Prospect Info: Aydar Suniev LW, 3rd Round 2023 Draft, Pick #80 overall (U. Mass 23/24)

[Some Other Flame]

Oh look another left winger

Flames clearly going for size

Edit: Wow first post; this is a shock, I don't know what to say

Click to read more...

 

[Deen]

Welcome to Calgary Suniev! Prefer him over 5'9 Perron anyways. Flames going all in on Europe/Russia.

 

[Yung Rotini]

Suniev is big but he's got a lot of skill. Love this pick.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Aydar Suniev at eliteprospects.com

Eliteprospects.com hockey player profile of Aydar Suniev, 2004-11-16 Kazan, RUS Russia. Most recently in the NCAA with UMass. Complete player biography and stats.

www.eliteprospects.com

Aydar Suniev is a crafty playmaking-type forward. A manipulator when he grabs retrievals, it’s not uncommon to see Suniev create deception with his feet, sending players flying. He opens his hips, to make lateral pushes to the inside or slip pressure, and his puck protection ability, particularly how he shields the puck and keeps his balance, makes him a monster along the boards. -EliteProspects 2023 NHL Draft Guide

Scouts are all over the place on this guy. Craig Button has him ranked at #35, Mckenzie has him at #66, McKeen's has him at #112.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Seems like we are going back to skill in mid rounds. The last few drafts I think we’ve gone for size and skating but we’ve neglected skill and IQ. Nice to see we are going back to what has made us successful in the past.

 

[LastWordArmy]

Some info on Suniev

2023 NHL Draft Scouting Reports: Prospects 81-90

The 2023 NHL draft is a deep class. Find out what prospects round out LWOH's top-90, and what these ten prospects can bring to a team.

lastwordonsports.com

 

[Deen]

Suniev is big but he's got a lot of skill. Love this pick.

Yeah looks like a power forward sniper with his only knock being his skating. He's committed to University of Massachusetts next year so we will se how those BCHL numbers correlate pretty fast. I like the pick though, makes the Toffoli trade look a little better.

 

[CamPopplestone]

With how many times that pick was traded only to end up back with us, he's either going to be a legit top 6 forward or a bust who never sniffs the NHL. No in between lol

 

[InfinityIggy]

This is a fun pick, played second fiddle to Nadeau line all year but was extremely productive none the less. Will be fun to see how he does at the next level. High reward pick.

 

[Deen]

This is a fun pick, played second fiddle to Nadeau line all year but was extremely productive none the less. Will be fun to see how he does at the next level. High reward pick.

He actually played on their line.

 

[RasmusAndersson]

Seems like we are going back to skill in mid rounds. The last few drafts I think we’ve gone for size and skating but we’ve neglected skill and IQ. Nice to see we are going back to what has made us successful in the past.

Seems like a mix of both. Morin isn’t big but the other two picks are big and relatively fast.

 

[InfinityIggy]

He actually played on their line.

Only on PP.

 

[Deen]

Only on PP.

Oh ok, I read somewhere he played with them and they made the most dynamic line in the BCHL or something along those lines. I don't actually have a clue.

 

[Yung Rotini]

He actually played on their line.

They played power play together but even strength they were on separate lines. Vees used Nadeau and Suniev on the LW.

 

[BRobMint]

I like that we’re taking guys who have potential to have high upside over safer players. That’s how we got Johnny in the past

 

[DomBarr]

With how many times that pick was traded only to end up back with us, he's either going to be a legit top 6 forward or a bust who never sniffs the NHL. No in between lol

Or he will trend as a boarder line pick, be traded for something that is not needed, and blossom into a legit 1st line player...

 

[Double Dion]

Seems like a solid pick there, not as good as round 2, but better than round 1.

 

[TheHudlinator]

Really like this pick, will be interesting to see how he does agaisnt a higher level competition.

 

[Kranix]

size at forward is definitely a theme

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Seems like a solid pick there, not as good as round 2, but better than round 1.

What’s wrong with Honzek? He’s big, shifty and he can skate. I was never a Jankowski guy but Honzek’s production wasn’t far off from Benson’s and he didn’t have two top 15 picks on his line.

 

[Double Dion]

What’s wrong with Honzek? He’s big, shifty and he can skate. I was never a Jankowski guy but Honzek’s production wasn’t far off from Benson’s and he didn’t have two top 15 picks on his line.

