Quote:
Originally Posted by Gordies Elbow
Do you expect Calgary to draft #1 overall for the next couple of years? If so, where do you expect the players drafted to place compared to Ovechkin, Crosby, and Staal?
|
First, why the reliance on rookie scoring totals? That's one year in a player's career. What about the others? And why break it down by points and goals per game? Durability is just as important as ability to score. You're cherry picking and manipulating your data to pump the tires on your prospects. You would swear that Hall, Nugent-Hopkins and Yakupov were all run away winners of the Calder trophy, yet not a single award between them.
Second, yes, I do believe Calgary will finish dead last the next two seasons. They have way too many unknowns and do not have much scoring talent that can be relied upon to project anything higher than dead last. There is a lot of potential, but nothing really proven to say they will finish any better than bottom of the barrel.
On projection of players, Sam Reinhart is a dynamic two way center that has the type of skill that could elevate him into the similar stratosphere as Kane, Nash, Staal and Tavares. He's not the guy I would want the Flames to pick though. I would prefer Ekblad, who projects as a top pair defenseman at the same level as Chara or Pronger. He fits the organizational need better than Reinhart, especially if the Flames project to be a bottom feeder in 2014-15 as well. McDavid projects as a generational talent, at the same level as Crosby. Any team that gets this kid will be set, and the Flames project to be so bad in that season that they are assured top spot. Only if their kids step up and play at levels not expected with the Flames not be dead last. If they do step it up and play at levels to get them out of a bottom pick that is a very good thing and likely means some of their kids are playing at the levels of those vaunted stars in Edmonton. I doubt that happens and the Flames will be in the hunt for third top pick in 2015-16, who is yet to be determined and still in midget hockey.
So if things go as projected, and the Flames will pick up Ekblad, McDavid and an undetermined player in 2015-16, I would say Tinordi's claim is completely false. Just Ekblad and McDavid would probably be enough to be considered superior to Hall, Nugent-Hopkins and Yakupov. I believe the Flames to be much smarter than the Oilers and will not put all their eggs in the forward basket, instead looking at the lineup and consider addressing the needs of the team when it comes to BPA. Garnering a top end defenseman and a generational talent in the middle would set the Flames up considering the depth they have developed throughout the lineup.