Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
I hope for players in the following order
1. MacKinnon
2. Barkov
3. Jones
4. Drouin
5. Monahan
6. Lindholm
I used to think Lindholm was our best chance at a #1 centre but the more I read the more it looks like Monahan is a bit under the radar and has some pretty great offensive skill. The size, offense, Canadian, hockey sense, etc all adds up for us IMO. Would prefer trading up for MacKinnon, Barkov or even Jones or Drouin. But I'm feeling fairly comfortable now about the idea of landing Monahan at #6. Big wildcard is obviously what will Carolina do at #5. Will they deal away or take a player. Lindholm seems a decent consolation if Monahan is gone or you could take Nurse. I'd even entertain dealing back a few spots for a high 2nd or flip-flopping several picks with BUF who has #8, #16. #6 + #28 for #8 + #16?
I'd hope we could really get a nice win in a trade or two this draft as well. Seems like we should be peddling Tanguay and/or Cammalleri, perhaps others. Even a sweet deal down from #28 for a couple high 2nds could be good. Or a trade up into the teens to grab another guy we had around our top 10.
My fear? Drafting Nichushkin. He is very appealing and yet IMO has a lot more risk associated with him due to the "return to KHL at any point" factor. We really need this draft to land a franchise guy and one that can be counted on to stay for most of his career. So my fear is that he's clearly the best guy left at #6 and we're forced to take him despite the risk.
My other fear would be some sort of bad trade. Not super worried on that front.
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So Nichuskin is better than guys on your top 6 list but doesn't make your top 6 list?
If Nishuskin is a top tier player he will head back to the KHL at any moment .... just like Ovechkin, Malkin, Datsyuk, Voynov and Kovalchuk?
Voynov signed for 4.1M/yr for 6 years rather than getting lowballed like Mtl did for Subban.
The only significant guys that played in the KHL rather than NHL are Hudler (czech), Jagr (Czech), Zeredev (Russian),and Radulov (Russain) so maybe Barkov is the guy not to draft as the KHL wants him badly?
In 2006 after Zeredev scored 27 goals and signed for 3 years at 7.5M which eventually drove him back to the KHL.
The Flames are paying Hudler 4M for a career best 25 goals...... so if Nichuskin scores 27 goals for the Flames in 2015-16 he will want a Voynov contract not a deal for 3 years at 2.5M/year.
O'Rielly was harder to deal with coming off his EL contract.
What is the difference between Linholm and Nichuskin's attitudes? Both have stated that they will be playing with their current Euro teams if they are not in the NHL next year. Lindholm thinks he won't be ready and Nichuskin figures he is.