This is all absurd.
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Originally Posted by chubeyr1
Is Jankowski a bust as a first round draft pick? I can not see how anyone could argue he is not a bust. That of course is based on projections of him becoming the best player out of that draft!
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Why would we base his success on these projections?
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Originally Posted by chubeyr1
A few years back I would of said, and still do say Backlund was a bust too. He seriously is a bust.
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Backhand is presently the 14th most productive player from the 2007 entry draft, and he was selected with the #24 pick. There was a lot of unrealistic hope at the time of the draft because of the Flames dearth of quality prospects and minor-leaguers, but under no circumstances, and by any metric can one conclude that Backlund has not become a successful NHL player. The goal with the draft should be to select future successful NHL players. The goal in the first round should be to select players that will be integral to your team in the future. Backlund is just about the furthest thing from a "bust" imaginable.
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Originally Posted by chubeyr1
Take that all with a grain of salt...
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This post of yours requires a truckload of salt—not a grain—to make any sense. And even then, I'm not sure.
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Originally Posted by chubeyr1
Just cause a player does not live up to their potential does not mean they can not become a very good player or at least serviceable player. I mean Backlund as a 3rd line centre is not what we drafted him to be, but he is damn good at that.
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For well over a calendar year now Backlund has been playing as a better than average second line centre. And I disagree vehemently that he failed to "live up to his potential." Sure, like I said above, fans had unrealistic expectations of him when he was drafted. Backlund at the time had above average skills, speed, and smarts, but didn't do anything exceptionally. He had suffered injuries that affected his draft position, and raised concerns about his ability to be an NHL player. For where he was selected, I suspect that most scouts/team analysts projected him to be a quality—if unspectacular—NHL centreman. This is precisely what he has become. No. Backlund is not a bust—not by any measure.
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Originally Posted by chubeyr1
Jankowski on the third line in a few years maybe great in a shut down role with some skill from time to time.
I guess the word "Bust" needs to be defined more! Bust should be a guy who never has an NHL career.
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You should have applied this to the first part of your post. I'm fairly confident that the vast majority of observers as fans actually agree with this as a definition, and by extension would find most of what you have said to this point preposterous.
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Originally Posted by chubeyr1
...I just thank god Sutter no longer drafts us players. Great coach, horrible at evaluating talent.
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Sutter selected Backlund, Brodie, Bouma, as well as Ferland and Ortio. He is not "horrible" at evaluating talent. He was operating under a different set of criteria for drafting players that didn't work very well. I will concede that he is not a great scout for talent, and his drafting was not excellent, but it was also far from "horrible."
...Having said all that, I'm still optimistic about Jankowski, and hope to see him and the Flames agree to a contract next year. There is still a good chance that he does not play well enough as a senior to get a contract offer, or that he is traded before hitting UFA next year. I have always maintained that this was a good pick to make for a team like the Flames, who needed an infusion of high-end talent, but in a fairly uninspiring draft year. The potential made the gamble worth it, in my opinion. But like all gambles, some don't work out. It looks probable that Jankowski will not end up being the best player in the 2012 draft—also likely that he will not be a top-line centre. But at this point, if he becomes a serviceable NHLer, then this is not a bad pick for the Flames. Like all mid-round first rounders, there is always the very high likelihood that the player will never become a star.