For many years, the Flames did not have a single Russian-born player on their roster and very few Russian prospects in their system. Deciding to buck the trend, the club decided to look out east and sign free agent defenceman Alexander Yelesin out of the KHL to a 2 year entry level contract.
The 23-year old right shot comes with a decent amount hype surrounding him. He had plenty of suitors to chose from, but ultimately made the choice to sign in Calgary. Due to this, and the fact that he may have a faster track to the NHL than others on this list, makes him come in at the 9th spot in our prospect rankings.