Nothing is precisely wrong with him. Compare him to ASP, Barlow or Moore who went after him and are younger than him. Heck compare him to Cristall who went in round 2, is younger and played with less talent.

 

[Rubi]

Suniev is a Russian hockey player who went to the USA at age 15 to play hockey. Played last season for the Penticton Vees where he scored 45 goals and 45 assists in 50 games. Apparently needs to significantly improve his skating. Committed to playing for the Univ. of Mass. for the 2023-24 season.

 

[Flamesfan62]

Nothing is precisely wrong with him. Compare him to ASP, Barlow or Moore who went after him and are younger than him. Heck compare him to Cristall who went in round 2, is younger and played with less talent.

Nothing is precisely wrong with him. Compare him to ASP, Barlow or Moore who went after him and are younger than him. Heck compare him to Cristall who went in round 2, is younger and played with less talent.

Cristall definitely had more talent than Honzek

 

[Fig]

Seems like we are going back to skill in mid rounds. The last few drafts I think we’ve gone for size and skating but we’ve neglected skill and IQ. Nice to see we are going back to what has made us successful in the past.

Sutter influence... Just as bad as Burke's in 2014 IMO.

Burke was a fantastic POHO in mentoring Treliving and guiding the org from less ownership involvement IMO. I hope Sutter one day does the same and re-cements his legacy as being a great dude.

Seems like a mix of both. Morin isn’t big but the other two picks are big and relatively fast.

I feel like the size was a bonus but a secondary reason that just tipped the scale against a similar prospect with less size.

Morin isn't big, but he isn't small. He's 6'0 so basically average. Some of the buzz word usage is starting to get weird and out of control IMO.

What's interesting to me is that the scouting report is hinting at a player with high IQ, but his IQ isn't purely playmaking, but using body language to deceive the opposition to be caught in a hit. That kinda makes me think of Regehr and reminds me of an underrated facet for Chucky had when he first started (although he became obvious and everyone dodged him after a while). I honestly do hope he continues to develop that deceptive physicality skill.

EDIT: What the heck again. Am I just thinking of Chucky too much or are we indeed picking up a ton of guys with skill/sandpaper combo in the same ilk as guys we lost like Chucky/Lomberg/Bennett/Hathaway etc.?

What’s wrong with Honzek? He’s big, shifty and he can skate. I was never a Jankowski guy but Honzek’s production wasn’t far off from Benson’s and he didn’t have two top 15 picks on his line.

Honzek is nothing like Jankowski play wise. IMO another underrated facet is that with the Slovak hockey program, he might get extra access to training that other prospects might not get access to. Add in the concept that their program has a long way to go to match other countries on the international stage, I think Honzek, along with his countrymen, would overlook the need to constantly improve to reach the highest stage. I like that mentality in a prospect.


But this is about Suniev and TBH, I think he's quite intriguing. I like how we are slowly adding Russians to our prospect pool. I wonder if he projects to be like a Hathaway type. Physical, skill, shooter, motor... if taught to be reasonably defensively responsible, I think it might project to be something in between Hathaway and Mangiapane? That's not bad at all if that's the case. I hope he hits the AHL sooner than later and I hope he, Il Nico and Kuznetsov all graduate and become key pieces.

Another facet I've found weird this draft is that it seems like there's a lot of preferences and patterns in our scouting department. These preferences and patterns have been reasonably accurate and still somehow feel a little under the radar vs how others seem to scout. Reading the profiles of who we drafted, there's lots of highlights that remind me of current or former Flames. We're also guys/prospects with a penchant of shooting more. This is something we had in spades from around 2015-2019 (ie: Mangiapane, Monahan, Hathaway, Bennett etc.) and then somehow we had lots of playmakers and few shooters from 2020 onwards (converted Lindholm, Toffoli... sorta, converted Tkachuk etc.).

 

[Kipper933]

Another very good pick.

Excellent pro prospect - good skater, good size, good acceleration, lethal shooter. He was expected to drive the 2nd line with the leftover pieces and showed great puck protection and stickhandling. Maybe some times tries to do too much by himself, but that could also be due to his quality of linemates and them unable to keep up with him and finish off chances.

Personally I preferred Suniev to his teammate that went in the 1st, Bradly Nadeau.