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

[megatron]

I haven't gone through the entire thread, so I don't know if this was mentioned yet. My goal for this draft would have been to draft a forward who could potentially play with Sven this or next year.

I picked Collberg in the draft poll, but I didn't know very much about any of the picks. After reading the Flames Nation article on Radek Faksa, I really wanted the Flames to pick him. Dallas picked him at #13, but I was still hoping for the Flames to pick an almost NHL-ready impact forward that would join the team in a year like Sven is going to do this year.

The cupboard isn't as bare as everyone else thinks it is, but with the expectations some of us have for Sven, I don't want him to face what Iggy has had to for the past 10 years -- basically becoming the face of the franchise with no help.

If Jankowski is resembles anything like Joe Nieuwendyk and ready in 4 years, great, but I was just hoping for someone more NHL-ready to help Sven out next year (when Kipper and Iggy are another year older).

So ultimately, I'm not overly upset with the pick, just a little little disappointed.

My 2 cents.

[PeteLFan]

How can you be upset with a player described as a fast lanky center with velvet mitts. The words center and velvet mitts had me doing backflips.

[HELPNEEDED]

Originally Posted by megatron

I haven't gone through the entire thread, so I don't know if this was mentioned yet. My goal for this draft would have been to draft a forward who could potentially play with Sven this or next year.

I picked Collberg in the draft poll, but I didn't know very much about any of the picks. After reading the Flames Nation article on Radek Faksa, I really wanted the Flames to pick him. Dallas picked him at #13, but I was still hoping for the Flames to pick an almost NHL-ready impact forward that would join the team in a year like Sven is going to do this year.

The cupboard isn't as bare as everyone else thinks it is, but with the expectations some of us have for Sven, I don't want him to face what Iggy has had to for the past 10 years -- basically becoming the face of the franchise with no help.

If Jankowski is resembles anything like Joe Nieuwendyk and ready in 4 years, great, but I was just hoping for someone more NHL-ready to help Sven out next year (when Kipper and Iggy are another year older).

So ultimately, I'm not overly upset with the pick, just a little little disappointed.

My 2 cents.

lol you would be putting alot of pressure on Baertschi; he's going to be like Iginla? |Thats quite the lofty goal you've set for him.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by PantherExtreme

All the bs hobby scouting sites have the same quote about him playing in the beanpot is there anymore info on that? Also heard his team played against US highschools or ushl or something? Any info on this stuff appreciated.

I have been looking since I had hear the same thing; someone posted an article from the New England Hockey Journal that briefly mentioned his appearance at the Beanpot, but the only other thing I could find was this report from Red Line's Kirk Luedeke:

Originally Posted by Kirk Luedeke

"Rangy centreman with long, smooth stride that will only get better as he develops his strength and leg drive. Plays with his head up and has excellent on-ice vision. Creative player who makes his linemates better, showed some impressive instant chemistry with Ben Foster at Beantown Classic – the duo were noticeable on just about every shift. He’s a project at this stage, but in terms of raw upside, I don’t know that I saw many better prospects this year than Jankowski. He’s not all that physical a player, but he doesn’t shy away from contact either. I think he’ll address that aspect of his game as he matures."

Originally Posted by PantherExtreme

Definitely risky but the only way to get that 6'3 playmaking #1 center is to tank, or take a risk. And even the oilers havent been able to find him in 3 drafts.

The Oilers haven't found him yet because they aren't looking. Until THN's Prospect Watch tells them otherwise, they will continue to draft midgets with circus skills. What is really impressive about this pick for the Flames was how deliberate it was. This really communicates that the team understands how important it is to find that elusive top-line centreman, and they have also recognized that he can only be acquired in the draft. Jankowski is a big risk: but if he pans out as he is being projected by some, the Flames are suddenly well ahead in rebuilding their core. In three years if all goes well, how much better does Jankowski's addition to a core of forwards that includes Baertschi, Gaudreau, and Reinhart look?

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by megatron

I haven't gone through the entire thread, so I don't know if this was mentioned yet. My goal for this draft would have been to draft a forward who could potentially play with Sven this or next year.

.

That why I was kind of upset when we traded down and didn't take Girgensons. He is a real cannonball and is considered to be fairly close to being in the NHL. His ultimate upside is debatable, but he is a "safer" pick if there is such a thing.

