After a near perfect WHL season, the 2021 sixth-round draft choice is motivated to reach the next step
It is a long shot for a sixth-round draft choice to make the NHL.
Nobody with the Calgary Flames will be surprised if Lucas Ciona beats the odds.
“There’s potential,” said Flames development coach Martin Gelinas. “It’s nice to see he wants to make it happen. He gets it. It’ll be a big step for him next year.
Gelinas has worked closely with Ciona since the Flames drafted him 173rd overall in 2021, and seen the constant progression from the 6-foot-3, 222-pound left winger who collected 28 goals and 75 points in 63 regular-season games with the Seattle Thunderbirds. Ciona added another five goals and nine points in 19 playoff games en route to the WHL championship, and raising the trophy as team captain.
Ciona’s physical tools are developing, but what excites Gelinas and the Flames is the mental abilities.
“You talk to him and he’s an adult,” Gelinas said of the forward who will turn 21 in January. “He’s mature and growing as a player. He works on his craft. He works on his skating. He’s got to keep working on his hands and he’ll do that, and his speed is a big topic.
“You don’t want to put limits on players, but he could be a great, great third or fourth liner.”
For now, Ciona is focused on reaching the next level. He signed with the Flames last October, and his next goal is to earn a spot with the AHL Calgary Wranglers.
“Staying dedicated and disciplined, that’s all I can do,” he said during the club’s recent summer prospects camp. “I’m confident in my abilities and will continue to work to develop them. I’m excited.
“Coming here is a huge step for me. We have lots of guys who want to take that step, and I want to be one of them.”
Unlike most prospects his age, Ciona is not looking to add strength. In fact, he is hoping to shed weight down to 215 pound (with eight percent body fat), while concentrating on agility and foot speed. He will spend the summer regularly working with Flames skating coach Danielle Fujita, working on his speed and lateral movement — which will include sprinter training — and even playing other sports such as tennis to improve his footwork.
“I have a lot of good things about my game, but I want my skating to be that much better so I can succeed to that level,” Ciona said.
If he needs more inspiration, Ciona has another area to pull from, essentially the lone disappointment of last season. While the Thunderbirds roared to the WHL crown, their quest for the Memorial Cup ended with a championship final loss to the Quebec Remparts.
“In a way, I don’t think I’ll every get over that, but from then to now I see a lot more of the positives that came out of it, all the lessons I’ve learned. Now, it’s not as much disappointment, but now it’s about doing what I can to never lose again.”