CALGARY – As if being the talk of Flames camp isn’t enough for Sam Honzek, he now has a growing legion of people talking about him around the league.
Not just because he leads the NHL in pre-season scoring, but because his short-handed goal Monday night went viral as one of the best this fall.
Skating over Seattle’s blue line on his off-wing, the 19-year-old lefty used his big frame to protect the puck as he drove wide around veteran Vince Dunn on his backhand with the sort of attempt wily veterans generally avoid.
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As he cut towards the net the rookie deftly moved the puck to his forehand just in time to avoid a poke-check by Joey Daccord, then wove around the sprawling netminder and deposited the puck into the open net as he was dragged to the ice.
“I told him it was sick and that maybe he’s too young to be doing that,” said Flames goalie Dan Vladar, one of several teammates who approached him with wide eyes afterward.
“I’m super happy for him.”
Bouncing back from an underwhelming camp debut last season that was followed by an injury-plagued season with the Vancouver Giants, the Flames’ first-round pick in 2023 has seven points so far this spring.
No one saw this coming.
Yet, here he is, at the top of the list of potential breakthroughs, sparking debate over whether he can finish the job.
“You know the cuts are happening and I’m between the last guys to be decided,” said Honzek.
“It’s getting harder and the pressure is coming up now because there are two pre-season games left.
“I’m just trying to put everything I have in it and even if I make the team, or if I don’t, I leave everything here.”
Although it’s still hard to imagine any of the team’s top-nine forwards could be displaced, coach Ryan Huska said a few nights earlier: “He’s gonna make it hard on us.”
It got even harder Monday, as an organization in transition like the Flames needs to make good on promises that well-earned promotions are honoured.
“After last year everybody was talking about, oh jeez, where is this Honzek guy? Is he going to be a player?’” said Huska.
“Well, he is a player. A pretty good player, so we’re pretty excited about where he’s at right now.”
Coming into camp it seemed the first rounder most likely in line to try “stealing” a job was Matt Coronato.
Coronato’s camp has been solid, with three goals, five points and a heightened attention to defence.
However, it’s Honzek who has improved steadily in a camp in which he’s making his mark even against veteran lineups.
There is a delicious irony involved in his stunning rise to prominence, as he credits his newfound success to a summer of workouts and pep talks alongside the Flames’ most shocking revelation a year earlier, Martin Pospisil.
“Pospy has a big role in it, because every time we worked out together he’s like ‘you’re making the team,’” said Honzek of his fellow Slovak.
“I heard it from him every day.
“Now I’m here and everything is going well so far.”
Key to his success has been combining his speed and his six-foot-four, 186-pound frame with a confidence that was clearly missing from the 16th-overall pick last fall.
“For me, it’s a big difference compared to last year is I’m more confident,” said Honzek, who had 10 goals and 31 points in 33 WHL games last year.
“My goal last year was to get drafted. After that, to be honest, I didn’t have any goals. I just came to show up.
“This year I came to camp to do something with one goal, to make the team and show what I’m best at, which I couldn’t do last year. I wasn’t really good, but a fresh start for everyone and I really want to finish the goal.”
Finishing the goal could be made easier if the Flames have an injury up front, which could be the case given Mikael Backlund’s departure in the second period Monday (Huska said he had no update on his captain’s status).
Otherwise, it would require some fancy footwork by a club that is almost certain to avoid exposing Jakob Pelletier on waivers, thus keeping him as their 13th forward.
With Jonathan Huberdeau, Pospisil and Anthony Mantha on the first line, Nazem Kadri, Andrei Kuzmenko and Yegor Sharangovich on the second unit and Backlund, Blake Coleman and Connor Zary on the third, it would appear the battle left would be if anyone can knock Adam Klapka or Dryden Hunt off a fourth line with Kevin Rooney and Ryan Lomberg.
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Huska said he’d consider starting a lad like Coronato or Honzek on the fourth line, with an eye on giving them power-play time or replacing a top liner having an off night.
“I’m just trying to stay humble every day, work hard and it doesn’t matter how many points or how I play – just play the right way and don’t cheat,” he said.
“And do what I’m best at.”
NOTES: Tyson Barrie continues to impress on his PTO, racking up two assists Monday while showing versatility by playing in his off-side alongside right-handed goal scorer Brayden Pachal … Vladar made his third start, stopping 30-of-33 shots, including a stunning blocker stop to rob Shane Wright in a 4-3 OT win. The winning goal came off a brilliant pass by Kuzmenko for Kadri to tap into an empty net. The Flames are 5-0-1 in exhibition play.
