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Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
I think you are making some pretty bad assumptions about what a "Burke player" is. Burke gave up a lot for Kessel, probably the most he gave up for anyone he acquired in TOR. Is he a "Burke player" in your mind? If not then maybe you should reconsider what you think a "Burke player" is. Kadri was a Burke pick so presumably should be a "Burke player" too. Kadri is fairly feisty for his size, he does have some intensity. Like Burke has said, not every player needs to be big and strong. You can have room for smaller, more skilled players if you surround them with beef. There's room on a team for lots of different types of players and different sizes of players. But when all your skilled forwards are average size at best you just aren't going to be able to compete against the bigger teams in the West. The Flames are too small and too soft to contend, that's a fact.
The reason I don't think they'd take Nylander is because in the organization we have way too many small, skilled forwards while having very few big, skilled forwards. Burke might take a Nylander type. But its far less likely when we have Baertschi, Gaudreau, Hudler, Byron, etc already on the team or in the system. If we had drafted a bunch of big centres and big wingers then it would more likely we'd take a Nylander type. But when we're picking high in the draft you have to fill big organizational needs.
We completely lack a top two line powerforward with size unless Ferland or Hanowski turns into one. We completely lack a 1st pairing defenseman with size. We found one top two line centre with size in Monahan but certainly it wouldn't be bad to grab another top two line centre, preferably with size. I think Burke tries to grab one of these types of players or deals up to get one.
Another small, soft, skilled winger is the last thing we need at the top of this draft. Several of our top prospects fit that description. Organizationally we're deep in smaller, skilled wingers who can get pushed around by bigger players. Burke knows you need balance, unlike the Oilers brass who just keeps taking the most offensively talented forward regardless of his size/strength.
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my post is actually in-line with your sentiment. What i meant to say is that though a guy may not be a player that is often considered a "burke type" big, "truculent" player, that doesn't stop burke from going after these guys. He went after kessel, like you said, kadri, heck he even went after a hard working player like grabovski.