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Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher
Didn't Kane/Panarin just get bounced in the first round of the playoffs? We made it further last year than Chicago did this year. Shouldn't the Flames be aspiring to be something better than that? Maybe having elite small forwards doesn't necessarily make you a better contender in the playoffs?
Why did Chicago fail this year? Arguably it was lack of defensive depth. NSH, STL, SJ, these teams all have elite defense cores. Why did Dallas fail this year? Arguably defensive depth and goaltending. The two highest scoring teams in the league are out of the playoffs (DAL/WSH). WSH arguably lacks a true #1 dman. The strategy of outscoring everyone else in the playoffs seems to fail every year.
Anyways just some food for thought. Perhaps we're underrating the importance of defensemen and overrating the importance of wingers. Maybe the Flames should be looking to draft the top defenseman this year? I dunno.
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I don't think anyone is underestimating the importance of dmen.
With the acquisition of Hamilton and drafting of Anderson and kylington last year, the flames basically used their top 5 picks on defense.
So, there isn't any high end forwards on the farm. Shinkaruk has potential...but Janko doesn't strike me as a top 6 offensive threat at this point in his development.
So, who's left? Johnny and Sean? Bennett is pencilled in as that, but we don't actually know... Are Colborne and Backlund expected to reproduce career highs? Do people think they have a chance of exceeding them?
Doesn't look like very much game breaking talent at all in that top group