[News] Tij Iginla selected ninth overall by Seattle in WHL Draft

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I feel that center is much more of an organization need than winger as if they take Tij, who's going to center all these young wingers in the coming seasons? Honzek is really all they have in the pipeline that projects to centering a 2nd or maybe 1st line. If Lindstrom or Catton are available by chance where the Flames pick I just don't see how they could take Iginla over one of them.

I have seen a few sources say that Catton projects more to be an LW at the NHL level. I won't pretend to have any original insight though. I also suspect Lindstrom may go higher than where the Flames are picking. That pretty much leaves Helenius as the top center available where the Flames are slotted to pick.

I think the Flames really need to go BPA no matter what. If best center where the Flames are picking projects to be a 2nd liner and there are players that the Flames scouts think can be a top pairing defenseman or 1st line winger, I personally go with the defenseman or winger.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Well he also wasn't the best goal scorer in the entire NHL during the young guns era either. weird correlation you're trying to draw.

He peaked 2002-2008

Umm Iginla scored 52 goals in the 2001/02 season which was young guns era. The Flames averaged 15718 fans per game that season. They sold out from 2005/06 to 2012. Don't overthink it. Winning solves everything.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Umm Iginla scored 52 goals in the 2001/02 season which was young guns era. The Flames averaged 15718 fans per game that season. They sold out from 2005/06 to 2012. Don't overthink it. Winning solves everything.

I don't consider that still to be the Young guns era. Maybe the very tail end.

That team had Conroy, Turek, Kravchuk, Neidermayer, McAmmond, Lowry, Shantz, Boughner, Berube, Vernon...that was not a particularly young squad.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

I don't consider that still to be the Young guns era. Maybe the very tail end.

That team had Conroy, Turek, Kravchuk, Neidermayer, McAmmond, Lowry, Shantz, Boughner, Berube, Vernon...that was not a particularly young squad.

It's young guns era. Regardless I think you can understand my point that Iginla scoring 50+ goals didn't make for an uptick in attendance but a Stanley Cup run basically set the organization up for their most prosperous times since the 80's.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

It's young guns era. Regardless I think you can understand my point that Iginla scoring 50+ goals didn't make for an uptick in attendance but a Stanley Cup run basically set the organization up for their most prosperous times since the 80's.

Well who would disagree with that?

There were certainly plenty of Iggy jerseys before that. Obviously a cup run and a team the city fell in love with pushed merch sales through the roof.

I think we are on the same page. I just think Iginla reaching superstar status and the team contending basically went hand in hand, with maybe a season or 2 that didn't overlap.

There was also a beautiful new red jersey that came out in 2003/2004 that sold like hotcakes. Iginla was obviously the most crested name on that one

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Well who would disagree with that?

A few posts ago you didn't see the correlation but now you do? Okay.

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I didn't see nearly as many Iginla jerseys or fans in the dome in the young guns days as I did post 2004. Fans fill the arena and buy more merchandise for a winner.

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

Well he also wasn't the best goal scorer in the entire NHL during the young guns era either. weird correlation you're trying to draw.

He peaked 2002-2008

Let's just move on here.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

A few posts ago you didn't see the correlation but now you do? Okay.

No, it was the fact you specifically singled out Iginla jerseys during the Young guns era.

My point was the guy wasn't lighting the league on fire during the "Young guns" era which in my mind is 1998-2001.

Obviously a cup run ignites a fanbase.

[Jiggy_12]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Let's just move on here.

Yup

[Erick Estrada]

Edit: Just saw your last post. All good. Moving on.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jiggy_12

I don't consider that still to be the Young guns era. Maybe the very tail end.

That team had Conroy, Turek, Kravchuk, Neidermayer, McAmmond, Lowry, Shantz, Boughner, Berube, Vernon...that was not a particularly young squad.

The "Young Guns" slogan was used as early as the 1997 season:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lqv0XGBPX0

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Still got to go with BPA. I prefer a center but if they feel like Iginla is the best chance at a top line player they will be picking high over the next two years as well.

Teams rarely win championships by building around elite wingers.
You need elite D and C.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Teams rarely win championships by building around elite wingers.
You need elite D and C.

Team has always been elite on the wings, and mediocre down the middle.

