Quote:
Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction
As a side, there was a time that the Flames were one of the more innovative drafting teams (drafting Makarov as an older European before it was popular, success at drafting from the U.S. college and university circuits while other teams overlooked them - often with late round picks). Now we seem to focus mostly on mainstream sources (CHL, with a few Europeans from Sweden and Finland, the occasion US university players). With late round picks, I'd love to see the Flames take a chance on some players from central and eastern europe (Russia, Czech Rep. and Slovakia) for a change. Countries like Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Norway and Slovenia are starting to progress... do the Flames even send scouts to places like that?
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I don't think there is much point in scouting too heavily in those countries given that a 22 year old European player can become a free agent. For the most part many of the young Russians who are not top line material will stay in Russia. Slovakia and the Czech Republic have both been a bit dead demographically for the past 5 or so seasons. The better Scandinavian kids from Denmark or Norway end up in Sweden anyway to play junior.
Right now most of your NHL hockey players are going to come from Canada, the US, Sweeden, or Finland. The players from the other countries are going to be the guys that play in the World Juniors or other tourneys like the under 18's. Since 2005 there have been very few Russians drafted and get to the NHL, let alone guys who've made much of an impact.