2023 Calgary Flames Draft Preview: Top 5 D-Man Targets

CALGARY, AB - FEBRUARY 9: Assistant coach Ryan Huska of the Calgary Flames talks with Joakim Nordstrom #20, Jacob Markstrom #25, Christopher Tanev #8, Mikael Backlund #11 and Matthew Tkachuk #19 during a time-out in an NHL game against the Winnipeg Jets at Scotiabank Saddledome on February 9, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

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Mikhail Gulyayev

The 2023 NHL Draft for Calgary should no doubt be about swinging for the fences, and if that’s the case, Mikhail Gulyayev should be one of their top defensive names on the board, as he has more offensive upside than most blue-line prospects in the upcoming draft.

The pass by Mikhail Gulyayev here is incredible. His lateral movement opens up the very slim passing lane to his teammate in the slot and he wires a pass against the grain onto his stick and the rebound goes in. He kept his head up and was very patient. This is in the KHL. pic.twitter.com/FvfOoZPgbz
— Sebastian High (@high_sebastian) December 7, 2022

His defensive play certainly needs work, and while he struggled to step up and score in his debut season in the KHL this past year, he certainly thrived before that, scoring more than a point per game, showcasing some immense playmaking potential alongside solid physical attributes and skating.

2022-23 stats: 2 goals, 23 assists for 25 points in 22 MHL games, 0 goals and 1 assist in 13 KHL games.

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