Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[Imported_Aussie]

Originally Posted by neo45

If we're at 6 I'll take Haydn Fleury. He seems to not have a weakness, fills an org need, is a WHL player from Western Canada etc.

If not I still have tons of faith in our scouting staff

At 6, as long as one of the big 3 doesn't slide, Fleury looks good to me as well. At that point, everyone has question marks. I think Draisatl could turn that big 3 into a big 4, and Dal Colle looks like a guy in the top 5.

If the season ended today, Calgary would pick 5th, but possibly 1st or 6th, depending on the lottery.

#1 = Reinhart/Bennett/Ekblad (hard time choosing, as they all address key organizational needs and are hard to separate, could always trade down to the #2 or #3 spot if a team is desperate to get their guy)

#5 = Draisatl/Dal Colle - both slot into an area of organizational depth, but you pass on BPA at your peril. I see these two as a notch above the next group

#6 = Fleury, or maybe Virtanen/Kaspanen if they really want a RW. Ehlers or Perlini might be worth a look too.


The hope would be that a team above the Flames really wants a guy like Ehlers, and that allows one of the higher ranked players to slide. It will be interesting to see who slides, since there is at least one in every draft

[devo22]

I just can't see any of Ekblad, Reinhart and Bennett fall out of the top 3. So unless we win the lottery (come on hockey gods!) or trade up, the Flames will probably end up with one of Michael Dal Colle, Leon Draisaitl and Jake Virtanen.

I haven't spent a lot of time reading and watching stuff about Dal Colle ... simply because we are already stacked at the LW position (Gaudreau, Baertschi, Agostino, Klimchuk, Ferland etc). If Dal Colle was a RH shot, I'd be all for it ... but as it stands, even our only legitimate RW prospect is a LH shot and it's simply getting to a point where it's an LW overkill. However, I believe he played center before and if they'd convert him back it could be a different story.

Draisaitl is a guy I really can't get a good read on. Every time I saw him play he really disappointed me - at the World Juniors, I thought he looked worse than last year, and the Top Prospect Game didn't convince me either. Yet all I see is him shooting up the rankings and getting rave reviews ... maybe that's why I'm not a scout lol.

I've become more and more open to the idea of drafting Virtanen. At first thought that people just hyped him because he's a Hitman, but I see the appeal. Right-handed RW with some size and grit ... definitely fits an organizational need. I guess the Flames scouts will know him better than anybody else in the draft. By far the youngest player in the top 10 of WHL goal scoring ... can only imagine what he can do if he develops properly and is paired with a good playmaking center.

Right now, for me it's Virtanen > Draisaitl > Dal Colle in terms of what we need ... just not sold on Draisaitl and I guess Dal Colle will be an Isles pick at 4 anyway. Current center depth (Monahan, Backlund, Stajan etc) is certainly good enough for next season again ... and next year there are numerous good centermen available (McDavid, Eichel, Barzal, Strome, Konecny).

[dammage79]

Appears Kapanen has gained some size as well. Crazy slick skater and sweet mitts. Wouldn't complain if they took him. Could use a Rw pure skill guy too.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Imported_Aussie

A
The hope would be that a team above the Flames really wants a guy like Ehlers, and that allows one of the higher ranked players to slide. It will be interesting to see who slides, since there is at least one in every draft

Will be very interesting to see who rises and falls - strong playoff performances can definitely alter perceptions.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by dammage79

Appears Kapanen has gained some size as well. Crazy slick skater and sweet mitts. Wouldn't complain if they took him. Could use a Rw pure skill guy too.

I thought for sure Kapanen wouldn't be a consideration for the Flames - but he definitely has gained some size. Kid has high-end skill and strong bloodlines too.

[Five-hole]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

What I was looking for was how Kassian was scouted in terms of hockey IQ. To me, that is his most glaring weakness whenever I see him play in Vancouver:

http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/...layer.php?7143

Ritchie is bigger (same height, but 25lbs heavier), faster, more agile, better hockey sense and an elite shot apparently.

One thing that I think Feaster et al did very well was place a high premium on hockey IQ. That nearly every player they acquired has stepped in and, at the worst, not looked totally out of place bears out that hockey IQ is one of the real determining factors on whether a player's game can translate to the NHL level. It can certainly make up for a lack of size, especially when coupled with speed (see Byron, Paul).

Prospects that are noted as having "poor hockey IQ", or even where it is listed as a concern or being merely average, should be avoided IMO.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by devo22

I just can't see any of Ekblad, Reinhart and Bennett fall out of the top 3. So unless we win the lottery (come on hockey gods!) or trade up, the Flames will probably end up with one of Michael Dal Colle, Leon Draisaitl and Jake Virtanen.

Right now, for me it's Virtanen > Draisaitl > Dal Colle in terms of what we need ... just not sold on Draisaitl and I guess Dal Colle will be an Isles pick at 4 anyway. Current center depth (Monahan, Backlund, Stajan etc) is certainly good enough for next season again ... and next year there are numerous good centermen available (McDavid, Eichel, Barzal, Strome, Konecny).

