Best Calgary Flames Draft Picks - Round 1

[Bingo]

Boring August ... so here's another elimination poll to do each day (going to keep myself busy)

Pick the best draft pick in Flames history.

Some thoughts ...

Clearly I'll include names that some say I shouldn't.
Clearly I'll have missed names that some say I shouldn't.

I made the list of 32 with the following thought process.

1. Needed to be a Calgary pick or a player that had an impact in Calgary (eliminating early Atlanta picks)
2. Sorted the names by GP, Pts, PPG, PIM, and goalie games to make sure I didn't miss anyone.
3. Included players that didn't play as many games but had an impact (Gaudreau, Loob, Monahan)
4. Included three relatively recent draft picks that are on their way.
5. Included Hull and Fox because they were great draft picks.
6. Included some fan favourites that don't have the stats
7. List is in order of games played (in the NHL)

We don't have to go through the list all the way ... see how much interest there is.

[PaperBagger'14]

Probably should have been Gaudreau if not for that tragedy. Went with MacInnis.

[DoubleK]

Nieuwendyk for me. Three cups gives him the edge over Hull and Vernon.

[looooob]

am assuming its for the voter to decide- but basically is the idea for best outcome/career (completed or ongoing) and not best pick given draft position? (Flames have oddly done better with later picks than early ones


I think I'm going with MacInnis- not only due to his Calgary tenure but I feel you can make the case his career may well be as good as any including Hull, but I'm a huge MacInnis booster

[Jiggy_12]

Johnny.

[looooob]

a separate fun category is best non drafted player who debuted with the Flames- think Gio, St Louis, Otto, Roloson, Patterson, Macoun etc- Flames may have one of the best list of these types

[Swayze11]

Went with Nieuwendyk. The fact he was a 2nd round pick, the immediate impact he made with the team and was arguably the best player in his draft.

[zuluking]

Nieuwendyk. Won the cup and turned into Iginla.

[Sylvanfan]

I guess I'll base my vote on what the player did for the Calgary Flames.

MacInnis is the best player the Calgary Flames have ever drafted who stayed long enough to make a big impact for the team. Niewendyk would likley be second for me.

Theo Fleury to me is the best value based on where he was picked, what he did on ice for the team and the fact that they did get Robyn Regehr out of him when they traded him. Gary Suter also rates as a guy who was picked late who accomplished a lot for the Flames and also brought back a good return. A guy like Brett Hull would be at the top of the list, but the team ultimately traded him early on so he didn't do as much for the Calgary Flames even though career wise.

[ben voyonsdonc]

Went with Johnny. A tiny fourth round pick turned into someone pretty special.

Chucky is a great choice too but was a pretty obvious one at that point in the draft.

[Roof-Daddy]

Hull

Had over 700 goals and nearly 1400 points

Only one that can compete with that is MacInnis who put up incredible numbers as a Dman

[FlamesAddiction]

I am leaning towards Nieuwendyk as well given his impact and that he was a 2nd rounder at the time. Pretty shrewd pick.

Suter (9th rounder), Fleury (8th rounder), Hull (6th rounder), Gaudreau (4th rounder), Vernon (3rd rounder) were all amazing picks for where they were taken as well. And of course Wolf (7th rounder), but the sample size is still too small IMO.

I'm going to have to take time to think about this one.

[Bleeding Red]

I guess since he's considered batsh*t crazy, TF will drop off a lot of lists.


Drafted 166th. - 8th round , scored almost a ppg in his first year, scored a couple key overtime goals, went on to lead the Flames in scoring 5 times, 5 all-star appearances, franchise points leader when traded, played 11 years for the Flames.


MacInnis won his Norris with STL, Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe with DAL. And both were drafted at the top end of the draft. Great picks, hardly the best.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Bleeding Red

I guess since he's considered batsh*t crazy, TF will drop off a lot of lists.


Drafted 166th. - 8th round , scored almost a ppg in his first year, scored a couple key overtime goals, went on to lead the Flames in scoring 5 times, 5 all-star appearances, franchise points leader when traded, played 11 years for the Flames.


MacInnis won his Norris with STL, Nieuwendyk won the Conn Smythe with DAL. And both were drafted at the top end of the draft. Great picks, hardly the best.

although MacInnis did win his Conn Smythe in Calgary (personally I also think he could have won at least one Norris here but in Calgary he had a rep as the 'big slapshot only guy' which he wasn't after about 1985


but I do agree if we are factoring for draft position that would drop both Chopper and Joe who in my mind


my personally belief is TF non hockey stuff aside MacInnis was still the best flaming C career until Iginla surpassed him


I get those that may not be happy with how he left town, I'm trying to keep much of that out of here given the economic realities of the time, but I would understand if others feel differently

[Kipper_3434]

Fleury, similar to Nieuwendyk but drafted way later. Guy was a beast for a decade here and went on to be the highest paid player in the league for a short time.

[Kipper_3434]

And it's best draft pick not best career flame or best media interactions.

[Roof-Daddy]

Wow. Surprised to see Hull with only 2 votes so far?

Nobody on this list really touches his career numbers except for McInnis as a Dman. Must be because he was traded so early on in his career and barely played for the Flames?

[Buff]

It was between MacInnis, Hull, Nieuwendyk and Tkachuk for me.

I think if this poll came with the benefit of seeing how his entire career works out that we'd be seeing a lot more picks for chucky. He stirred the drink in Calgary but we didn't make it far with him. As soon as he went to Florida they made 3 consecutive Cup finals winning two in a row... and counting. He finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in team scoring in his three years there and the 3rd place finish was because of an injury, he likely was going to finish 1st again this year if he hadn't missed 30 games.

Brett Hull just flat out scored goals. He was so prolific in the early 90s. The reason I didn't go with him is how one dimensional his game was. He was great at scoring, one of the best all time, but Brett Hull didn't do much more than that.

Joe Nieuwendyk. Best in his draft class and picked in the 2nd round. Won three cups and a Conn Smythe and made a sudden impact upon entering the league scoring 51, 51, 45 and 45 in each of his first 4 years before knee injuries slowed him down... and he was still a key contributor on his teams for many years after that. A winner and a leader and adapted his game whenever needed.

MacInnis is the best defenseman in Flames history and went to St.Louis where he improved his all around game. How he only ever won one Norris is beyond me (I know, he was in an era with a few dominant defensemen) but he should have had 3 or 4.

[looooob]

Hall of Famers - MacInnis, Hull, Nieuwendyk, Vernon, Makarov


there are 3-5 other what ifs? or narrow misses (examples of what I mean- Fleury if not for well we all know, Loob if considering international tenure things like that)


and then about 4 names (curiously all Americans I think) that are too early to tell, story not fully written etc


oh and Parekh of course

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by looooob

Hall of Famers - MacInnis, Hull, Nieuwendyk, Vernon, Makarov


there are 3-5 other what ifs? or narrow misses (examples of what I mean- Fleury if not for well we all know, Loob if considering international tenure things like that)


and then about 4 names (curiously all Americans I think) that are too early to tell, story not fully written etc


oh and Parekh of course

was waiting for someone to mention Makarov.

Not as many games with the Flames, but if you include international work he's way up the list.