As late as the Flames have been drafting in recent years, the majority of the picks tend to be either longshots or journeyman quality. It is the rare late first rounder who steps out of the shadows to be an exceptional NHLer.
Of these long shots, I would say the Flames got the best in terms of hockey smarts, speed, size and overall potential. Not going for the best bet to be an NHLer seems to be the direction the team is taking and every time they step up to bat, they have the potential of connecting.
That was true with Baertschi because of his size, and it is true of Jankowski because of the level of competition, his age and how he fills in to his ever-developing frame.
Upside, I think Jankowski can be as good as he believes he can be.
" “I like to play the game more like Evgeni Malkin,” he said without a trace of arrogance. “I’m a big forward who likes to generate offense, but not necessarily a physical, power forward type.”
http://www.hockeyjournal.com/blog/ki...Mark_Jankowski
I am ecstatic about the direction the Flames have decided to go and even if he does not develop into a Malkin type of player, I applaud them for sticking to their guns and not deciding to "tank it" in order to improve.