The Calgary Flames still have many young restricted free agents left to sign before the start of the 2024-25 season. One of those RFAs is former QMJHL forward Jakob Pelletier, who happens to be one of the Flames' most promising young players.
Pelletier was selected third overall in the QMJHL draft by the Moncton Wildcats. Three seasons later, the Wildcats dealt him to the Val D'Or Foreurs, where he'd play his final season. In total, Pelletier put up 107 goals and 275 points in 210 regular season games in the QMJHL. He also put up 9 goals and 31 points in 32 postseason games.
It was evident from his QMJHL days that Pelletier possessed unique offensive skills. His vision and creativity caught the attention of the Calgary Flames, who selected him 26th overall in the 2019 NHL draft.
Pelletier currently has 37 NHL games of experience and put up four goals and 10 points across two seasons with the Flames. Since his graduation from the QMJHL, Pelletier has mainly played in the AHL with the Calgary Wranglers, who were formerly the Stockton Heat.
In his AHL rookie season, he showcased his offensive skills by putting up 27 goals and 62 points in 66 games, placing him second in scoring on the team as a 20-year-old. Overall, Pelletier has accumulated 48 goals and 111 points in only 119 regular season games. He also added 9 goals and 20 points in 28 AHL postseason games.
It may not be too long before we see Pelletier become a regular with the Flames, who lost many key pieces this past year.
In addition to Pelletier, Calgary also needs to deal with their other young RFAs. This includes defensemen Nikita Okhotiuk and Ilya Solovyov, as well as former forward Cole Schwindt.