[sureLoss]

Gaudreau article on the Flames website:

http://flames.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=634669

After all, the Flames 2011 fourth round draft pick stands just 5-foot-8, weighs 150 lbs. and was a true freshman joining an Eagles squad with several established forwards vying for ice time. It looked like all odds were stacked against the diminutive winger when it came to earning a top-six spot in his first year in Boston.

And then he went and blew all expectations out of the water.

"I really liked Gaudreau a lot coming out of the championship season at Dubuque last season," Kirk Luedeke of the New England Hockey Journal told CalgaryFlames.com in an email. "But I did not anticipate the kind of impact season he would have as a freshman at Boston College.

"His progression over the last two years has been about as seamless as it gets."

While the success Gaudreau has had in Boston this year has left a lot of people very optimistic about his future, making the transition to the NHL is not easy. History has shown that being a dominant player in junior, NCAA or AHL ranks doesn't always equate to being able to make the leap to The Show. However, Lueduke's observations over the past couple of years makes him believe Gaudreau has the skill set and the intangibles needed to push him to the next level.

"I absolutely do feel he will be an NHL player," he said. "Johnny Gaudreau strikes me as one of those special players who simply has the hockey sense, drive and heart to go with his natural talent.

"Whether he can translate those gifts into a top-six scoring role remains to be seen, but he's done a great job of proving the doubters wrong his entire life."