Not that I mind what they did. I said it before, this was a good draft to off board.

[toquester]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I have been looking since I had hear the same thing; someone posted an article from the New England Hockey Journal that briefly mentioned his appearance at the Beanpot, but the only other thing I could find was this report from Red Line's Kirk Luedeke:




The Oilers haven't found him yet because they aren't looking. Until THN's Prospect Watch tells them otherwise, they will continue to draft midgets with circus skills. What is really impressive about this pick for the Flames was how deliberate it was. This really communicates that the team understands how important it is to find that elusive top-line centreman, and they have also recognized that he can only be acquired in the draft. Jankowski is a big risk: but if he pans out as he is being projected by some, the Flames are suddenly well ahead in rebuilding their core. In three years if all goes well, how much better does Jankowski's addition to a core of forwards that includes Baertschi, Gaudreau, and Reinhart look?

More on the Beanpot.



"The book on Jankowski is that he’s a point-producing machine for little Stanstead College, a Quebec boarding school, thanks to his high-end hockey sense and rapidly developing skill set. A rangy skater with a long, smooth stride and sublime on-ice vision, Jankowski turned heads in March at the Spring Beantown Classic showcase in Marlboro, Mass.

“Playing in the Beantown was definitely a nice test for me,” Jankowski told New England Hockey Journal. “When I played at Stanstead, the competition wasn’t the greatest (as opposed to major junior hockey), so I think I showed that I can play effectively with some of the other draft eligible players who were maybe competing at a higher level.”

Skating on a line with Choate Rosemary Hall standout Ben Foster (Darien, Conn.), Jankowski gave opponents fits with his ability to generate quality scoring chances. He and Foster benefited from some instant chemistry, something that is rare in a tournament like the Beantown, where top players mostly from the New England area and Northeast are cobbled together."

This was also written by Luedeke.

[PantherExtreme]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I have been looking since I had hear the same thing; someone posted an article from the New England Hockey Journal that briefly mentioned his appearance at the Beanpot, but the only other thing I could find was this report from Red Line's Kirk Luedeke:

?

Thanks. Yeah it sounds like he has the tools and if the flames have had the chance to see him against better comp even a couple times i would really start to feel good about the pic.

[Hustle]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

That why I was kind of upset when we traded down and didn't take Girgensons. He is a real cannonball and is considered to be fairly close to being in the NHL. His ultimate upside is debatable, but he is a "safer" pick if there is such a thing.

Not that I mind what they did. I said it before, this was a good draft to off board.

I know our management is still in 'win now' mode, but realistically this organization should be looking out for the future first at this point (which admittedly makes keeping Iginla and Kipper contradictory.... but that's another topic altogether).

While at first glance it does seem quite daunting that our 1st round pick is probably 4 years out from being an NHL ready player (w/o rushing him), I actually think this speaks volumes about the management we have in place and what they're trying to do.

Girgensons, Tervainen (hell, pretty much all the fwds and dmen) taken between 14-20 are more likely to have an impact in the next 3 years at the NHL level. It would have been easy for Weisbrod, Feaster and co. to take the safe pick and say they are trying to supplement the core within the next two years.

I think the fact that they went for the guy that has the best long-term potential really does say something. Who even knows if Feaster and Weisbrod are still with the organization by the time Jankowski arrives.... its a risk on their end but I really respect them for sticking their neck out for the long-term health of this organization.

Who knows if it's the right decision in the end (I'll admit i was a bit dissapointed they passed over Tervainen initially).... but if they are right then they managed to accomplish something that this franchise hasn't been able to do since 1995.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by Freeway

Good player, a project, but could've probably been had at 42.
And the Flames could've gotten another high-end talent.
But I DO LIKE JANKOWSKI.

Really don't think Janko would've lasted until the 42nd pick. Late 1st/early 2nd & he would've been off the board - hypothetical of course.

[Captain_Obvious]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

What I get from them is that Jankowski isn't trending to be the best player in the draft as claimed by Calgary management. That's just an opinion. I don't believe its all that offensive.

Could that be any more straight forward logic?

It's Calgary Management's opinion he could be the best player from this draft, hence why they picked him.

Would you have preferred they didn't pick the player they felt would be the best option? Or perhaps picked without sharing their opinion when asked?

