Aydar Suniev NHL Debut: What To Watch For

 Aydar Suniev NHL Debut: What To Watch For

Photo Credit: Calgary Flames

    In antipaction of Aydar Suniev making his Calgary Flames debut tonight against the Los Angeles Kings lets give a quick rundown of the player and what to watch for in his first pro hockey game. 

Aydar Suniev 

Born: Nov. 16, 2004 (20yrs old) ~ Kazan, Russia

Height: 6'2" ~ Weight: 198lbs 

Drafted: 2023 ~ Round 3 ~ Pick #80 by Calgary Flame

    The evaluation on Suniev from Elite Prosepcts leading up to the 2023 draft  described him as: 

"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"

    Earlier this year Scott Wheeler in The Athletic ranked Suniev as the Flames 8th best prospect describing his time in college: 

"a really strong freshman season in which he finished second among forwards in scoring at UMass... He has had a really strong sophomore season this year as well, moving to above a point per game and creating more of his own looks at NCAA pace. Outside of slowish feet, Suniev is the complete package as a player. He’s got pro size already. His wrister and one-timer both rip off his blade. He handles the puck and attacks at defensemen and into the slot with confidence. He can play on it or off coverage, complementing different types of linemates with similar effectiveness and fit. He’s good along the wall and on the power play. He just looks like a pro-quality player when he’s out there. He’s the real deal and a player I believe may even have middle-six upside if he can continue to get a little quicker (he has made some progress there this year)"

What to watch for: 

    One game is a very small sample size and not enough to base any firm conclusions on, but here are a few areas of strength and weakness in Suniev's game to keep an eye on tonight. 

• Shooting Ability - Suniev has a fantastic shot that he can use in multiple different ways, can he get some opportunities to show that off 
• Pace - Can Suniev keep up with the speed of the game and get to the right spots. Would not be suprising for him to be a step behind adjusting to the pro game, but will be a gauge of where he stands going into the offseason and how much he needs to improve. 
• Size - The Flames don't have a lot of size in their lineup particularly up front, can Suniev use his size well to create space, protect pucks and make plays. 

    Suniev profiles quite similarly to Matt Coronato both with excellent shots and great effort, but questions about pace at the pro level. Coronato had a comparable 20G, 16A, 36TP in 34GP in his second season of college hockey also at 20yrs old before signing with the Flames. The following season Coronato started in the AHL playing 41 games for the Wranglers while also playing 34 NHL games for the Flames. This season Coronato started in the AHL again, but only had a brief cup of coffee for 2 games before being called up to the Flames for the remained of the season.           

    It would be fantastic for Suniev to follow a similar development path in pro hockey as Coronato, but that may difficult to do. Barring having a complete masterpiece of a training camp and preseason I would expect Suniev to start the season in the AHL to continue to develop his game at the pro level. With a good season it is possible he could be on the short list for a recall to play NHL games, particularly if injuries hit the big club, however, he will most likely spend the bulk of the 2025-26 season with the Wranglers. Best case scenario, I would look for Suniev to split time between the Wranglers and Flames during the 2026-27 before pushing for a full-time spot in the NHL for the 2027-28 season. 

This may be overly optimistic for a player who was a 3rd round draft pick, however, the Flames could certainly use the size and skill that Suniev can bring to the table so he should get an opportunity to carve out a role in the middle six with this team. It is never a small feat for any player to accomplish their dreams of playing in the NHL, this will be an exciting night for Suniev and hopefully the first of many wearing a Calgary Flames jersey.