Quote:
Originally Posted by fotze
I am having trouble keeping up the enthusiasm for Janko. I hope I am wrong. Maybe I just am not familiar with a 'project' development curve. Is there any analogous players development that I could use to increase my hope?
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First of all, if you watch Jankowski you know why people are "excited" about him. He has the skill and he has the size. I'd probably be a guy some here classify as a Jankowski fan but I've also said it's hard to peg how he'll end up and he's definitely a long-term guy.
The other name that pops up if you're looking for a comparable is Blake Wheeler. Wheeler was a guy picked a lot higher then "the board" by the Coyotes in 2005 but they liked him and they took him. He was a 19 year old freshmen (Jankowski was 18). Wheeler put up 23 points 9 goals in 39 games. Jankowski put up 23 points in 34 games but was a year younger. Wheeler put up 38 points in 44 games in his 2nd year but again as a 20 year old, Jankowski is in his 2nd year as a 19 year old.
38 points isn't huge but he continued to make improvements in all areas. After Wheeler's 3rd year as a 21 year old he actually had less points and goals in the same amount of games the previous year but went onto play for the Bruins the next season scoring 21 goals and 45 points as an NHL rookie.
Who knows how Jankowski will turn out but he is a highly skilled player, has the size and has the right attitude, I like him but hard to make a prediction because on this forum the guys that don't make predictions sit and laugh at the guys that do.
He's made improvements in all areas of his game from this season to last and that's what you want to see, bottom line.
We'll see how he ends up but it could be two more seasons of College and a year to a year 1/2 in the AHL before he sees an NHL game and Flames fans have to learn how to be patient with young players and not write them off if they aren't stars by their 20th birthday.
How many people wrote off Paul Byron (myself included) when he wasn't an NHL'er by the age of 22, how many people thought Backlund was done a month ago and was lost because he wasn't playing well. Some guys take longer to make the show. Jankowski is the furthest thing from a lock but he's a guy you look at and now it will be a while. As long as he continues to improve I'm fine with that.
The one thing I am worried about is his aggression. He needs to be more of a bully out there with his size.
Needs to put up more assists though, he's on pace to more then double his goal total and if he puts up more helpers in the 2nd half he'd easily hit the 30 point mark. Which in a 38 game season as a 19 year old 2nd year player would be very good.