Quote:
Originally Posted by Resurrection
If someone is going to take 5-6 years to be an NHL player, why are you burning a first round pick on him? Seems like a very long time to develop someone who may be able to contribute in a very, very long time.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
Because the Flames thought he had the upside to be a top two line centre with size. That is something you usually can't find outside of the top 5-10 draft picks. If you can find someone you think has that potential outside the top 10 you take him and run regardless of how long you think he'll take...
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Just by way of addition, it is also important to remember that the Flames almost certainly would not have had another opportunity to draft Jankowski with their second round pick. While he was ranked fairly consistently in the mid-second round that year, there was also a lot of talk that he would have been picked in the first round. The point being, that the Flames waited as long as they probably could to get the player they wanted the most.