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Originally Posted by Commandant
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I wouldn't be surprised if the draft ended up going that way for the Flames. It would be a disappointing haul though for Calgary. Ever since the emphasis on size over talent came in starting with the Kanzig pick, the Flames have tossed away a number of picks taking guys that if they pan out will be maybe become versions of Bollig or Engelland.
If you're using 6ths or 7ths on those types of guys, that's great because if they do pan out, it's great value. Auston Carroll, Adam Ollas Mattsson, Tim Harrison, and Riley Bruce are all good picks to infuse size and toughness into the organization.
Using 2nd's and 3rd's on those types is a waste. The players in the immediate area after Kanzig were Nick Baptiste, Mattias Janmark, and Anthony Duclair. In between the Smith and Hickey picks (54 & 64) the Flames could have had Christian Dvorak (121 pts this season in the OHL) or Brandon Montour (57 points as a D-man in the AHL, taken 1 and 4 picks after Smith.
Instead the Flames have an ECHL defenseman, and a forward that looks like he may take another 2-3 years before cracking the NHL lineup, if he does.
It would be fine if they added Bastian, Lindgren and Fredric, they just would not be getting the value they could going in other directions.