The cupboards ARE bare

[Reign of Fire]

After looking at the size of this article I am a bit concerned on how bare the cupboard really is. Aside from Brodie and Howse, its hard to get too excited. Althought surprised to see no goalies were even mentioned. Doesn't even mention guys like Pelech either.

Not a good job by the Flames on selling the prospects to the fanbase

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=564572

[madmike]

I'd say aside from Brodie and Reinhart it's hard to be excited. Howse really needs to work on his overall game - checking, physical play and play away from the puck. Thr fact is that after Erixon the cupboards were pretty bare. Now they're about as bare as they get.

Without Erixon I think it's fair to say the Flames have the worst batch of prospects in the league. That said, the last couple of drafts have certainly been better than in previous years.

[Freeway]

Irving is good. Jury still out on Ortio.
Brodie is good. Breen has potential but is still a project. Leach could be good (he was very effective in WHL playoffs).
Reinhart is good. Howse and Horak should be good. Nemisz and Bouma are good.

Things aren't perfect, but the sky isn't falling or anything.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Reign of Fire

After looking at the size of this article I am a bit concerned on how bare the cupboard really is. Aside from Brodie and Howse, its hard to get too excited. Althought surprised to see no goalies were even mentioned. Doesn't even mention guys like Pelech either.

Not a good job by the Flames on selling the prospects to the fanbase

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=564572

Well it is a bit hard to get excited.

Wahl's concussions are not a good sign

Nemisz' foot speed might limit him to become a 3rd/4th liner (Moss as his upside)

Howse and Reinhart are boom bust players. Howse especially. Reinhart might be able to become a decent 3rd/4th liner in the Glencross mold.

Horak might develop into a 3rd/4th liner with some offensive upside, depends on what he does next year.

The rest of the forward prospects all seem to be Kostopoulos and Jackman types.

Brodie's upside is that of Giordano

Leach looks like he might become a Sarich type if things go well

Breen and Baldwin will probably become what Adam Pardy was, with a small chance of developing beyond that.

Negrin and Pelech need to stay healthy and get ice time to improve to try and salvage a potential career.

The rest of the d-men seem to be not so good.

Irving and Ortio need to step it up in order to show that they are good enough to possibly become NHLers.



There's not really anyone that you can definitively say will be a top 6 player other than Backlund. Not exactly encouraging. (That's not to say that players can't emerge though)

[Da_Chief]

Every successful team currently has few homegrown guys and not all fo them are 1st rounders. Thats one thing that annoyed me most about Sutter, excuse of having late first rounders, but his firsts and late picks were all dud, so far, jury out on few guys but I wouldn't hold my breath.

We really need to scout properly and find some hidden gems in the later rounds. Right now even with Brodie, Howse, Reinhart etc I'm not very optimistic.

It really sucks.

[Caged Great]

We need guys to emerge like a Pavelski or Byfuglein (7th rounders). Someone actually good from the 3rd and beyond.

Reinhart, Leach, Arnold, and Ramage look like they might all become NHLers, but we need some like that that will become impact guys.

[JiriHrdina]

Well I think we all know things aren't great and the Erixon stuff didn't help. But isn't that one of the main reasons the former GM isn't here.

It's going to take some time for things to be fixed. I think there are some promising kids in the pipeline but not having a 1st round pick for 2 straight years coupled with busts Chucko and likely Pelech - well its not hard to see why we are where we are.

No sense dwelling on it - what matters now is what happens going forward.

[Oilbert]

What if Howse and Horak tear up the AHL next season? 2 players with great chemistry, the cupboards are bare and amongst the league worst but they still have intriguing prospects like Brodie, Ortio, Howse, Reinhart, etc.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Well I think we all know things aren't great and the Erixon stuff didn't help. But isn't that one of the main reasons the former GM isn't here.

It's going to take some time for things to be fixed. I think there are some promising kids in the pipeline but not having a 1st round pick for 2 straight years coupled with busts Chucko and likely Pelech - well its not hard to see why we are where we are.

