Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
Nobody should be writing-off Mangiapane, just that we should be tempering our expectations.
There are tonnes of really great small over-agers that have scored at a high clip in juniors, and have done nothing in the NHL. Heck, Paul Byron was a really good prospect in the Q, getting 1.5pts/game leading his team after Giroux graduated, and Pistilli was moved to Shawinigan.
Point is, there is no reason to be pumping any tires due to how many points Mangiapane is getting, but it is definitely even worse to just dismiss him as a legitimate prospect completely either. He is just going to be an interesting prospect to watch develop over time in the Flames' system.
I would be happy enough if he becomes a very good AHL'er. Someone to add skill to the lineup down there longer term and help the other prospects develop. That in itself I would consider a 'win' from a 6th round pick. However, of course I would love it if Mangipane translates really well into the NHL - and he may do it. It is just that his scoring rate in the OHL this year was very much expected and doesn't suddenly change him into some kind of awesome blue-chipper for the organization.
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I agree with everything you say but the problem is there really isn't much else in terms of good news for Flames fans to talk or be happy about.
The NHL team sucks. The AHL team sucks and can't score any goals and top prospects like Poirier, Granlund, and Klimchuk are struggling. Reports on Kylington are varied. Wotherspoon and Morrison, two guys who were supposedly close, are struggling.
There's not much else in college hockey. The other CHL prospects are pretty mediocre, and the Euro prospects are barely even playing on their respective teams.
Pretty much everything that can go wrong for this organization this year, has gone wrong. So it's hard to blame some fans for getting a little excited over a smidgen of good news.