I don't get a great feeling about Draisaitl either. Highly unlikely we get my first preferences (Ekblad, Reinhart or Bennett). Not sold on Ehlers either (top prospect in the game is freeing up a lot of ice for him in Halifax). Red flags about Ritchie's fitness, so I would avoid. Nylander is pretty small, though a RW & I wouldn't be surprised if someone took him around #10.

In the end the hockey gods will decide. I have a weird feeling we draft either Dal Colle or Virtanen & either of them would look awesome on Monahan's wing. If we slip any further down the pecking order Hayden Fleury & Perlini should be on our radar.

Any interesting prospects in the 2nd & 3rd rounds? I noticed there's some beef: lots of BIG RW & RD.

[H2SO4(aq)]

Would anyone be surprised if Fleury gets taken top 5? If Ekblad goes first I can see someone taking a reach for the next best defenseman. A lot of the teams that will have high picks are perennial losers who have loaded up on forwards the last couple drafts.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by H2SO4(aq)

Would anyone be surprised if Fleury gets taken top 5? If Ekblad goes first I can see someone taking a reach for the next best defenseman. A lot of the teams that will have high picks are perennial losers who have loaded up on forwards the last couple drafts.

Top 5 is a huge reach, in my opinion. I'm pretty sure he'll go top 10 though.

[ForeverFlameFan]

^ It's better to draft a forward and sign UFA defenseman who already has NHL experience.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

Any interesting prospects in the 2nd & 3rd rounds? I noticed there's some beef: lots of BIG RW & RD.

some interesting names:

Forwards: Ryan MacInnis, Jayce Hawryluk, Keegan Iverson
Defensemen: Alexis Vanier, Joshua Jacobs, Aaron Irving
Goaltenders: Alex Nedeljkovic, Ville Husso, Mason McDonald

plus with #35 there's always the possibility to draft somebody who's sliding a little bit.

[Stanathan]

Always draft a MacInnis and always avoid and Irving!

[getbak]

Originally Posted by devo22

The last time a team traded up in the top 10 was in 2008 ... and the GM in question happened to be Brian Burke. He traded up from 7 to 5 and gave up #68 and a 2nd in 2009 to do it.

Burke was still with the Ducks at the 2008 Draft. He didn't go to the Leafs until the end of November, 2008.

Fletcher was still the Leafs' interim GM at the 2008 Draft. He traded up to get Schenn.

[Badger Bob]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I do think Ekblad will be too pricey to move up into. From picking in the 5th-6th range, Buffalo (or whomever wins the draft) will not want to move that far down. Reinhart, Ekblad and Bennett all seem like a big step up from Draisaitl, but even after that it seems like a bit of a drop from Draisaitl down to Dal Colle. Some organizations might favor some players over others, and the final rankings really aren't finished yet, but I think it will just be too expensive to jump up 5 spots or so. Compound that if Buffalo does hold the #1 (they are very, very thin on offensive forward prospects, and are in dire need of a #1 projected center), and double that for Edmonton who want Ekblad for themselves probably, and are divisional rivals to boot.

Just as FYI, Sabres GM, Tim Murray, just took a trip out west to watch games with Reinhart & Draisaitl.

[indes]

Trade gio at the draft to FLA for 2014+2015 1sts or to CAR for Skinner+ pick

[Muta]

Originally Posted by indes

Trade gio at the draft to FLA for 2014+2015 1sts or to CAR for Skinner+ pick

You think you can get two top-ten, likely top-five picks for Giordano?

I love the guy as much as the next, but Giordano isn't going to command that kind of price.

[freakinsaprikin]

Originally Posted by devo22

just so hard to tell what it would cost to move up. It has barely happened over the last few years, and the market seems to be really weird at the moment, as we have seen at this year's deadline.

The last time a team traded up in the top 10 was in 2008 ... and the GM in question happened to be Brian Burke. He traded up from 7 to 5 and gave up #68 and a 2nd in 2009 to do it.

Would people be comfortable giving up Col 2nd this year and our 2nd next year to move into 3rd (If it was possible)? Not sure if I would do that for this years draft.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by indes

Trade gio at the draft to FLA for 2014+2015 1sts or to CAR for Skinner+ pick

Why are we already writing off our captain? Seriously, he is the last guy I want to trade on this team.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by MikaelBacklund

I can just see Burke targeting Ritchie. Can any long time OHL fan comment on what separates Nick Ritchie from Zack Kassian during his draft year.

Stupidity more than anything. Ritchie is not nearly as dumb as Kassian when it comes to taking bad penalties at bad times, has much better hockey IQ, and an all around better game. Kassian is a knuckle dragging buffoon who hurts a team more than helps.

[sureLoss]

Fwiw brad curle says the Sabres had 3 scouts watching Reinhart last night