Nothing you've come here to say has made any sense. You're trolling and nit picking and failing miserably at both.

[Captain_Obvious]

Originally Posted by megatron

I haven't gone through the entire thread, so I don't know if this was mentioned yet. My goal for this draft would have been to draft a forward who could potentially play with Sven this or next year.

The chance of drafting a player at 14 who could step in this season or next in a top six role (where Sven is pegged to be playing) is slim to none. That's a very unrealistic proposition and I'm certainly glad the Flames management wasn't that short sighted.

It would be nice to improve the team ASAP but that wasn't going to be done with a 14th overall pick.

The wisest course was what they did: choose the player they feel will develop into the best NHLer down the road.

[toquester]

Originally Posted by cral12

Really don't think Janko would've lasted until the 42nd pick. Late 1st/early 2nd & he would've been off the board - hypothetical of course.

His uncle is Ryan Jankowski, a scout for the Montreal Canadiennes and they picked at 33. I don't think for a minute he would ever make it to 42.

[Oil Stain]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I said WHAT now???

I didn't mean that. My apologies. It was a response to the "anti-troll brigade" that feels the need to attack every rival fan on the site. I removed the comment.

[qupte] Have you seen scouting reports that raise concerns about Jankowski's skills? His on-ice vision? His hockey IQ? If so, I should really like to see them because in virtually everything that I have read there is no such criticism. If he happened to be passed over by 20 NHL teams at the draft, it was not because he is less skilled than every other player selected ahead of him. There are other reasons, but I sincerely doubt that his skills were among them.[/QUOTE]

The thing about rating skills is that it is very much a feeling. There can be a pretty broad range of opinions. While some scouts might see Jankowski's skills as plus, others might see them as merely good. My feeling is that Jankowski would be dominating more at his level if his skill set was as elite as Feaster is selling it is.

[transplant99]

Originally Posted by toquester

His uncle is Ryan Jankowski, a scout for the Montreal Canadiennes and they picked at 33. I don't think for a minute he would ever make it to 42.

Weisbrod sounded completely sure of himself when he sated that he knew the kid wouldnt have made it out of the 1st round....NJ one team they think would have grabbed him for sure.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

...The thing about rating skills is that it is very much a feeling. There can be a pretty broad range of opinions. While some scouts might see Jankowski's skills as plus, others might see them as merely good. My feeling is that Jankowski would be dominating more at his level if his skill set was as elite as Feaster is selling it is.

Well if other scouts have considered his skills as merely "good", then I would have expected to have seen this reflected in at least a couple of the scouting reports. The fact that ALL of them make a point of mentioning his EXCEPTIONAL skills says something quite contrary to what you are claiming.

You say he should have dominated more at his level; more than what? More than what his stats line reads? Did you actually watch him play? Have you seen even any highlights of his on-ice performance? Do you even know how well he performed relative to others in the same league? Basically, you are comparing numbers in a virtual vacuum and extrapolating from these to form an opinion of Jankowski's skillset. Simply put: if the Flames professional scouting staff after having watched him play several times consider his skillset to be elite; if professional scouting groups after having watched him numerous times have classified his skillset as elite, then who are we to think otherwise?

Besides, think about this: Stanstead College was inundated by NHL scouts on a regular basis for the first time in its history to watch this kid play. The coach stated that they would have as many as 25 scouts showing up for just ONE reason. Did they all go out of their way for the chance to see a player with NHL checking-line potential? If this were the case, then no one would have made the effort. But the fact that Jankowski drew as much attention to a back-water nothing league says something tremendous about his skill and his ceiling. Honestly, I could care less about how many points he scored relative to how well I think he should have played at this level. If he was good enough to draw the kind of attention that he did in the course of the past year, then this suggests that he is indeed a special player.

[OzSome]

I don't know much about Jankowski other than what I read so I will definitely judge him from what i read so far. Everybody thinks they are an expert but me, i have to wait to see what this kid can do. As far as i know the guys I think will make it in the NHL right now are the Top 2 NY and RM..the rest some will make it faster and some will take time.
If someone tells me they predicted Jeff Skinner of Carolina and Adam Henrique of New Jersey will do well on the first season, i'll say they are lying. Also, I never heard of Baertschi before Calgary Flames drafted him but i trusted the Flames management and looks like they were right about the kid. Maybe they will be right again and I am really hoping. Let's see how this kid plays in NCAA first then in professional league before we judge him. The guy is only 17 and now 6'3" and still growing.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

I didn't mean that. My apologies. It was a response to the "anti-troll brigade" that feels the need to attack every rival fan on the site. I removed the comment.


