The Flames announced Wednesday they’ve recalled defensemen Yan Kuznetsov and Ilya Solovyov from AHL Calgary. The pair gives the Flames 22 players – including nine defensemen – on their active roster, so further moves will be made before they return to action against the Sharks on Sunday.
Kuznetsov, 22, lands his first recall since being cut from the team’s training camp roster in October. The 2020 second-round pick made his NHL debut last season, posting a minus-one rating in 12 minutes of ice time against the Senators on Jan. 9, 2024, in his lone big-league showing.
A massive 6’5″, 220-lb lefty who specializes as a stay-at-home piece, Kuznetsov is enjoying a breakout campaign in the minors. He’s posted a respectable 3-11–14 scoring line through 49 games, and his pairing with Solovyov has been the best the club offers. Kuznetsov and Solovyov rank first and second on the team with +22 and +16 ratings, respectively, a +11 margin over third place among defenders.
Kuznetsov’s defensive awareness and physical game are intriguing, especially since he does so without taking a ton of penalties. He’s never topped 30 PIMs in an AHL season and has 22 this year. A rare USHL (2019 with the Sioux Falls Stampede) and Memorial Cup (2022 with the Saint John Sea Dogs) champion with a collegiate stint at UConn in between, he’s taken a winding road to NHL minutes and will now get another look on the roster with Kevin Bahl on injured reserve.
Solovyov’s recall is a paper move. Calgary recalled the 24-year-old Belarusian shortly before the 4 Nations break. He made his season debut against the Kraken on Feb. 8, skating over 19 minutes in his 11th career NHL appearance. The 2020 seventh-rounder has three assists with a minus-four rating in the NHL dating back to his debut last year, taking 12 shots on goal and averaging north of 16 minutes per game.
The latter plays the more offensively involved game of the two, relying more on his puckhandling ability and breakout passing to be effective. The lefty still has great size at 6’3″ and 209 lbs, though, and has posted a career-best 6-15–21 scoring line through 43 AHL appearances this season.