Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan02
You guys do realize he's 24 already right? Not many guys in particular forwards progress much beyond that age, given where he's at now it's highly unlikely he ever reaches Backlunds level.
3rd/4th line tweener i think is his upside.
|
I agree with what you're saying, but every so often a player comes along that takes a non-traditional path to the majors in his sport. They are usually late bloomers because of some outside influence, like a late growth spurt, starting the game late, or suffering from an injury that delays their development. Jankowski is one of these guys. He suffered from a late growth spurt and took time to get his development untracked. I think we're still a couple years from seeing the full Mark Jankowski, and I think he's going to surprise us how good he is.
I would like people to consider another player on the Flames who had a non-traditional path to the NHL. One Mark Giordano was a late bloomer who took a non-traditional path to the NHL. I remember seeing Giordano play his first couple of games for the Flames and not thinking much of him. But in his second go round there was a difference in him. I saw something special in him and knew he was going to be a player. It was a game in Toronto against the Leafs that crystalized it for me. I think it was the third or fourth game after his call up, and he scored a couple goals in limited ice time. Every time he was on the ice, he was dangerous and made incredible heady plays. The Flames lost that night, but he made me believe we had a future top four defenseman on our hands. I didn't see a number one at that time, but I was confident he was going to be a defenseman of note for the team. When the Flames allowed him to bolt to Russia I thought they had made a massive mistake and let one get away. As luck would have it, he came back and ended up playing for the Flames long term. It took a few more years for him to blossom into the guy we know today, but he did achieve expectations, and so much more. He became that guy at age 29!
I believe in timelines for most players, especially those who go through the traditional path to the NHL. But there are different paths that players can take and it affects the timeline. Jankowski has definitely been on a different path, and his timeline is very different. He doesn't have many hard miles on his frame from years of grinding it out. Like Gio, he has lots of miles left. I expect him to be a 2nd line center. He's got that size and those incredibly soft hands that make him a perfect fit. It's just going to come down to opportunity and finding his comfort zone. It will come.