Iginla, Tanguay, Cammy, Tkachuk, Gaudreau and Huberdeau.

When you are playing Marcus Nilson, and David Moss as #1C we have issues.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Team has always been elite on the wings, and mediocre down the middle.

Iginla, Tanguay, Cammy, Tkachuk, Gaudreau and Huberdeau.

When you are playing Marcus Nilson, and David Moss as #1C we have issues.

Monahan and Lindholm were pretty good but it's been a very long time since the Flames had a consensus elite first line center. I would think when they finally get one, that the organization could get on track to ice a team that's a perennial contender. Easier said than done when you aren't picking top 3 but it's happened before with guys like Kopitar, Getzlaf, etc going later in the draft.

[BigThief]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Umm Iginla scored 52 goals in the 2001/02 season which was young guns era. The Flames averaged 15718 fans per game that season. They sold out from 2005/06 to 2012. Don't overthink it. Winning solves everything.

The Flames used Young Guns has as tag line for one summer, I think 1997. It was hardly an era

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Monahan and Lindholm were pretty good but it's been a very long time since the Flames had a consensus elite first line center. I would think when they finally get one, that the organization could get on track to ice a team that's a perennial contender. Easier said than done when you aren't picking top 3 but it's happened before with guys like Kopitar, Getzlaf, etc going later in the draft.

This is why I want them to focus on Cs. We need to have half a dozen good prospects in the stable, as opposed to the nothing burger we currently have.

This franchise has been swimming upstream, when it comes to Cs, forever.

This is also (partly) why I think going after Holtz is a waste of time. Get a C, or get a pick that we can use on a C. But getting more wingers isn't moving this franchise forward.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

This is why I want them to focus on Cs. We need to have half a dozen good prospects in the stable, as opposed to the nothing burger we currently have.

This franchise has been swimming upstream, when it comes to Cs, forever.

This is also (partly) why I think going after Holtz is a waste of time. Get a C, or get a pick that we can use on a C. But getting more wingers isn't moving this franchise forward.

The plan was Bennett/Monahan/Backlund. Oh well.

I thought they had a chance with 3 good (but not superstar) centres in Lindholm, Kadri and Backlund. Something like Vegas.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

The plan was Bennett/Monahan/Backlund. Oh well.

I thought they had a chance with 3 good (but not superstar) centres in Lindholm, Kadri and Backlund. Something like Vegas.

Eichel definitely qualifies as an elite centre.

IMO the only versions of a cup winner without an elite centre are St. Louis Blues, depending on your thoughts of ROR as an elite centre, and Washington. Washington really is proof that you can win with an elite winger, they just have to be potentially the best winger of all time.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Eichel definitely qualifies as an elite centre.

IMO the only versions of a cup winner without an elite centre are St. Louis Blues, depending on your thoughts of ROR as an elite centre, and Washington. Washington really is proof that you can win with an elite winger, they just have to be potentially the best winger of all time.

Eichel has elite potential and upside...but I'm not sure he's ever had a truly elite season.

He has 502 points in 529 games, and his best single season was a 94 point pace on a Sabres team that went 30-31-8.

I think he's a tier above a guy like Lindholm, but he's still a tier below the McDavid, Matthews, Mackinnon, etc "Elite C" threshold IMO.

[Flames1217]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Eichel definitely qualifies as an elite centre.

IMO the only versions of a cup winner without an elite centre are St. Louis Blues, depending on your thoughts of ROR as an elite centre, and Washington. Washington really is proof that you can win with an elite winger, they just have to be potentially the best winger of all time.

When Washington won, they had both Backstrom and Kuzy playing at very high levels. I wouldn't write off thier centre depth that easily.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Eichel definitely qualifies as an elite centre.

IMO the only versions of a cup winner without an elite centre are St. Louis Blues, depending on your thoughts of ROR as an elite centre, and Washington. Washington really is proof that you can win with an elite winger, they just have to be potentially the best winger of all time.

I dunno. First, I said superstar. But as for elite, he sometimes hits PPG and sometimes he doesn't. PPG centres are not uncommon - are Reinhart, Larkin, Scheifele, Barzal "elite"? He's not ripping 100 point seasons, not even close.

Edit: what Supermatt said. In fact, until Lindholm lost his favorite wingers, his production resembled Eichels a bit.