Easy first selection. 2nd is going to be very tough.
Kylington has a very high offensive ceiling, and his skating is elite, which bodes well for 'today's NHL'. I might pick him 2nd.
Parsons had a tough year, but I look for him to rebound. He is a franchise-level type of goalie prospect IMO.
Pelletier - No, he isn't on here because he was this year's first round pick. Take a careful look at his pedigree. This kid is a "can't miss" type of pick with off-the-charts skill. He makes others around him better. He was the top QMJHL offensive player while also being good defensively. He has the work ethic a development coach dreams about. Oh yeah, and he loves going to the hard areas and thrives in a nasty environment. There is literally zero to not like about this kid.
Pettersen - Elite skill. Highly coachable. Great work ethic. Did I mention elite skill? If you believe Treliving, lots of teams inquired about him at the deadline. Just another fantastic late round pick with 1st round talent who is seemingly erasing question marks surrounding his NHL potential.
Phillips - Elite skill. Elite skill. Elite skill. I question his size more than Pettersen's, simply because he just isn't as strong on the puck. We will have to see, but this kid does have 'it'.
You still have highly skilled guys remaining after this - albeit with potentially more question marks. It wouldn't surprise me if a prospect that I haven't touched on doesn't surpass every other prospect listed here over the years, and we look at this list and wonder why nobody saw it coming.
I anticipate the Flames will be chasing free agent defencemen from the NCAA near the end of the season and into the off-season. Looks fairly grim after Kylington. From two really fantastic prospects to... not much (or nothing)? No gradual decline, as it just falls off a cliff. It isn't a weakness organizationally since most of the defencemen are either young or solidly in their prime, with Giordano being the only aged vet (who is seemingly still getting better every season), but it is something that should start getting addressed in short order.
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