The Calgary Flames place forward prospect Jakob Pelletier on waivers

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Jakob Pelletier will wait until midday Monday to find out whether his future lies with the Calgary Flames or another NHL organization.

The Flames placed Pelletier, their first-round draft pick in 2019, on waivers on Sunday.

Should he be released, the 23-year-old left winger is expected to be assigned to the Wranglers of the AHL. However, he could be claimed by another team during the 24-hour waiver period, with results to be announced around noon MT on Monday.

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The Flames' third-string goaltender Devin Cooley and rising center Cole Schwindt also were claimed off waivers Sunday. That wasn't the case with depth defenseman Joel Hanley, suggesting he will be one of eight blue-liners on the initial 23-man roster.

While wingers Sam Honzek and Adam Klapka are not claimed off waivers, it still looks like both will make the team.

“Obviously you don’t want to do waivers,” Pelletier said earlier this week. “I want to stay here. I love the team. I love the players. I love the staff. I want to be a part of it. I want to be a part of what's coming here. I want to play in the new arena.

“But I think it’s up to me to force her to play with me every night and stay here.”

Pelletier's future has been a hot topic in Calgary, and there will certainly be criticism of general manager Craig Conroy's decision to place the popular prospect on waivers on Sunday.

Pelletier's speed, draft pedigree and reputation as a ball of energy and source of positivity could appeal to another NHL organization. His contract comes with a cap hit of $800,000, which won't deter anyone.

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However, he has struggled to make an impact in five pre-season appearances this fall, so other teams may conclude he would not be an improvement to their current squad.

Pelletier has totaled four goals and 10 points in 37 career contests at the NHL level. Due to two shoulder injuries, he was only able to play 13 games in the 2023/24 season and was overtaken in the forward depth chart by his young teammates Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil and now Klapka and Honzek.

The planned spark plug is affected by tax exemption for the first time.

Pelletier remained on the scoresheet in his five appearances – including a pair of rotations with proven shutdown duo Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman – and Flames coach Ryan Huska has admitted he wanted to see more consistency from No. 22.

“We need to see his pace with which he pushes an opponent or a defender into making mistakes. “It's about using your speed to your advantage to give people some problems,” Huska said Friday. “We need to see that consistently from him. That's a real part of the role he has to play. There's a bit of energy in his role.

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“He has to be a guy who takes responsibility away from the puck. He's had a chance to play a few games with Mikael and Blake because that's what we see in him, the kind of traits that we think he can fit into that role. So it’s consistent and I think that’s probably the biggest thing you can say to most younger players trying to crack the lineup.”

Cooley was signed as a free agent over the summer and impressed in his first camp with the Flames. The 27-year-old posted a .929 save percentage per 100 minutes of play, but falls behind Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf on the netminding depth chart.

Schwindt had one assist and a plus-3 rating in four fall tunes. The 23-year-old has seven nights of NHL experience.

Sunday's transactions suggest Matt Coronato will also be among the final cuts on Monday. The 21-year-old right winger does not require any waivers. Coronato was second on the team in preseason with five points, trailing only Honzek, but he did all the damage in his first two outings.

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