Corey Pronman's list of top 10 Flames prospects

[Freeway]

http://thehockeywriters.com/top-ten-...s-spring-2013/

For discussion purposes, my Top 10 prior to the draft.

I'd probably slot Monahan in at #3 (behind Baertschi and Gaudreau), Poirier in at #8 and have Klimchuk as an honourable mention.

[Lanny_McDonald]

I would have liked to have seen a lot more detail from this guy. If he's seen them and can put together such a list he should certainly have more to say than just generic platitudes. I'd like some actual specifics. He obviously likes Klimchuk, but what about the guy makes him a good prospect. What does he do so well? What does he do poorly? His comment about size is as generic as they come and doesn't ring true. Is Monahan at 6'2 and 187 that much "bigger" than Klimchuk at 5'11 and 180? I've always hated the size argument when height appears to be the most important factor.

His promotion of Hanowski over some of the other prospects is just strange. I like Hanowski and think he'll be a player for the Flames in the future, but he's not any where near the player Agostini is, for example. Agostini is a very strong skater and hard on the puck. He's one of those guys that drives opposition players crazy because he never gives up and is always in the middle of the play. He has such good anticipation and feel for the game it appears the puck follows him around when in fact he's two moves ahead of those he's playing against. Agostini should have the ability to play on any line on the team. He won't be a huge scorer but he'll be an important guy that retrieves the puck. I see him as the Gary Roberts on the Roberts-Nieuwendyk-Loob line. Two years from now and it'll be Gaudreau-Jankowski-Agostini as the second line on the Flames. I think he really doesn't follow college hockey or gets to see these kids at all because the contrast between the two is clear, and Hanowski is a 3/4 line player while Agostini plays higher up the lineup.

[Vinny01]

Craig Button gave the flames forward prospects a big endorsement on that's hockey today. He mentioned Monahan, Baertschi, Jankowski, Gaudreau, Poirier, Klimchuck could be a very strong offensive group in 2-3 years.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Craig Button gave the flames forward prospects a big endorsement on that's hockey today. He mentioned Monahan, Baertschi, Jankowski, Gaudreau, Poirier, Klimchuck could be a very strong offensive group in 2-3 years.

We're officially doomed!

[HighLifeMan]

If I were to rate our prospect pool using player potential, likelihood of reaching potential, and how close they are to playing in the NHL...

1. Sven Baertschi
2. Sean Monahan
3. Johhny Gaudreau
4. Mark Jankowski
5. Corban Knight
6. Jon Gillies
7. Tyler Wotherspoon
8. Morgan Klimchuk
9. Emile Poirier
10. Pat Sieloff
11. Max Reinhart
12. Kenny Agostino
13. Markus Granlund
14. Bill Arnold
15. Laurent Brossoit
16. Ben Hanowski
17. John Ramage
18. Ryan Culkin
19. Joni Ortio
20. Michael Ferland
21. Keegan Kanzig
22. Brett Kulak
23. Turner Elson
24. Matt Deblouw
25. Tim Harrison
26. Coda Gordon
27. Rushan Rafikov
28. John Gilmour


I do not personally consider players who are not on ELC's as prospects (Breen, Cundari, Bouma, Byron etc..) as in comparison to some of these players they have upwards of six years of development on them.

[cannon7]

Poirier at #10? Should be higher. May have been off-the-board but he wasn't [ithat[/i] far off the board.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

If I were to rate our prospect pool using player potential, likelihood of reaching potential, and how close they are to playing in the NHL...

1. Sven Baertschi
2. Sean Monahan
3. Johhny Gaudreau
4. Mark Jankowski
5. Corban Knight
6. Jon Gillies
7. Tyler Wotherspoon
8. Morgan Klimchuk
9. Emile Poirier
10. Pat Sieloff
11. Max Reinhart
12. Kenny Agostino
13. Markus Granlund
14. Bill Arnold
15. Laurent Brossoit
16. Ben Hanowski
17. John Ramage
18. Ryan Culkin
19. Joni Ortio
20. Michael Ferland
21. Keegan Kanzig
22. Brett Kulak
23. Turner Elson
24. Matt Deblouw
25. Tim Harrison
26. Coda Gordon
27. Rushan Rafikov
28. John Gilmour


I do not personally consider players who are not on ELC's as prospects (Breen, Cundari, Bouma, Byron etc..) as in comparison to some of these players they have upwards of six years of development on them.

