This may be the most important draft the Flames have had in a very long time. You can say that some of the previous ones have been more important, but I think that we now find ourselves looking for those final components that make the Flames a true contender, this is the draft that makes or breaks this rebuild. This is the draft where we hopefully find those pieces that supplement the core we have established and turn it into a powerhouse.
I’ve been pouring over reports, reviews, watching games and video, in an attempt to figure out who is the best fit for the team going forward. All I know is we should be looking for guys with character, size, skill, and some grit. Size and the ability to finish is the most pressing need. Here’s my draft hope list after a few months of going back and forth on players.
DISCLAIMER: The following list is strictly based on my preference from the limited viewing opportunities and highlight packages I have seen. I really don’t care if you have tickets to the Steelheads or whoever, this is my list based on my viewings and data collection.
Austin Matthews (C) 6’1, 195 – Best in class. A good Arizona kid, who grew playing in the traditional hockey market of the southwest US, has done things at every level he has played to make coaches and scouts shake their heads. He has been miles ahead of any of his peer group at each level. The concern is that each next level he steps up to the gap closes. He’s still the head of this class by a big margin, but will that translate to the NHL? I think it will and he will become a Tavares level player in short order.
Patrik Laine (RW) 6’4, 205 – The more I see the guy the more I think he is the perfect fit for what the Flames are looking for. Has amazing skills and uses his size better than anyone in this class. He’s a shooter and possesses an outstanding shot. If you’re looking for a finisher this is your man. There’s a little bit of Jagr in this man-child.
Jesse Puljujarvi (RW) 6’3, 200 – Like his fellow Finn, Laine, Pulhardtospell is a great prospect. I think he is a better setup man than a finisher. He makes some passes that are unexpected but right on the money. He uses his size well and is good on possession. His stick handing isn’t as strong as I would hope, which leads to some fumbles and turn overs, but that is the weakness in his game. He’s solid everywhere else. Every time I see him I see Olli Jokenin. I think he’s destined to be a Flame.
Michael McLeod (C) 6’2, 185 – It is funny how you go to watch one player and you come away raving about another one. McLeod is THAT guy. You go to watch Nylander but you walk away raving about the things this McLeod did during the game. Very impressed with his speed, his tenacity, and his hockey IQ. Really makes some smart plays away from the puck and sets himself up for success. What really impresses me is he plays off his linemates very well, making them better at the same time. I really like this kid and would love to see him on the right side with Sam Bennett.
Julien Gauthier (RW) 6’3, 225 – Size. Check. Finishing ability. Check. Skating ability. Check. RW. Check. So what isn’t to like? Nothing from what I’ve seen. Because of his size, strength and skating ability I could see him riding shot gun with either of the top two centers and filling the net. He’s a shoot first ask questions later guy and loves to crash the net and score the garbage goals. Isn’t this the exact type of player we need on the top lines? I’m sure this will raise a lot of eyebrows but I like him top five for the Flames.
Pierre Luc Dubois (C/LW) 6’3, 200 – Big. Tenacious. Fast. What’s not to like? Shoots the wrong damn way! Has a lot of good things going for him. He looks like a NHL player out there. He just looks like the mirror image of the player we are looking for.
Jakob Chychryn (D) 6’2, 200 – Not really a fan of any of the top defensemen in the draft, but Chychryn is the best of the bunch. He’s got good skating ability and good shot. Plays a smart game. Seems a little under sized but maybe that is because I expected him to play a little bit tougher game. Would be an interesting pick, but based on what is in our system I would be a little disappointed if we walked away with him rather than addressing a larger need.
Alex Nylander (RW) 6’0, 195 – What an intriguing player. He has an amazing skill set, but there is just something missing there. If you’re looking for a chip off the Old Man’s block, Alex may be just that chunk of wood carved off of Michael. His father was incredibly skilled but something was missing there as well. That thing was courage. It may be that I’m gun shy because of watching his father, and seeing so many similarities in their games, but Nylander scares me that he will get to the next level and that thing that is missing will become a major problem.
Matthew Tkachuk (LW) 6’1, 195 – I don’t get the excitement over this guy. I don’t see the 2nd coming of his father. I see a player that is fortunate to play on the line he does. He isn’t the straw on that line, he isn’t even the guy stirring the straw, he’s a guy that is the bubbles in the drink floating to the surface because of the work of others. Not a fan, but then again, I wasn’t a Domi fan.
Logan Brown (C/LW) 6’6, 226 – Big mother! Really soft hands in around the net. Immovable from the front of the net. Has a reach that is impossible to defend against. Typical really big guy where his skating could use some work, but he seems to find the spots to score from. If he was only a right handed shot. Reminds me of Adam Creighton.
Riley Tufte (LW) 6’5, 205 – Crazy skilled kid. He’s a diabetic, but Bobby Clarke had a successful career dealing with the condition. I like his skating and his hockey IQ. Has very soft hands and battles well. Compared to Nick Bugstad a lot.
Those are the guys I hope we take a crack at and the order I would take them. Rip away.
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