Two opposing views on the "position to gamble" aspect.
Flames had 'depth prospects', but few bluechippers, and none are harder to come by than centers.
There were (and still with hindsight) no 1st line center ceiling prospects available at 14 or lower. TT is projected to be a winger in the NHL now.
One could argue very well that Maatta is doing better than expected. He dropped somewhat in the draft.
Many fans (myself included) were really happy that the Flames actually took a 'risk' to get a prospect with such a high ceiling, rather than draft another 3rd liner with possible 2nd line upside. Risky? Yes. I absolutely still love the pick - even more now as Jankowski has been improving, rather than regressing or showing complete incompetence at the NCAA level.
Will he ever become a #1 center? Will he ever be even a top 3 center? Jury will be out until he ever makes the NHL. However, I think the Flames made the right choice with hindsight even. #1 centers are expensive to acquire, if they are ever even offered to begin with. I think the risk is worth it from that standpoint.
Also, Jankowski is only now starting to fill into his frame. If you watch him play, you notice he does have skill, he does skate very well, he is nearly 6'4" (or is he taller now?), and he does have pretty good IQ. I would bet at this stage that he at least becomes a player on this team - a team that even under Burke can appreciate a big player, even if he doesn't play physical (though he is increasingly more physical as he fills in, and seems to be adding that component into his game slowly).
I don't know why people are mentioning Hertl now. During the draft, all the angst was against not picking Teravainen, and he will forever be the guy I compare him to. I would still prefer Jankowski over Teravainen at this stage. I fully expect TT to start in Chicago next year, but I also expect Jankowski to start on the Flames the year after. I bet he doesn't finish all 4 years.
Jankowski is such a difficult player to compare anyone to, as his development arc is vastly different from 99% of prospects out there - both physically and experience-wise. What he has not shown is regression in any capacity.
Last year, he was brought into the NCAA and was simply asked to learn how to play in systems, and against much better competition than he ever has been - as a winger. This year, he moved to center at a lower line to develop his position and systems play - on a defence-first team with wingers that have no finish at all. Next year he moves up, and it will be more telling as to how he does. He is just being brought about very slowly, but he has met every challenge so far and is showing improvement. There is no reason to be down on this kid right now.
Yes, it would be nice to have a Maatta or a Hertl on the team right now. My bet is that it will be nicer to have a Jankowski on the team in 2-3 years, when it matters even more.
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