The thing about rating skills is that it is very much a feeling. There can be a pretty broad range of opinions. While some scouts might see Jankowski's skills as plus, others might see them as merely good. My feeling is that Jankowski would be dominating more at his level if his skill set was as elite as Feaster is selling it is.

It's hard for a player to truly dominate when their peers are a step behind them. While being able to dominate against lesser opponents is a statistical bonus, having to play with lesser talent is statistical crutch. The 2 go hand in hand, so you can't take a lot from the numbers alone. Only people who watched him would truly know. Even the elite players benefit when their linemates are of a similar calibre. This principle was displayed well during the lockout when some NHL players went to lower tier European leagues and didn't light it up.

I really don't think that Feaster is trying to "sell it" as you seem to be implying. The management seems to really believe in this kid and are simply stating what they believe. His name was sewn on to the jersey... this was the guy they were targeting no matter where they were picking (14th or later).

This isn't a situation where they traded down and lost their target to someone else, and so now they are trying to "sell it" to the fans. If you were watching the draft, you would have seen how everyone at the Flames table were bouncing in their seats when they knew they were getting him.

In the long run, they could be wrong. Everyone knows that it is a risk, so you don't really need to come on here and point it out. But just as any reasonable person would admit that it is a risk, any reasonable person should also be able to see the reward potential there as well.

[Savvy27]

Originally Posted by Oil Stain

The thing about rating skills is that it is very much a feeling. There can be a pretty broad range of opinions. While some scouts might see Jankowski's skills as plus, others might see them as merely good. My feeling is that Jankowski would be dominating more at his level if his skill set was as elite as Feaster is selling it is.

I'm not saying that this isn't true, but I think the point Textcritic is making is that none of the independent scouting reports failed to mention his impressive tool set. The only criticism I have seen anywhere is the level of competition and also that he is not an overly physical player (but, frankly, that is not what he's being drafted to be either).

You make an interesting point about him dominating more if he is truly that talented. It makes this upcoming season extremely intriguing to watch how he performs.

Overall though, I've fully come around on this pick. I'll be dropping in on the development camp for sure to see him play.

[Mightyfire89]

Originally Posted by Savvy27

I'm not saying that this isn't true, but I think the point Textcritic is making is that none of the independent scouting reports failed to mention his impressive tool set. The only criticism I have seen anywhere is the level of competition and also that he is not an overly physical player (but, frankly, that is not what he's being drafted to be either).

You make an interesting point about him dominating more if he is truly that talented. It makes this upcoming season extremely intriguing to watch how he performs.

Overall though, I've fully come around on this pick. I'll be dropping in on the development camp for sure to see him play.

Yeah, me too. My initial reaction was negative because I thought the Flames were doing another Chucko type thing, trading down to get an extra pick and probably/possibly missing out on a a better player that was still on board. But the more I read about this kid, combined with the fact that it appears Weisbrod and co. wanted this guy no matter where they were picking, makes me far more confident in this move.

I hope in five or so years this guy IS the second coming of Joe Nieuwendyk. Should be fun watching him develop in the interim.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Krack Korn

Yeah, me too. My initial reaction was negative because I thought the Flames were doing another Chucko type thing, trading down to get an extra pick and probably/possibly missing out on a a better player that was still on board. But the more I read about this kid, combined with the fact that it appears Weisbrod and co. wanted this guy no matter where they were picking, makes me far more confident in this move.

I hope in five or so years this guy IS the second coming of Joe Nieuwendyk. Should be fun watching him develop in the interim.

This was exactly my reaction too. It wasn't until I saw how confident they were at the table, and the stitched-on name on the jersey that I realized this was the guy they wanted the whole time, and weren't going for a quantity over quality strategy by trading down to gain a pick, but sincerely believed their guy would still be there at 21. This means from their standpoint they got a 2nd round pick for nothing since they still got the guy they were planning to pick at 14. I'm looking forward to following his progress at Dubuque next season, and seeing how he matches up to stiffer competition.