When the Flames acquired Hunter Shinkaruk, then the Canucks’ top prospect, for the low, low price of inconsistent third liner Markus Granlund, it looked to be a godsend. It appeared that the Flames had acquired an NHL-ready, dynamic winger who could compliment the Flames’ stronger players and fill in holes on the roster. After a strong NHL run out on the top line, it appeared that there was nowhere to go but up for the 2013 first rounder.
It has not gone that way at all. After his second full season in the Flames organization, Shinkaruk seems more like an afterthought than a solution.