Quote:
Originally Posted by moon
To be fair to those scared of the pick that is a pretty frightening statement to make about a 1st round pick.
Couldn't that same thing be said about every pick the Flames have made in the past ten and certainly about every first round pick?
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I can definitely empathize with those that are scared of the pick, but the upside Jankowski has is also undeniable. He was being touted as one of the more skilled players in the draft, but a guy that was 'hard to scout' due to the level of competition. Seeing him playing in Providence thus far has relaxed me somewhat - he does look good out there for the most part.
Flames have been drafting much better in the last while - much more skilled players, and players with higher hockey IQ. There was no other center after Galchenyuk and Grigorenko that had size and skill in this draft. I like what the Flames are reaching for, and trust them with their scouting more every year so far.
Yes, you can argue how important the 1st round pick has been every year, BUT - when was the last time the Flames drafted a skilled 6'3" center with skill? I can't recall someone off the top of my head of any note. A quality center with size has been lacking (to say the least) in the organization (including the farm team) for ages now - probably 2 generations now.
There is a reason he wasn't a top 10 pick of course - and that is because this kid is much more 'raw' than other kids in the 1st round. However, there is a lot of reason to be optimistic about this pick as well. Whether you are 'up' on this pick, or you are 'down' on it, both sides must temper their expectations a bit and have a bit of patience. Jankowski is definitely a unique prospect out there, and it will be really interesting just to watch him develop over the next couple of years. Nobody really knows for sure one way or another - superstar, bust or somewhere in-between. The Flames scouts (and all of the scouts it seems) feel he will develop into a special player, so we will just have to see if they got it right.