Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by driveway

I think there is less than a 2% chance Bennett ends up on the same level as Toews or Draisaitl as Kopitar. I hope I'm wrong and I hope one of them is a Flame, but seriously, Toews is a perennial threat to win the Hart, one of the best three two-way centres in the game, and a Conn Smythe winner. Kopitar is almost on the same level as Toews, to expect to find TWO players like that in a draft which professionals are universally disparaging is so unlikely as to be an absurd expectation.

Be satisfied when we get a good second-line, 25 goal 30-40 assist centre.

True, but neither Toews or Kopitar were ever expected to become the game changers they did, so it's still way too early to cap the cielings of this years top prospects.

[EldrickOnIce]

Originally Posted by driveway

I think there is less than a 2% chance Bennett ends up on the same level as Toews or Draisaitl as Kopitar. I hope I'm wrong and I hope one of them is a Flame, but seriously, Toews is a perennial threat to win the Hart, one of the best three two-way centres in the game, and a Conn Smythe winner. Kopitar is almost on the same level as Toews, to expect to find TWO players like that in a draft which professionals are universally disparaging is so unlikely as to be an absurd expectation.

Be satisfied when we get a good second-line, 25 goal 30-40 assist centre.

Of course.
But in their draft years Toews was 4th, Kopitar 11th, Getzlaf 19th, etc.
Which simply shows regardless the due diligence, these guys are kids and no one really knows how things might wind up looking a number of years down the road. So comparables are made, in terms of style. But if that style projection becomes an expectation, people will indeed mostly be disappointed.

[driveway]

You're right that it's very early to be 'putting ceilings' on prospects, however it's just as early to be making pie-in-the-sky projections of what we're going to be getting. There has been a tradition of over-estimating what we have in our draft picks here in Calgary, the success of Monahan hasn't done anything to temper those expectations.

I believe we're going to be getting a good hockey player on Friday, I just really don't think we're going to be getting a great one, and the consistent discussion on here seems to be leading down the road of "Everyone from Reinhart to Virtanen are going to play in an All-star game." I'm as much trying to calm myself down as anyone else.

edit: I should also mention that if Lamoriello and the Jersey scouts think the draft is crap from where they're sitting, then we should really, REALLY lower our expectations for our 2nd and 3rd round picks. I don't think anyone is expecting Datsyuk, but I think some people might be expecting Vlassic or Abdelkader to be waiting for us down there. Let's remember Ladislav Smid was a 9th overall selection. If we find one Ladislav Smid in the 2nd-3rd round of this draft and nothing else, I think we laugh all the way to the bank with that.

[AC]

Its crazy to think that almost every mock draft I've seen has us landing Reinhart or Bennett.

Especially since Reinhart is ranked #1 by Craig Button, ISS, and McKeen's, while Bennett was #1 by THN, hockeyprospect.com, and NHL CS.

Those are the 6 sources that Bob McKenzie references in his list.

That's why I think it will be Draisaitl that lands to us.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by AC

Its crazy to think that almost every mock draft I've seen has us landing Reinhart or Bennett.

Especially since Reinhart is ranked #1 by Craig Button, ISS, and McKeen's, while Bennett was #1 by THN, hockeyprospect.com, and NHL CS.

Those are the 6 sources that Bob McKenzie references in his list.

That's why I think it will be Draisaitl that lands to us.

That's always the case because everyone has Edmonton choosing Draisaitl but yeah, we could end up with Draisaitl although I'm hoping for a Sam.

[Hockey_Ninja]

I'd be very happy if Draisaitl is a Flame on Friday.

[AC]

Yep, our fate is in Edmonton's hands. My god.

[jg13]

Glad the Richie talk has died down a bit.

Any of the big 4 and i'm fine. Do not trade up/down please.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by AC

Yep, our fate is in Edmonton's hands. My god.

It's Edmonton. They'll find a way to blow it.

[icarus]

Didn't see it posted yet but here's Kevin Allen's mock draft

Has Flames selecting Reinhart.

[Point Blank]

Two more sleeps. I feel like a kid on Christmas eve. I've only watched the draft on TV but it won't happen from where I live now, anyone know a reliable way I can watch online?

[Day Tripper]

So would anyone offer 4th overall + Giordano + Monahan + Baertschi + Gaudreau + Brodie to Florida for the 1st overall pick so we can pick Mustapha Lemieux? I doubt Florida would take that deal, but one can dream.

He's only 5'4, but he plays heavy hockey (273 pounds) and is truculent as hell (512 penalty minutes in 47 games this season).

[Rick M.]

Here's a story on goalie Mason McDonald. I hope the Flames pick him.

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Sports/...or-draft-day/1

[iheartmonahan]

Conroy talking on the Fan this morning mentioned something along the lines of 'if we stay at four we're extremely happy with any of those four guys', I assume he was referring to Ekblad, Reinhart, Draisaitl, and Bennett. Boomer asked him to reveal these top four guys and Conroy mentioned they have a top six, not a top four.

In any case, sounds to me like the Flames have the same group as everyone else in the top four.

[saXon]

Originally Posted by iheartmonahan

Conroy talking on the Fan this morning mentioned something along the lines of 'if we stay at four we're extremely happy with any of those four guys', I assume he was referring to Ekblad, Reinhart, Draisaitl, and Bennett. Boomer asked him to reveal these top four guys and Conroy mentioned they have a top six, not a top four.

In any case, sounds to me like the Flames have the same group as everyone else in the top four.

He also said that the other 3 teams will be choosing who they take at 4th for them.

Take from that what you will.

[the_only_turek_fan]

Ummmm Conroy just said on the FAN that they are likely taking a center lol

[Hockey_Ninja]

Draisaitl it is . Him and Sven can come up with secret on ice plays in German.

[Read Only]

Originally Posted by AC

Yep, our fate is in Edmonton's hands. My god.

That is why I hope they don't trade up for Ekblad. Edmonton seems like the best chance we have of someone taking Draisatl ahead of us and us getting one of the Sam's.

Last year it worked out great for us being the 6th pick and being "left" with Monahan. This year I can see us getting screwed and having the 3 top guys gone and being left with Draisatl as a supposed top 4. Hopefully if that is the case that is where the Flames go to their top 6 and take someone else.

[kehatch]

Last season Jones was definitely going one or two. A few adventurous people dared to project him to three. That was in a season where picks weren't expected to move and there was a big regression for 1 to 10.

Anything can happen. Something probably will.

[albertGQ]

^^^. I'd be thrilled with Leon at 4th

Would be pissed if we even moved down to #5 and miss out on the top 4