Sam Honzek at centre? Calgary Flames could see sneak-peek during world championship
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Sam Honzek sees this as an audition — and in more ways than one.
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He hopes, with a stellar showing at the world championship tournament, that he can start to build his case to be a full-timer with the Calgary Flames next season.
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The 20-year-old forward also is aiming, in his first appearance with Slovakia's senior national team, to showcase why he should be on the roster to represent his country at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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'There's going to be lots of eyes on the tournament, so it's going to be really, really good for me,' Honzek said. 'I think this can open up lots of eyes and kind of set me up for the future, for next season.'
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Could the next couple of weeks alter exactly where Honzek, who was a first-round draft pick in 2023, fits on the Flames' future depth chart?
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It's a good question.
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'I talked to the GM of the Slovak national team and he said I might have to play centre,' Honzek revealed after his exit interview with the AHL's Calgary Wranglers. 'So that is going to be definitely a big challenge for me, but I think I can handle it.'
Wouldn't that be a welcome wrinkle for the Flames?
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It's well-documented that the organization is short on centres, especially in the 25-and-under age range that they are targeting to form the nucleus for an eventual contender.
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Their top two pivots — leading scorer Nazem Kadri and captain Mikael Backlund — already are in their mid-30s and there are not any sure-things in the prospect pipeline.
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Could Honzek, a potential power-forward presence at 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds, be part of the solution at this crucial position? Most envision him as a long-term left winger, but he played a fair bit of both as a rookie in the minors and skates well enough to handle the extra responsibilities up the middle.
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Remember, when the Flames opened training camp this past fall with Martin Pospisil at centre, part of the rationale from head coach Ryan Huska was that he had received positive reports about his performance as Slovakia's 1C at the world championship.
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Huska is serving this spring as an assistant on Canada's bench staff, so he'll have a see-for-himself opportunity with Honzek. He was on the flank for a tuneup against France, but any shifts at pivot will offer a valuable sneak-peek for the staff at the Saddledome.
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