No sense dwelling on it - what matters now is what happens going forward.

That's part of the reason the Flames really need to improve their scouting of the NCAA, among other things, as the seniors that are ready to sign are farther in their development, which will allow them to make up for some of the failed picks of the past.

Signing a few players from there would definitely go a long way to get the depth back in the system that we're currently lacking.

[Hanna Sniper]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Well I think we all know things aren't great and the Erixon stuff didn't help. But isn't that one of the main reasons the former GM isn't here.

It's going to take some time for things to be fixed. I think there are some promising kids in the pipeline but not having a 1st round pick for 2 straight years coupled with busts Chucko and likely Pelech - well its not hard to see why we are where we are.

No sense dwelling on it - what matters now is what happens going forward.

No, communication and vindictive journalism is the main reason. Drafting is the reason why Button won't be here post this draft.

You can have the worlds greatest GM and the draft record we still only measure up to the abilities of your scouts. While it's possiable for a GM to over-rule his head scout and draft without his recomendations... but at the end of the day what does that say about your head scouts ability to asses talent if thats true

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Hanna Sniper

No, communication and vindictive journalism is the main reason.

No. Sutter was immune to backlash of his treatment of the media until the product on the ice and the pipeline for the future turned to crap

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Hanna Sniper

No, communication and vindictive journalism is the main reason.

The Phaneuf and the Kotalik trades are likely two of the main reasons IMO

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Oilbert

What if Howse and Horak tear up the AHL next season? 2 players with great chemistry, the cupboards are bare and amongst the league worst but they still have intriguing prospects like Brodie, Ortio, Howse, Reinhart, etc.

I like how you're seemingly one of the more optimistic posters regarding Flames prospects, and you're an Oiler fan.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

I like how you're seemingly one of the more optimistic posters regarding Flames prospects, and you're an Oiler fan.

I thought he was a canucks fan, pretending to be an oilers fan, presumably pretending to be optimistic about Flames prospects?

[Oilbert]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

I like how you're seemingly one of the more optimistic posters regarding Flames prospects, and you're an Oiler fan.

glad you didnt degrade me as a nucks fan.

[HighLifeMan]

We will be adding at the very least three legitimate NHL prospects by the end of this month. I am definitely looking forward to our selections.

Erixon who?

As for our current group I see at minimum 4 or 5 players having an Impact at the NHL level someday, at what extent remains to be seen.

[Hack&Lube]

I don't think it's reasonable to believe any of those prospects is ever going to be a first liner or first D pairing unfortunately.

[sworkhard]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I don't think it's reasonable to believe any of those prospects is ever going to be a first liner or first D pairing unfortunately.

This is true, but it's really hard to tell what a players top end is. I doubt many people expected Kesler, for example, to become a dominant centre after his first couple years in the league, but he kept improving until he became who he is today. He draft report expected him to be a gritty 3rd line Center for example. Dustin Boyd outscored him in the AHL for example and had similar numbers the first couple years in the NHL despite being several years younger.

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I don't think it's reasonable to believe any of those prospects is ever going to be a first liner or first D pairing unfortunately.

All it takes is drafting one high end player every couple years, to compliment the group of prospects we currently have.

We have a good possibility for adding such a player at #13 this year.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by sworkhard

This is true, but it's really hard to tell what a players top end is. I doubt many people expected Kesler, for example, to become a dominant centre after his first couple years in the league, but he kept improving until he became who he is today. He draft report expected him to be a gritty 3rd line Center for example. Dustin Boyd outscored him in the AHL for example and had similar numbers the first couple years in the NHL despite being several years younger.

I thought Gillis's comments on his approach to GM'ing were interesting, he pointed out there were so many intangibles a team had no ability to effect that they had to put their effort into the things they could, money for the scouts, diet and sleep specialists, extra coaching etc.

I think there is something to be said for the Canucks getting more out of their players right now than one would expect, Kessler, Bieksa Burrows and Edler are all playing over what one would have thought they would manage a few years ago. I doubt it is just luck.