Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
I think that perhaps a few posters aren't so high on Baertschi now, but the majority of posters here do in fact still see him as a cornerstone piece.
I personally still rank him as one of the few blue-chip prospects. Him, Monahan, Gaudreau and Jankowski are the highest skilled and highest upside prospects in the system (IMO), and each have varying levels of risk. Other prospects have arguably that level of skill, so I don't want to omit anyone necessarily (for instance, I think Granlund and Klimchuk could be categorized with them, even Poirier who perhaps isn't as 'skilled', but has a wonderfully effective game and toolset).
I think that perhaps it is a combination of Baertschi being over-confident thinking his place on the team was assured, and many people's views that feel it should have been assured. When suddenly he is not performing as some people hoped/expected, he suddenly becomes a bit less shiny.
Prospects take time to develop sometimes - even when they show utter flashes of brilliance and success. This is just growing pains, and I don't think for a second that Burke or anyone else in the Flames' org looks at Baertschi right now as being something other than a blue-chipper. If they did, then they should package up Baertschi right away as I would bet most orgs in the NHL still classify him as a very good prospect.
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I would throw Gillies into the mix as a blue-chip prospect also...
I just find it annoying how we complain about not really developing our own talent and then when a 21 year old, with big upside, struggles suddenly we should trade him.
Baertschi, Gaudreau, Monahan, Gillies, Brodie, Klimchuk, Poirier and whoever we draft next (Ekblad) should all be the building blocks of this organization moving forward.