Aydar Suniev didn’t need long to make himself noticed after getting the call to the Calgary Flames on Oct. 7. Through three games, he has already put up two goals and three points with a plus-1 rating, and the most obvious thing about his game is simple: he can be a problem when he finds space.
That’s the part the Flames have seen right away. Suniev has shown he can score from just about anywhere in the offensive zone, and both of his goals - especially the first one - came from angles that don’t usually turn into goals. Even with only a tiny NHL sample in front of him, this has been his best stretch so far.
His debut against the Colorado Avalanche was the toughest of the bunch. Calgary briefly tied the game 1-1 late in the first period, then watched Colorado score five straight to take control. The Flames did add two more goals, but the Avalanche answered each push and shut the door on any comeback.
Suniev logged just under 12 minutes in that game, which was only more than his linemates Jonathan Castagna and Adam Klapka, the latter of whom scored on a slick toe-drag wrist shot to earn Castagna his first point with an assist. Suniev finished minus-2 with one shot on goal, and there were moments when he looked out of sync on the backcheck, including one sequence that led to an Avalanche goal.
Still, the role explained a lot. He wants to score, he wants to shoot, and buried on the fourth line for under 12 minutes, he wasn’t put in many positions to do that.
It was a solid first night overall, but the defensive side clearly has room to grow.
The next game, against the Anaheim Ducks at the Scotiabank Saddledome, brought a different setup and a better result for both Suniev and the team. Calgary lost 4-2 in the first half of the home-and-home, dropping to 0-5 in the process, but head coach Ryan Huska shuffled the lines and moved Suniev onto the second unit with Morgan Frost and Matt Coronato.
That change paid off. Suniev scored his first NHL goal, tying the game 2-2 late in the second period after a sharp feed from Coronato from behind the net.
The finish was pure finisher stuff. Calgary moved quickly through the ice, Coronato got driven to the corner, and instead of drifting to the front of the net, Suniev slipped into a soft area to the right of Ducks goalie Viille Husso and opened up for a one-timer that beat him clean.
Afterward, Suniev made it clear how much that moment meant: “It’s so great - you dream about it, scoring your first goal, and here it is.”
He looked far more at home with Frost and Coronato, and the line generated dangerous chances throughout the night. Compared with his first outing, the difference was obvious.
The rematch with Anaheim brought Suniev’s best night yet. He stayed alongside Frost and Coronato, picked up his first multi-point game with a goal and an assist, and helped Calgary finally get into the win column with a 4-2 victory. The result left the Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers as the only remaining winless teams.
Once again, Suniev’s scoring touch showed up in a big moment. His goal tied the game 2-2 in the second period, and it came after a Calgary 5-on-3.
Even after the man advantage expired, he remained out there with the second unit. As Anaheim was still sorting itself back into five-on-five shape, Suniev found room on the right side of the slot, got a feed from Ryan Strome in the corner, and hammered another one-timer past Lukas Dostal.
He added his first assist of the season later, setting up Martin Pospisil’s game-winner with just under five minutes left in the third. That was his cleanest, most complete performance yet. He looked calm, he looked ready for the moment, and with every shift he seemed to earn more trust from Huska.
For the Flames, Suniev’s first three games have been a major bright spot. He still has work to do in his own zone, but even in this small sample, his defensive positioning has already improved. If his ice time keeps climbing and the trust keeps building, he has a real chance to make this a strong rookie campaign and give a struggling Calgary offence a meaningful lift.
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Avalanche Fast Start Suddenly Feels Fragile Against Dallas
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Dallas found that mistake before the period was over, tying things at 1-1 on a power play and taking some of the shine off Colorados opening push. Penalties and a late altercation only added to the unease, leaving the Avalanche with a good start that suddenly felt a lot less secure heading into the next stretch of the game. [Read more 🡒]