“On the right trend” | Calgary flames

Adam Klapka was one of the last flames in front of the ice on Thursday morning when the team held an optional skate at WinSport.

As a younger player – and a new recall of the Wranglers of the AHL – it may be an expectation.

But Klapka devoted himself to his craft, so he stayed outside – shot after the shot – worked on his game in anticipation of his next NHL.

With 6-foot 8, it is impossible to miss out there. The Czech wing player is on ice skates and in street shoes over his teammates, while he continues to optimize how his massive framework can help him influence the NHL, night in the evening.

On the entire continent, another tall man enjoys a breakout season with the Washington Capitals.

In his fourth NHL season, Aliaksei Protas broke off offensive. He brought 28 of his 41 career-NHL goals home in 2024-25-a sum, which at the beginning of this week contained his first career hat trick-and he leads the league this season with a breathtaking rating of +39.

Protas-Knapp four months Klapka's junior is 6-foot 6 and check in at a £ 247. So there is unnecessary mention that there are similarities in terms of size.

But his season in DC also attracted the attention of Flames head coach Ryan Huska, who asked himself whether Klapka can develop into the same impact player here on the show.

“We talk a lot about the fact that (Klapka) is a player that we do not have how he skaded, his size, he is a powerful man,” he said on Wednesday. “Everyone has seen what the big guy in Washington did this year – Protas – and it really makes them fascinated by what we have with rattles because he has a good ability, he is a physical type, he is a load to handle similarly.

“We want to continue working with him and let him grow in our organization.”

Klapka does not have a Protas -Nhl resident still. The Flames Forward was a signing for free agents, while Protas was selected in the third round of the 2019 draft.

But the offensive potential is there. He had a flood mark of 21 goals with the Wranglers last season and this winter Klapka divided 15 goals over the AHL and the NHL.

“They look at their (Protas) year earlier, I think he had six goals – I think he has almost 30 this year,” said Huska. “He found his way when he moved here. The American League numbers -a bit similar -what both boys were.

“It's just something we can see. He is such an effective player for you, we know that we have such a player, and now it is about working with him and seeing whether we can bring our husband to this level. “

The defender of Calgary Brayden Pachal has a unique perspective on both big men.

On Thursday in training he stayed late with Klapka.

But as a junior, Pachal in 2019 led the Prince Albert Raiders to a WHL title-a team on which Protas played a leading role that combined a regular season with 11 goals in a 22-point spring of 12 goals during Prince Albert's playoff run.

“We had a really good team, he was a large part of it,” recalled Pachal on Thursday. “(Calgarian) Brett Leason was also in this team and he had a breakout year. I think he would probably attribute a lot to playing with Alex, just the little pieces that Alex does.

“He sees the ice point, he finds the open man, he is a playmaker, he has the shot; He got everything. It is no surprise what he is doing now. “

And Pachal sees the same type of similarities that Huska connects side by side, so to speak, the two high strikers.

“I think you do it. Rattles is a massive man, he moves well and he has great skills, ”he said. “I think this is Alex to a T; He is a big guy, he closes very well, he sees the ice and he has the ability to participate.

When Klapka is more used to speed and skill at the NHL level – remember that he only played 19 games with the flames up to this point – the hope is that he can use its size to its advantage, similar to how Protas has learned with the Eastern Conference Leading Caps.

That would be music for all ears.

“He uses the work; I think you have to somehow for a big guy like this, ”said Pachal. “But another thing that brattles brattles is hard. He plays the game hard, so I think that he has this edge a bit that Alex doesn't.

“I think Klatters development curve is definitely in the right trend.”