[News] With the 21st overall pick Flames select C Mark Jankowski

[Red Menace]

I'm as hopeful about Jankowski as the next guy, but I find it very hard for anyone to judge it as a good pick at the moment.
And if he plays his senior years and really does finally progress substantially, he just might decide to wait until Aug 2016 and become a UFA, not sure why he wouldn't at that point.
I won't start to be excited for this prospect until he is signed and shows promise at the pro level.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

This is the crux of what I disagree with. Saying they are better picks because they are in the NHL and Janko isn't just doesn't make sense - because he hasn't had the opportunity to be in the NHL.
So it isn't apples to apples in the least.

If Jankowski was good enough to be in the NHL he would be in the NHL. Not sure how you could argue at this point that Jankowski was a better pick than Maata. One day maybe he will be but until he proves otherwise Maata is the better pick.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Hackey

If Jankowski was good enough to be in the NHL he would be in the NHL. Not sure how you could argue at this point that Jankowski was a better pick than Maata. One day maybe he will be but until he proves otherwise Maata is the better pick.

That's a pretty weak argument. Jankowski will get his chance to play in the NHL, after this past year and how he performed in big games, its impossible to think he won't see NHL action by the start of 16/17. You can't fairly judge who's better until you see a good amount of their NHL resumes and compairing Janko to them now is unreasonable. Both Maata and TT come from a system that has their younger players playing against men much sooner than Janko has, you have to remember that we drafted him out of a highschool league. He's progressing perfectly right now and at this point in time can't determine who I'd rather have picked regardless of the NHL resumes already started by the other two guys. GOJANKOGO!!

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Hackey

If Jankowski was good enough to be in the NHL he would be in the NHL.

How? As a college player he can't attend training camp. He can't play pre-season games. He can't play in the AHL. In short he can't demonstrate, in the ways that most players do, that he is ready for the NHL.

Originally Posted by Hackey

Not sure how you could argue at this point that Jankowski was a better pick than Maata. .

Good thing I've never argued that point then. My point is that saying that player X is better than Janko because he is the NHL and Janko isn't - isn't a good argument.

Nowhere have a claimed Janko is a better pick than Matta.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Heavy Jack

That's a pretty weak argument. Jankowski will get his chance to play in the NHL, after this past year and how he performed in big games, its impossible to think he won't see NHL action by the start of 16/17. You can't fairly judge who's better until you see a good amount of their NHL resumes and compairing Janko to them now is unreasonable. Both Maata and TT come from a system that has their younger players playing against men much sooner than Janko has, you have to remember that we drafted him out of a highschool league. He's progressing perfectly right now and at this point in time can't determine who I'd rather have picked regardless of the NHL resumes already started by the other two guys. GOJANKOGO!!

I'm not saying he isn't a decent prospect but I do think the Flames messed up selecting him. There were several players available who I think would have been better picks. I'm in the middle with this all. I still think he has potential and realize we need to be patient with him but I also feel it wasn't the right pick. For a team with basically no prospects at the time I wish we went with a safer pick.

[Go_Flames4ever]

Originally Posted by Hackey

If Jankowski was good enough to be in the NHL he would be in the NHL. Not sure how you could argue at this point that Jankowski was a better pick than Maata. One day maybe he will be but until he proves otherwise Maata is the better pick.

So with this same thought process a year and a bit ago Gaudreau is a far inferior prospect to the likes of Sven, J.T. Miller, Klefbom, Puempel, Stuart Percy, Namestnikov, Nicklas Jensen, Rakell, and a couple other dozen players picked ahead of him since they've all played in the NHL before he did? You know, since Johnny hasn't even stepped on the ice for an NHL game prior to that last game vs Vancouver last year, he shouldn't have been considered a good prospect at all.

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Is it September yet?

[JohnnySkittles]

Originally Posted by Go_Flames4ever

So with this same thought process a year and a bit ago Gaudreau is a far inferior prospect to the likes of Sven, J.T. Miller, Klefbom, Puempel, Stuart Percy, Namestnikov, Nicklas Jensen, Rakell, and a couple other dozen players picked ahead of him since they've all played in the NHL before he did? You know, since Johnny hasn't even stepped on the ice for an NHL game prior to that last game vs Vancouver last year, he shouldn't have been considered a good prospect at all.

