Calgary Flames sign first-round pick Samuel Honzek to entry-level contract
Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy announced that the club has signed 2023 first-round selection (No. 16) Samuel Honzek to a three-year, entry-level contract. According to CapFriendly, Honzek’s contract will have an average annual value of $950,000.
HONZO!
The #Flames have signed Sam Honzek to a three-year entry-level contract.@PlayAlbertaCA | https://t.co/3feWOTURyF
Honzek spent the 2022-23 season with the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League (WHL), where he notched 23 goals and 33 assists for 56 points in 43 regular season games. He added four points in four WHL Playoff games. Honzek missed nearly two months of action after suffering an injury at the World Juniors. Despite the setback, he started to rediscover his groove down the season’s stretch and finished second on the Giants in scoring.
“We were happy to have selected Samuel in this year’s draft and as equally pleased today to have him signed to his entry-level agreement,” said Flames General Manager Craig Conroy. “We entered the draft looking to add skill with size to our group, and Samuel is a textbook example. He had an impressive showing at development camp, and we are excited to watch him build on that at the main camp in September.”
The 6-foot-4 power forward will return to the Giants for the 2023-24 WHL season; the Giants selected the Slovakian No. 10 overall in the 2022 CHL Import Draft.
Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis ranked Honzek as the No. 18 prospect available in the 2023 NHL Draft. Here’s what he had to say about Honzek in his final 2023 NHL Draft Rankings:
“I don’t think Honzek has a huge offensive ceiling, but I think he’s going to have a long career,” Ellis said. “He throws punishing hits, is a fantastic two-way presence and has a great release on his shot. Honzek’s game is built around power, and I love him as a potential middle-six option.”