The thing with this draft in the top 5, even the Flames can't fata this up. Thats why they have to tank. If there was a Daigle they would pick him. There isn't one in this draft.
Nothing would surprise me with the Flames
I hope no teams have 2 early second round picks because Feaster would probably trade a top 5 for them
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Last edited by return to the red; 03-22-2013 at 11:50 AM.
The thing with this draft in the top 5, even the Flames can't fata this up. Thats why they have to tank. If there was a Daigle they would pick him. There isn't one in this draft.
Don't tempt fate. I could see them being sold on someone and trading down to take him. Jankowski part 2.
I think oilers didnt screw up by bringing them up too early, its a part of it but not the big problem. It was giving them giant contracts at such an early age. They have limited themselves cap wise to try and find missing pieces for their puzzle, and the young guns don't have that extra incentive to have increases in salary. They should have gone with slow increases till they were 25-26 then if they have maintained strong numbers you offer them the giant long term deal.
I was actually thinking about this. No matter where the Flames draft, even if it is 1st overall, I don't know if I want the Flames to have that person in their line up for more than 10 games next season - unless they are really special.
No need to burn a year of UFA status on what is probably going to be a lengthy rebuild or risk long term injury on some guys. I think the Oil have actually been too quick to add RNH, Yakupov and Hall to their lineups - both RNH and Hall may have damage to their health long term. I'd rather them dominate in junior and take another year to physically mature, than go against men.
Well Hall dominated the OHL for two years. What more was he going to learn at that level? He had to move up to continue his development and he was physically ready.
RNH despite being slim obviously showed NHL skill. He had also dominated the WHL the year before and likely would've been physically targetted and headhunted in the WHL as much or moreso than in the NHL.
I don't think those two guys are valid examples of rushing a kid. If we want to look at rushing a kid look at guys like Gilbert Brule, James Sheppard, Josh Bailey, Rico Fata, Derrick Brassard, Luke Schenn, etc.
The top kids (top 3-5 picks) are so far ahead of their peers that continuing to dominate them doesn't teach them much. Its the guys taken in the 6-15 range that are sometimes rushed to their detriment IMO.
I remember watching the draft last year and really hoping to see the Flames pick goalie Malcolm Subban in the first round just to see this place explode with rage.
Watching him in the World Juniors was all I needed.
Agreed. Probably the most impressive performance by a draft eligible d-man that I've seen.
Jones loves to rush the puck. Great at quarterbacking the powerplay. Hard, heavy shot. Great puck poise and patience. Tremendous size and skating. Will play physical although he's not a total wrecker.
If we wanna compare him to our own I'd say he's like Bouwmeester but will be much physically stronger, more physical, better powerplay ability and a much better shot while still having elite skating ability for his size.
He looks more like a franchise d-man than anybody I can remember seeing in my last 18 years or so of trying to watch draft eligible defensemen.
You really can't wrong at the top end of this draft IMO unless you take the Russian and he busts/goes home.
Personal draft philosophy: don't draft defensemen in round 1 if you can help it. Don't draft by position. Current ability is infinitely more valuable than potential. Size is secondary to ability. Skating is the most important attribute.
Someone else can take Jones. Flames should take Mackinnon or Drouin.
As for trades and what Kiprusoff and Iginla are worth, if nothing else they're worth a first round pick plus... something. If you can get a first round pick out of each of them, you're laughing. A top 5 pick and two mid-first rounders, maybe a good prospect in return to boot, would basically be an instant rebuild of the franchise.
RNH despite being slim obviously showed NHL skill. He had also dominated the WHL the year before and likely would've been physically targetted and headhunted in the WHL as much or moreso than in the NHL.
Yeah I don't think that would be the case. Can you provide any recent example of when this has happened? Was Crosby taking headshots in the Q?
Seems a bit silly to be worried about drafting Jones when we don't even know our draft position. Massively up in the air at this point. We won't end up with the #1 pick unless we win the lottery.
The 2013 NHL Draft Lottery, to be held this year on Monday, April 29, will be the first in NHL history where all 14 clubs not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, or the clubs that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff clubs, will have a chance at winning the right to the first overall selection.
In the old draft, the 30th place team had a very high chance of keeping the #1 overall pick because if either they won the lottery or if any team outside of the top 5 won the lottery, then the #1 pick would stay. The only way to lose the pick was if one of the teams in 2nd to 5th won. Basically in the old system the 30th place team had a 50% chance to keep the #1 overall pick.
In the new system, the 30th place team only has a 25% chance to keep that #1 draft spot. They have a 75% chance that any other non-playoff team will take it instead.
Personally, I am glad if most of the NHL agrees that Jones and Drouin should be #1 overall picks because that increases our chances of getting MacKinnon.
You should all keep this new system firmly in-mind as you are preparing for your draft celebrations. The team picking #1 overall most likely NOT going to be the 30th place team.
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I know it's all the rage right now to take shots at management these days, but to make them out to look like losers at drafting in the top five before they even get there is a tad overkill.
I am frustrated with management as well but that has more to do with the lack of any substantial movement during the suckage right now. Their drafting IMO has been better the last two-three seasons and I have faith they will select the best player for the organization. Top 5, all of them are potential franchise players, cannot go wrong with any. Whether your personal preference is for them to take a Center, a Winger, or Defenseman is one thing but they won't screw it up. They cannot afford to screw it up and they know it. Once draft day hits they will do what is best. At least I have faith in as much. Just not sure about all the trade scenarios.
