Quote:
Originally Posted by Fire of the Phoenix
Kulak now... Smith, McDonald, Agostino and Culkin next in that order. Can't believe how strong our depth is that a guys like Smith and McDonald might not crack the top 20. Crazy.
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Smith was next for me after the Ferland-Knight-Kulak trilogy.
I feel like he'll jump quite a few spots next year. He's basically a kid who growth spurted himself into a massive frame and is just starting to learn how to use it. He's going straight back to Oshawa on Dal Colle's opposite wing. Hunter and Michael will undoubtedly be given lots of minutes - probably on the first PP too. Possibly #1 PK.
Besides Bennett, Smith is the only other 'certainty' I feel from the 2014 draft that is going to pan out into a great NHL player. He's taking huge strides in improvement and I don't see this slowing for a while, especially if his confidence is high. Then of course that 6'6 frame is still wiry and needs bulking up.
One year in juniors, 2-3 in AHL, make Flames full-time just in time for deep playoff run.
TL;DR - I think Hunter Smith is our Milan Lucic.