Thank You Jay Feaster!

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by Hackey

Dude you don't even make sense. The GM gets credit for the first round but not after that? You realize that scouts compile a list and for the most part just go off that list. Also Daryl was drafting with late picks. Chucko was 24. Pelech was 26. Irving was 26. And yes let's give Feaster the credit for Ferland when he was drafted under Sutter. The only thing Feaster would have to go on with regards to Ferland is what someone else told him. I'll take the opinion of the guy who has been involved in hockey his entire life over the guy who probably can hardly skate.

I don't intend this to be about about credit here and debit there. It's about job performance and vision. It's hard to dole out kudos regarding moves because there are so many things behind the scenes with scouts, assistant GMs, management, etc. all having their fingerprints on things throughout the draft and through each season.

It's only my opinion, but I read a lot into the first round picks because that's an area where the GM does really puts down their stamp (whether that information is provided by his scouting team or not) and to me that reflects on the type of player and vision a GM has in store for the team down the road. I don't really feel Sutter had the right vision for this team and for me, his first round picks really are a large part of the projection into what happened here. It's about what he intended.

Sutter had his success stories and so did Jay. Both had questionable moves and mismanagement as well that ultimately scuttled their GM careers. Over time, I think Jay's choices and drafting (even if Darryl is the one who turned the scouting ship around) will have more longevity on this team.

Overall, the good elements of this core both have the successful DNA of both Darryl and Jay and the bad genes are gone through attrition. Feaster really built this core properly, even if he perhaps didn't maximize his trade returns during the "blowing up" of the old core (I believe this was one of the reasons Burke gave). Brad is still living off the surviving good choices made by Jay Feaster right now, to the point where I feel he'd deserve a ring if it came down to it this year. I love how he can't stop cheering for this team.

Originally Posted by Geeoff

Would you consider the 2011 draft a bad reflection on Feaster?

No. Even if Sven didn't pan out, I agreed with Feaster's vision of what this team needed. Baertschi, Granlund, Wotherspoon were picks in the right direction. Granlund and Wotherspoon were a great save from the Erixon situation (even though some didn't like getting Horak in return). As for Jankowski, I still don't understand what Feaster's vision for that was!

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

If you want to credit Hudler, fully 100% agree with you..... if you go back to that thread, I loved that UFA signing at the time. Hartley, agreed, he's been one of the biggest reasons for success. This is how I see today's important pieces and who brought them in :

Feaster - Hartley, Hudler
Button/Webster under Darryl - Giordano, Brodie, Bouma, Ferland
Button/Webster under Feaster - Monahan, Gaudreau
Button/Webster under Burke - Bennett

Feaster did have some wins for sure... but it seems like there's just way too much trying to justify his existence.

Thats really weird that you would completely disregard any credit to the guy/team that brough Ferlandt in, but then think so highly of the guy/team for simply not trading him.

What a weird list, Bouma is on it but Wideman and Russell are not? The list is more like in order of importance

Feaster - Hartley, Hudler, Wideman, Russell, Jones, Colborne, Ramo, Jooris, Byron, Granlund, Wotherspoon
Button/Webster under Darryl - Giordano, Brodie, Bouma, Backlund, Ferland, Stajan,
Button/Webster under Feaster - Monahan, Gaudreau
Button/Webster under Burke - Bennett
Treliving - Hiller, Engllend, Schlemko, Raymond, Bollig

The team is pretty heavy on the Feaster side in terms of influence. He has 2 of the top 3 dmen that are currently playing, 5 of the top 9 forwards and the backup goalie.

[Phanuthier]

I think you're just overthinking it H&L ... both guys just picked the best player avail. Hey sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. Its easier to pick a guaranteed talent at 13th overall and 6th overall then in the mid-20's.

The whole mandate and vision thing is overrated; granted, Darryl did admit his misread the direction the NHL went and changed strategy in 2006, and by 2007 on drafting has started to pay dividends; but its always been BOP. The only "stamp" put on is really an ego stamp... its the scouting staff that do 99% of the work. They liked Jankowski, so they specifically targetted him. Otherwise they specifically like Sieloff, so they targetted him. Just because Sieloff is a 2nd round pick, doesn't mean he doesn't follow some mandate or ego stamp or whatever... the process is likely the same.

Also - not really an exact science on how you draft, a lot of it is development too. A development program that was crap / did not exist (didn't even have a farm team) so it had to be rebuilt, and now you are seeing the dividends pay off for it.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Aarongavey

What a weird list, Bouma is on it but Wideman and Russell are not? The list is more like in order of importance

I basically took our top line (Hudler, Monahan, Gaudream), top pairing D (Gio, Brodie) then picked the most important player outside of those 5 for regular season (Bouma) and playoffs (Ferland)... its all open to opinion though, its fine if you wish to list the entire roster. I didn't choose to.

I thought about listing Russell, but he was acquired during a weird time (March 2013 - Augest 2013) where Feaster went from being in the news to a ghost, and coupled with the fact that one of Burke's players (Joe Colborne) was traded that summer, I thought it had Burke's finger prints all over the Russell and Colborne trade. Also vaguely remember it being said that acquiring Colborne and giving him a chance was a "favour" from Burke... but obviously neither of these are official without any actual proof.

Erixon for two 2nd round picks was a great trade.. forgot to mention that. Probably the 3rd best move he made, behind signing Hudler (best) and bringing in Hartley (2nd best)

Can't really give credit to scouting, but I'm glad that he couldn't keep us forced us into a rebuild through his trades that allowed us to draft 6th overall and 4th overall without doing a "tank" job... while it was an unintentional rebuild, I'm sure glad we did rebuild.

[flamesfan1297]

Jay Feaster @therealjfeaster
Big-time happy for Tim Jackman, and my Chief Pro Scout in Tampa back in the day, Rick Paterson. If #Flames advance, u guys r on your own! 😎

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Phanuthier

I think you're just overthinking it H&L ... both guys just picked the best player avail.

Give or take a Jankowski

[Mathgod]

This thread deserves a BUMP. Thank you Jay Feaster!!! Darryl Sutter too!