Flames Fortunate Former First-Rounder Wasn't Plucked From Waivers

There was a lot of consternation when the Calgary Flames put Jakob Pelletier on waivers ahead of the NHL regular season after a disappointing training camp cost him a shot at a regular role.

Plenty came from the fanbase — worried the Flames might lose their 2019 first-round draft pick for nothing. But you can bet Calgary Flames coaches and management were just as concerned. They had expected more from the 23-year-old winger and knew the risk of exposing him to send him to the AHL Wranglers.

They lost Cole Schwindt — their only right-handed center — to the Vegas Golden Knights but Pelletier and his first-round pedigree slipped through.

Fast forward to Thursday night, days after the Flames lost another depth player to waivers when Walker Duehr was claimed by the San Jose Sharks, and there was Pelletier making a massive impact in a tight game.

"That’s the best game I’ve seen him play in the NHL," Flames head coach Ryan Huska said of Pelletier, who scored the winning goal in a 5-2 comeback win that saw the home side score four unanswered goals.

"Hopefully it’s a sign of some great things to come for him."

There were certainly signs of Pelletier being able to carve out a nice career with the Calgary Flames during his rookie season. Making the most of his opportunities in 2022-23, Pelletier scored three times and had seven points in 24 games under a tough bench boss in Darryl Sutter. He brought energy to a group that didn't experience much joy together and many thought he'd take a giant leap the next year after Sutter's departure.

But a brutal shoulder injury in his follow-up training camp kept him out of the lineup until February. Then a second injury shattered his confidence. He finished with just a goal and three points in 13 appearances.

The AHL assignment this season was disappointing, but it allowed him to re-discover his offensive game and regain some of that self assurance. He earned his way back and has been gaining more and more confidence at the NHL level.

With his second multi-point game in the last 11 days during Thursday's contest against the Sabres, Pelletier has racked up three goals and six points and has been one of the Flames' top possession players in that span.

He was rewarded in the second period with a bump to the top line alongside Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri. Those two veterans finished with three points apiece.

Huberdeau opened the scoring for the Flames with a shorthanded breakaway goal. The first person to greet him on the ice was Pelletier.

“He brings so much energy. He’s the happy guy out there. It’s great," Huberdeau said of Pelletier after the game. "He’s been playing well, I think, since he came up again. Obviously he came up on our line and I thought we had a lot of looks.”

Maybe enough to keep him there. Pelletier's play certainly gives the Flames options up front. And it's unlikely he'll find his way back to waivers anytime soon.