TOP PROSPECTS - GAWDIN

Over the next two weeks, Torie Peterson will be highlighting a group of young players who have shown tremendous promise in our Top Prospects series.
Glenn Gawdin knows how to make an impression.
Attending the Flames development camp as an invitee last July, the Richmond, B.C., native immediately made the coaching staff take notice thanks to his poised demeanor and determined play.
That week in Calgary earned him another invite, this to time to the Flames' rookie camp and the Young Stars Classic.
One of the best players at that rookie tournament in Penticton, the Flames kept tabs on the forward in the early goings of the season, eventually inking him to a three-year, entry-level contract on Nov. 16.
"The coaches really liked him. They couldn't say enough positive things about him," said assistant manager Craig Conroy. "He was so good in camp and he just kept on going. He had an amazing year."

An amazing year, indeed.
In his final WHL season, the 21-year-old captained the Swift Current Broncos to their first WHL Championship in over two decades and led his club in scoring with an eye-popping 56 goals and 125 points. He was second only to Moose Jaw's Jayden Halbgewach in the WHL scoring race, trailing the Warriors forward by just four points.
He was a regular on both special teams units for the Broncos, scoring 21 of his goals with the man advantage and chipping in with three short-handed markers. In the face-off circle, he won 58% of 1,713 draws.
In the playoffs, he was just as productive. He scored 14 goals and 18 assists through 24 games and sat third in league post-season scoring with 32 points. He was also second among all WHL skaters in shots in the playoffs with 104.

"What a season," Conroy said. "Before you watch him and you're just looking at the points, you could be thinking 'You know, he played with two high-scoring guys' but he drives that line. That's what you want to see. You want someone to drive a line.
"And when (Tyler Steenbergen and Aleksi Heponiemi) were gone for the World Juniors, he still produced."
Gawdin will turn pro in 2018-19, battling for a position on the depth chart down the middle.
"It's going to be an adjustment at pro at the next-level, but for him he's in a position right now where we need centres, it's in a perfect spot," Conroy noted.
"You want this guy to come in and really make a push."
Gawdin was originally drafted in the fourth round of the 2015 draft by the St. Louis Blues but was not signed, re-entering the draft last year. When he wasn't selected, the Flames saw the perfect opportunity to get a feel for what he brought to the table and if he would fit within the organization.
"St. Louis made a decision to not sign him, but you look at what St. Louis had and you don't know their contract situation, you don't know how they're building their team," Conroy explained. "For us, we don't have a first-, second-, or third-round pick this year, so where are we going to find players? And then you have one of the highest scoring players in the whole Western Hockey League and CHL in general, and to bring in a guy like that when you don't have a lot of picks, and we have more wings than we have centres, it's a huge find for us.
"We're always searching; whether its college, junior, or over in Europe, we're trying to find those guys. To get them to come in and make a difference is huge, and to get a guy that had an amazing season, you look at the stats and it's incredible.
"Our expectations are he's going to be a solid player that helps contribute offensively, and is going to make us better as an organization - that's what we're hoping for."