Quote:
Originally Posted by YyjFlames
I don't think you should let the Honzek pick in particular make you think that the Flames have shifted their draft strategy to prioritize size over skill. He wasn't just picked because he was big and maybe skilled. He was picked because he was skilled and has an incredibly high ceiling as he fills out. He's the definition of taking a home run swing with a draft pick (without reaching), which a lot of people on this site want to see.
I'd get your concern if the Flames drafted a guy like Charlie Strammel there instead, who the Wild reached to take a few picks later. But Honzek is a very different, highly skilled player that was expected to need a lot of time to develop.
It's also funny to see the Flames 2023 draft be compared to the 2014 draft. That draft was quite a bit different where the Flames scouts likely had marching orders to prioritize beef ahead of skill (and Burke clearly focused on size over skill with his picks). The 2023 draft is a lot more like the drafts under Treleving: skill first but don't ignore size unless a smaller player completely blows you away (which is different than prioritizing size over skill).
I mean seriously, it's been less than a year, and all of the picks Calgary made were going to take a few years to develop. D+1 says there's a decent chance that the Flames may still have four NHLers coming out of the 2023 draft. Give it some time.
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Oh I don't mind the pick. My only concern is the injury history that is starting to pile up.