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I know it's all the rage right now to take shots at management these days, but to make them out to look like losers at drafting in the top five before they even get there is a tad overkill.
Even the Feaster haters have to admit that when he is given a high draft position and an obvious choice as to who to pick, he picks the right guy (Stamkos). There is nothing real to suggest that the Flames will do otherwise, just hate and fear.
Elite players at any position trumps very good players at any position. To win the Stanley cup, you need elite talent. As many as possible.
With that being said, here is my quick run-down of players. Let's start with Drouin:
Drouin is listed as a LW, because he is playing LW. However, he is also a center! He has played center right up until this season when he went to play with his pal MacKinnon. Also, Drouin isn't really 'small' - not really anyways. He is 17, 5'11 and 185lbs. He is not a tiny guy. I would bet he will play in the NHL in his first season.
MacKinnon - An inch taller than Drouin, and lighter. Nobody is saying anything about him being small. Anyways, he has a non-stop motor. Though people have compared him to Crosby, and he downplays it - he does remind me of Crosby a bit. He is a non-stop checking machine. He forechecks AND backchecks with fire. He is pure speed, coupled with a high-level of skill and hockey smarts. Drouin has him beat on hockey smarts and skill, but the gap is not that huge. Slightly bigger and faster than Drouin (once MacKinnon fills out more).
Jones - Flames will be very interested in him. How well do you think they have scouted him? He plays with Wotherspoon. Instant chemistry with someone in the organization. This guy should be an elite defencemen. Yes, some other 1st round picks have been labeled as elite future defencemen, but few have as many strengths as Jones. He won't miss.
Barkov - First off, he is NOT slow! There is ZERO concerns with his skating. There is hardly anyone in the NHL that is as fast as MacKinnon RIGHT NOW. Barkov can (and will) keep up to the pace of the NHL. He is big (you can't teach size) and is already a very great 2-way player.
NONE of the top 4 will I complain about IF the Flames get to draft that high. The way I see it, you have 3 centers and one defencemen in this draft, all having elite potential.
With that being said, I have no idea who the Flames will target. Flames are really weak organizationally in their defensive prospects - more than centers. Will they take Jones, especially after watching him so much this season? Will they Drouin - starting in the Darryl Sutter days, this organization has shown a preference for the really smart cerebral "high hockey IQ" types - and there is nobody higher in that category than Drouin according to a lot of scouts out there.
I don't think the Flames will miss by taking MacKinnon or Barkov - MacKinnon is the type of player that just drives possession, has blazing speed (think Lombardi but with actual hands and IQ!), and there is NO WAY this kid is going to end up being less than a 1st line center unless he runs into some serious bad luck with injuries.
Barkov - show me one fault in this guy's game? The only negative thing that I can say about him is "MPS was playing against men too, and look at how he turned out"... Barkov is light years ahead of MPS in everything except maybe speed (MPS to me is a good comparable to Lombo - little hockey IQ or hands, but full of speed). Barkov is big, he is very cerebral, his skating is probably average (I would say above average from the limited times I saw him, and many scouts still say above average - compared to MacKinnon, almost the entire draft class is 'slow'), and he already plays a very solid 2-way game. He makes sick passes through players onto the tape of team mates, he can shoot... I really haven't heard of any weaknesses to his game at all.
This top 4 is simply amazing. I laugh at the 'Drouin is the next Shremp'! Drouin WILL be a superstar in this league. Will he play center? Good question.. he is playing LW now, but has played center apparently for his entire life. Anyone watch Halifax and can comment on what position Drouin played when MacKinnon was injured? I bet he got moved back to center.
The only reason I 'cringe' about Seth Jones is that when compared to the last 'x' number of defencemen that have been drafted 1st over-all, it is quite an underwhelming list. However, Pronger was drafted #2 behind Daigle. Teams have a very hard time without having an elite defencemen on this roster, and elite defencemen play half a game!
I would really love to know who Calgary has 1-4 on their list come draft day. I don't think they will get the #1 over-all, but it would be very interesting to me to see how they have all the players ranked, and their reasons behind it. I wish I always could find out every draft year, as teams have their orders so vastly different from other teams.
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Even the Feaster haters have to admit that when he is given a high draft position and an obvious choice as to who to pick, he picks the right guy (Stamkos). There is nothing real to suggest that the Flames will do otherwise, just hate and fear.
Mixed feelings on that one because I now am on board with those that think Jones is a very special player - and an elite #1 dman can be just as important to a cup win as a #1 centre.
The tough decision comes if the Flames are sitting in the 3-hole with Mackinnon and Jones off the board. Do you take Drouin - who looks fantastic but is a winger? Tough call indeed.
Yeah, I don't see the Flames having a top-2 pick, so this is actually a very likely scenario: Barkov or Drouin? The big centre the team has lacked for 20 years, or the brilliant winger who may be the most dynamic player in the draft?
I'd be happy to draft Barkov, but in the back of my mind I could see Drouin challenging for the scoring title.
Yeah, I don't see the Flames having a top-2 pick, so this is actually a very likely scenario: Barkov or Drouin? The big centre the team has lacked for 20 years, or the brilliant winger who may be the most dynamic player in the draft?
I'd be happy to draft Barkov, but in the back of my mind I could see Drouin challenging for the scoring title.
I take the big centre already playing against men over the flashy scorer playing next to the potential 1st overall.
Barkov seems Sundin-like in his ability to keep up with the play while not being even close to top speed.
