[News] Flames send Kanzig back to the Hitmen

[sureLoss]

per the AHL transactions page

wasn't getting a lot of ice time in Stockton... perhaps a little eyebrow raising they didn't try him in the ECHL first

[Erick Estrada]

Should anyone be surprised that a player that was questionably drafted earlier than he was scouted is struggling mightily in his development against professional competition?

[Geeoff]

At least he is tall

[saillias]

And I believe Burke gave the guy an ELC the summer he was drafted as well. Not sure why they were so high on him. The thing going for him was his physical fitness, but that's something that can be taught a lot easier than pro hockey skills.

[IgiTang]

Perfect place for him. Let him work on his foot speed and breakouts while gaining confidence pushing around kids his age.

I think Kanzig will be fine. He's got a great head on his shoulders and understands the game.
Another year in the dub, another prospects camp and some more one on one training while being close to the Flames will help.

I think management is still very high on him.

[codynw]

He'll never be an NHL player with that skating ability. Looking like a waste of a pick in what appears to be a fairly deep draft.

Oh well.

[GranteedEV]

He wasn't ready to turn pro. Needs to work specifically on skills development in Junior.

[MoreDrank]

"Your boy's... different, Mrs. Kanzig. Now, his hockey IQ is seventy-five."

[Fire of the Phoenix]

Originally Posted by codynw

He'll never be an NHL player with that skating ability. Looking like a waste of a pick in what appears to be a fairly deep draft.

Oh well.

I don't think it's his skating that's holding him back, though I'm sure it doesn't help. There's lots of guys that make it as bad skaters, they just make up for it in other areas.

His biggest issue seems to be he has literally no offensive upside and he has no ability to transition the puck. It's not enough to be just a defensive defenseman anymore, unless you are elite at it, which he clearly isn't. You need to be able to move the puck in today's NHL and Kanzig looks like he has zero ability to do that. It's not some great mystery why he can't manage to pick up even secondary assists in the WHL.

[Crumpy-Gunt]

Originally Posted by MoreDrank

"Your boy's... different, Mrs. Kanzig. Now, his hockey IQ is seventy-five."

Hahaha. Awesome

[Caged Great]

Well, after picking three forwards, the Flames were likely wanting a defender regardless with their third round pick. Only two other D-men were taken in the 3rd round following the Flames pick, Nicklas Hansson taken 1 pick after Kanzig and Keaton Thompson 20 picks later.

Hansson is a decent player with NHL upside, but is only 6-0 and is another in the same mould of Kulak and Culkin which the Flames already had. Thompson is just there, much like Kanzig.

None of the forwards taken in the ten picks following are looking good either except Baptiste. Janmark was taken at 79, but at the time was another who is that no name player that turns awesome because it's Detroit and Anthony Duclair who had no hype at all heading into the draft and made the Rangers out of camp.

While Kanzig hasn't progressed as much as anyone would have liked, it's not like all the picks following him have turned into amazing players.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Should anyone be surprised that a player that was questionably drafted earlier than he was scouted is struggling mightily in his development against professional competition?

In what round he was drafted, 29 months ago, is completely irrelevant to what is currently the best decision with respect to his development.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

In what round he was drafted, 29 months ago, is completely irrelevant to what is currently the best decision with respect to his development.

You realize you just made an irrelevant post trying to point out the irrelevance of another post?

[_Q_]

I never thought he was going to ever become a player.

Most drafted players never become nhlers anyways, so who cares.

[sureLoss]

Interesting to see so many people just write him off after this assignment.

Just for reference, Ferland was sent back to junior his first year pro as well.

[codynw]

I wrote him off before this assignment, to be fair.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Interesting to see so many people just write him off after this assignment.

Just for reference, Ferland was sent back to junior his first year pro as well.

Most people were not really thrilled with the pick the second it was made, myself included. It's on Kanzig to improve the other aspects of his game. His skating is no longer the huge liability that it was. If, when on the Hitmen he can work on his passing, his shot, and resume his physical nastiness then he will come into next season in a better spot.

He may still turn things around and become a player, but this is a case where it will take another 3-4 years for him to put things together if he does eventually figure it out. The worst case is that he turns into Chris Breen 2.0, a big physical guy that helps out the farm team for a while.

[1qqaaz]

It seems like every time we draft/sign someone under 5'10, they become great, and every time we draft someone over 6'5, they turn into nothing. Over the entire history of the franchise.

I think sending Kanzig down is the right move. Especially with Culkin becoming healthy.
I feel sorry for the kids that will have to play against Kanzig this year...

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Interesting to see so many people just write him off after this assignment.

Just for reference, Ferland was sent back to junior his first year pro as well.

The guy was always a long term project. I don't have high expectations but I wouldn't write him off this early either as some players can be late bloomers. In a perfect world he's picked where central scouting had him pegged 120-130 overall and he's not even a discussion here as he's considered a fringe prospect. The fact the Flames used a 3rd round pick on him is the reason this is newsworthy.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Well, after picking three forwards, the Flames were likely wanting a defender regardless with their third round pick. Only two other D-men were taken in the 3rd round following the Flames pick, Nicklas Hansson taken 1 pick after Kanzig and Keaton Thompson 20 picks later.

Hansson is a decent player with NHL upside, but is only 6-0 and is another in the same mould of Kulak and Culkin which the Flames already had. Thompson is just there, much like Kanzig.

None of the forwards taken in the ten picks following are looking good either except Baptiste. Janmark was taken at 79, but at the time was another who is that no name player that turns awesome because it's Detroit and Anthony Duclair who had no hype at all heading into the draft and made the Rangers out of camp.

While Kanzig hasn't progressed as much as anyone would have liked, it's not like all the picks following him have turned into amazing players.

The Keegan pick is yet another reason why I'm glad the former regime is no longer around. Weisbrod had those tendencies to show how he was smarter than everyone else and feaster went along for the ride. If we selected this player because we had picked F with our earlier picks, that's a bloody shame. I like the new mantra where our scouts are out there to get prospects that will play, not going off the board to show others how they know best. Kanzig gets picked in a later round, no problem. But don't pick projects in the 3rd round.