Quote:
Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
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Hasn't taken much of a step this year? That statement sounds preposterous.
I think it's best for players to have offensive confidence at each level before moving on. This season was huge for his offensive confidence knowing he could dominate at this level.
Now he can move on and try to dominate at the AHL level. It's going to be a big step up. I think moving there last year would have been premature.
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I fail to see how a player
needs 4 years of NCAA while his not-rushed age-group peers (Poirier, Maantha, Shinkaruk) are in their second year pro learning the game at a steady pace.
Jankowski finished last season strong and seemed to have figured the NCAA game out. All this year is doing is showing the rest of the world that he's pretty decent. I don't think he's suddenly figuring anything out offensively that he didn't a year ago and I don't think he was any less AHL-ready than most 19-20 year old rookies out of Junior are.
Is he discovering how to score goals? No, he had 13 in 39 as a sophomore. He has 15 in 34 which is a marginal improvement but not an epiphany.
Is he discovering how best to make plays? He's on pace for a few more assists on a better team in a better role, but I'm not seeing him play very differently.
Him playing his senior year isn't hurting him but I'm not convinced it's notably helping him. He would be an AHL rookie right now not unlike Klimchuk. And I say this while I fully support sending Kanzig back and feel Hunter Smith should be playing his overage season in the O. I just personally fail to see the reward out-weigh the risk in Jankowski's case. JMO, feel free to disagree.
If he decides to bolt, I certainly won't agree that making him play his senior year was "right". Not when Hunter Smith is skipping his overage year.