Obviously not. Things like this require context

[Go_Flames4ever]

Originally Posted by JohnnySkittles

Obviously not. Things like this require context

Well you just said it - context. What's the context for Janko vs TT, Ceci, Hertl, Girgensons, Wilson, and Vasilevskiy as was argued? NHL games right? That just seems to be a very silly argument and a much too simplistic view on the development of a player when that player hasn't had the chance to show what he's got in the bigs. Add to that that there's no way for Janko to play in the NHL without forgoing his college career where he's better suited to be developed.

Comparing these young kids at this moment with their different paths is perhaps digging too deep to find negativity on a pick. He may or may not pan out to be a better player than those mentioned, but to use NHL games to determine it right now is just so E=NG.

[Steve Bozek]

I don't understand the rationale for some of us continuing to gnash their teeth over a draft choice getting close to 4 years old. Jankowski was looking like a high risk/potential high reward pick at the time, and it's not surprising that some of the players chosen later have made the NHL ahead of him. Could they have done well choosing someone else? Sure.
But it's now looking like he's a pretty good player with a reasonable chance of turning into an NHL player. So what's the 2015 problem? It's not like the Flames haven't made other first round draft picks that, in retrospect, should have been someone else.

Jankowski's made the trip on his own dime to attend development camp here, he has some family ties to the city, and there have been no indications that he doesn't want to play here, so I don't understand the speculation he won't sign here if the Flames want him.

[Hackey]

Expect to hear about it until Jankowski cracks the roster and starts making a difference. At the time it was a questionable pick and as time goes on we will see how everyone pans out so inevitably people will talk about it.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Expect to hear about it until Jankowski cracks the roster and starts making a difference. At the time it was a questionable pick and as time goes on we will see how everyone pans out so inevitably people will talk about it.

People need to remember that this is a project that isn't finished.

[FireGilbert]

It is interesting to see this thread pop up again. With the continued reaction to Jankowski I am wondering what would have happened if the internet and CP existed in the 90s. The fire on ice forum would have been filled with pages of threads going on and on about bad draft picks.

Anyhow, I have repeatedly criticised this pick but my final thought is as follows: I really hope Jankowski reaches the potential Feaster boasted about but the extra long development curve for a forward is worrying and I will continue to be worried until he plays for the Flames.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Red Menace

I'm as hopeful about Jankowski as the next guy, but I find it very hard for anyone to judge it as a good pick at the moment.
And if he plays his senior years and really does finally progress substantially, he just might decide to wait until Aug 2016 and become a UFA, not sure why he wouldn't at that point.
I won't start to be excited for this prospect until he is signed and shows promise at the pro level.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

People need to remember that this is a project that isn't finished.

Which is why it will be an on going discussion whether people like it or not.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by New Era

This doesn't really fit here since TT was the guy everyone was hoping for before we traded down and Maata was the guy people were hoping for once we did. Not to mention every player in between them looks just as good or better than Jankowski. So it's not really hindsight when virtually every potential outcome would have got us a prospect equal or better than Jankowski.

[dieHARDflameZ]

Originally Posted by Hackey

This doesn't really fit here since TT was the guy everyone was hoping for before we traded down and Maata was the guy people were hoping for once we did. Not to mention every player in between them looks just as good or better than Jankowski. So it's not really hindsight when virtually every potential outcome would have got us a prospect equal or better than Jankowski.

Once again, you're getting overly fixated on the fact those picks have played NHL games. How many of the the "equal or better than" prospects you're referring to went the NCAA route? I'll answer it for you. ZERO.

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by dieHARDflameZ

Once again, you're getting overly fixated on the fact those picks have played NHL games. How many of the the "equal or better than" prospects you're referring to went the NCAA route? I'll answer it for you. ZERO.

Prospects don't always finish their NCAA career though - if they are good enough they can jump to the pros whenever they wish...

[dieHARDflameZ]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

Prospects don't always finish their NCAA career though - if they are good enough they can jump to the pros whenever they wish...

Absolutely true, however like I said earlier it is rare for college players to leave before their third or fourth years.

Players like Jack Eichel are the exception, not the norm (assuming he leaves BU this season).

[heep223]

All I know is if I was offered the choice right now, of Maatta or Ceci or Jankowski, I would take one of the former every single time. All the arguments aside.