract chance. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Just Sent A Top Prospect Into A Situation Flames Fans Know Well
Braeden Cootes is heading into the kind of proving ground Flames fans know well, with the Vancouver Canucks assigning their 2025 first-round pick to Abbotsford to begin his pro season. The move sends the young forward into the AHL right away, just as the affiliate gets ready for its opener and finalizes an opening roster that will give a better look at how the club plans to handle one of its most closely watched prospects.
For Vancouver, the decision is clearly about patience and development, not a fast track to the NHL. Canucks GM Ryan Johnson has made it clear there is no set timeline for a promotion, which puts the emphasis on steady growth in Abbotsford rather than immediate pressure in Vancouver. How Cootes settles in there, and how quickly he can turn a strong start into momentum, will be one of the early stories to watch once the season opens. [Read more 🡒]