Who are these guys? Meet the new Flames

Kenny Agostino could play an important role for the Calgary Flames down the road.

The Calgary Flames finally pulled the trigger and moved Jarome Iginla early Thursday morning.

In exchange for their longtime franchise player, the Flames acquired two American NCAA prospects and a first-round pick (that doesn’t look it will be very high).

Flames GM Jay Feaster needed to restock the system and was able to capitalize on a trade with a Pittsburgh Penguins team loaded with young talent.

Hockey Central Trade Tracker | #Iginla, #Flames trending

After the trade was complete, many wondered if the Flames could have received a higher return for their captain.

As a comparison, Dallas received a top-ranked defenceman (Joe Morrow) from the Penguins in exchange for Brenden Morrow last week.

Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski may turn out to be solid players for the Flames for years to come, but neither were listed as top-10 prospects in the Penguins’ system on a list compiled by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Dave Molinari in December.

With Agostino and Hanowski joining the Flames organization, here is the lowdown on their two new prospects.

Kenneth Agostino
Age: 20
Position: Forward
Team: Yale (NCAA)
2013 stats: 33 GP, 15 G, 22 A, 32 PIM
Drafted: Fifth round (No. 140 overall) in 2010

Agostino has progressed in each of his last three years with the Yale Bulldogs. The New Jersey native displayed huge offensive potential in high school, but at the college level he is said to be a solid all-around player with strong instincts and a good motor.

He broke out last season when the 5’11” forward received an honourable mention for the All-Ivy team. He displayed strong playmaking ability as he finished with 14 goals and 20 assists.

With one year left of college eligibllity, some have speculated the American winger could return to Yale for his senior season in 2013-14.

Hockeysfuture.com compared the high-effort forward to Ryan Callahan of the New York Rangers.

“I want to be a complete player like Callahan,” Agostino told hockeysfuture.com. “Callahan’s defensive zone coverage and his transition offence is something I like. Those are two things I am trying to improve on. I also love Callahan’s work ethic. Obviously if you can work as hard as he can, you are doing all right.”

Ben Hanowski
Age: 22
Position: Forward
Team: St. Cloud State (NCAA)
2013 stats: 34 GP, 16 G, 13 A, 16 PIM
Drafted: Third round (No. 63 overall) in 2009

In his fourth season at St. Cloud State, Hanowski is not putting up gaudy numbers but has started to show signs he is becoming a complete player.

The Minnesota native was named team captain for the 2013 season after leading his team in scoring last year (23 goals, 20 assists). The 6’2” forward is said to be a solid offensive-minded player with strong vision.

While his scoring has dropped off a bit this season, according to hockeysfuture.com, he has improved his ability to play to his size and added a much better strength element to his game. Earlier in his NCAA career, he needed to work on his skating and was knocked off the puck too frequently.

Hanowski will not have college eligibility for 2013-14 and could see time with the Flames as soon as the end of this season.

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