Quote:
Originally Posted by traptor
That would be great. I do wonder if there will be some trepidation in going for two small forwards though. Alot of our future core forwards already skew smaller with Coronato and Zary.
I do think they snag one of these guys if available, but I wouldn't be shocked if they went for a guy like Nesbitt with their other pick if available.
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I make no secret that I want the Flames to get bigger. Size is very important, especially when you get into the playoffs. However, I think there is something just a bit more important than size - 'high-compete level".
Remember 2 seasons ago that the Flames claimed Zohorna off of waivers. 6'06", great skater, decent skills, and even had a decent motor too. He just didn't compete hard. Mangiapane competed harder, and so was more difficult to play against. Sam Bennett - his single best attribute would be his compete level, IMO.
I thought Jankowski was going to be a fantastic player for the Flames - great skater, really good vision, high IQ on both sides of the puck, and I think had a decent motor on him as well. He just doesn't have that high-compete level, and was just to easy to play against.
Klapka is a good example of both, IMO. I mean, Klapka is a big guy who is willing to engage physically - he isn't shy and never has been. I think a big part of the reason he kept bouncing between the Flames and Wranglers was how he took too many shifts off from competing. I think he has a fairly high motor - he skates really hard for a lot of each shift. He just didn't battle often enough. Towards the end of the season, he just started competing harder - wanting to engage physically with every chance, pushing for positioning in front of the net, along the boards - he increased his intensity throughout each shift, and practically overnight turned into a dominant player.
Gaudreau was amazing not just because he was super-skilled, but because he had a high compete level. It showed differently than being physical - he just played with a lot of effort in spurts that was difficult for other players to match. I can't say he had a high motor really, but he had a high compete level. Tkachuk has a very high compete level, but not a great motor.
Backlund to me was a guy who had a really good motor as a younger player, but didn't have enough compete in his game. I think partly under Brent Sutter, and mostly under Hartley, he increased his compete level, and that's what has made him one of the league's best checkers.
This is how I see things anyway. SIze is king, but having a high-compete level can often counteract size. Hunter Smith made that point at training camp when he shared his Sam Bennett story about how Bennett went right through him at the face-off dot in junior.
Reschny seems like a guy who will be harder to play against not just because of his skill, speed and non-stop motor - but because he has a high-compete level as well. I won't be upset if the Flames pass on Reschny if he is there at 18, because I will just assume that they like another player more and I trust the Flames now. However, I would absolutely love it if they draft him. He may be slightly undersized, but he is a guy that will do better as the games mean more because of his compete level.
That's just how I see it. I would of course prefer big guys with skill, speed and high compete levels too, but at the middle of the first round, everyone has warts.