Went with Lindstrom again. I think this kid is going to be one of those 'under the radar' types that ends up having a great career. He has a very mature game and he is good in all zones. Coaches love players like this.
I can see the hype for Ruzicka too. When the Flames selected him, I thought it was a really good selection. He is definitely interesting. I think there is a whole lot of upside in him as he has everything you want - big, skilled, skates great. I picked Lindstrom just because he has a non-stop motor and thus is more consistent. If Lindstrom wasn't playing in a men's league, I think he would be putting up some pretty nice points, so from that theory I hold I have Lindstrom by a hair. I wouldn't be surprised if either (or both) Lindstrom and Ruzicka quickly work their way up the Flames' depth chart.
The rest of the board is a step down from these two, with the possible exception of Sveningsson. I don't know what to expect from this kid, but he seems like he has some upside. I know I will be doing my best to track this kid a lot (one of about 5 or 6 prospects that I want to really keep a track of this upcoming season).
I am not too sold on Tuulola as many others are. He could very well be a long-term prospect that ends up really shining with his physicality and skill combo, but he just seems too inconsistent for me at the moment.
Kids are usually fairly inconsistent anyways, but when measured-up against one another, the more consistent ones seem to be able to put it all together more frequently. Zach Fischer to me is a guy that shouldn't be ranked too far down from Tuulola. Fischer out-scored him and out-produced him, and had 100 PIM more. This after a summer of doing his best to get his game together, and boy did he ever. For a power-forward, Fischer might be a relatively hidden gem in the Flames' organization. By the sounds of it, Fischer was both noticeable and effective in most of his games, and that is the kind of consistency that can really propel a player forward.
I do like that Tuulola is going back to Finland. I believe it will give him more time to develop over there and the Flames can be more patient with him. Finnish hockey is pretty damn good hockey from what I have seen, and I think for prospects that require more time, it is a very sound choice (though it wasn't necessarily his choice as the team just recalled him).
I also like Lomberg, but he for me is very far down my list. More in the mold of a Turner Elson without the offence, or even like a Carter Bancks. I always love these kids, but they just aren't big enough to make it in the NHL given their ceilings/roles. With Lomberg's really great speed, there is a decent chance he may pan out in the long run if he works on his game (PK'er, defensive oriented shutdown guy, etc), but he just doesn't have the hands I would say for a top 9 role on the Flames at this point, and competition will be fierce for a bottom line role. Love the kid though!
The two Russians are right here for me as well. Trying to balance out them not having as much interest in the NHL vs how they measure up to what's left. I think they are both talented kids.
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