This is a far better list than Pronman made. A few quibbles about the order but that's just personal opinion. Maybe Gillies at 4. and Eric Roy at 24.

[$ven27]

Is anyone else worried about all theses Americans not sticking around in a small Canadian city for very long? (Gaudreau, Sieloff, Gillies)

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by $ven27

Is anyone else worried about all theses Americans not sticking around in a small Canadian city for very long? (Gaudreau, Sieloff, Gillies)

I doubt it. Sieloff decided to play in Canadian juniors last year over the USHL and other programs. Gaudreau and Gillies are playing in new england which is a similar culture to Canada.

Circumstances around the team will dictate what happens, not players. Salary structure will be more than fair since we have the ability to be a cap team. If they had that me-first attitude I don't think they would have drafted them in the first place.

And since when is Calgary that small? It may not be a giant metropolis with all the suburbs of larger cities, but the city itself is ranked in the top 10 in the NHL for population. Not to mention it's a hockey town where these guys will be worshipped if they do anything remotely successful.

http://statshockey.homestead.com/info/nhlcities.html

[Freeway]

A lot of prospects mentioned during development camp how awesome it was to be in a hockey market and have so many people know who they are and stay for autographs and to talk to them.

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

This is a far better list than Pronman made. A few quibbles about the order but that's just personal opinion. Maybe Gillies at 4. and Eric Roy at 24.

I simply forgot to list Roy.
I would have him right in the mix with Kanzig and Kulak in the 21-23 spot(s).

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Cali Flames Fan

And since when is Calgary that small? It may not be a giant metropolis with all the suburbs of larger cities, but the city itself is ranked in the top 10 in the NHL for population. Not to mention it's a hockey town where these guys will be worshipped if they do anything remotely successful.

http://statshockey.homestead.com/info/nhlcities.html

I don't think it makes sense, though, to compare city populations. Metro populations are a much better comparison. Otherwise Winnipeg is in the middle of the pack, which it clearly is not.

[really?]

Originally Posted by $ven27

Is anyone else worried about all theses Americans not sticking around in a small Canadian city for very long? (Gaudreau, Sieloff, Gillies)

When the Canadien dollar was depressed and salaries didn't afford players the ability to travel at will location was a far bigger issue.

As an American citizen living on the east coast, I would have absolutely no problem establishing roots in Calgary if I was a professional athlete. It's basically the same thing as relocating to the Northwest without having neighbors on either side of you dealing with meth mouth.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by $ven27

Is anyone else worried about all theses Americans not sticking around in a small Canadian city for very long? (Gaudreau, Sieloff, Gillies)

Not in the slightest

[dying4acup]

When I see Hanowski, I have visions of Brian Mclellan, on the wing for Gilmour and Mullen.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by New Era

I would have liked to have seen a lot more detail from this guy. If he's seen them and can put together such a list he should certainly have more to say than just generic platitudes. I'd like some actual specifics. He obviously likes Klimchuk, but what about the guy makes him a good prospect. What does he do so well? What does he do poorly? His comment about size is as generic as they come and doesn't ring true. Is Monahan at 6'2 and 187 that much "bigger" than Klimchuk at 5'11 and 180? I've always hated the size argument when height appears to be the most important factor.

His promotion of Hanowski over some of the other prospects is just strange. I like Hanowski and think he'll be a player for the Flames in the future, but he's not any where near the player Agostini is, for example. Agostini is a very strong skater and hard on the puck. He's one of those guys that drives opposition players crazy because he never gives up and is always in the middle of the play. He has such good anticipation and feel for the game it appears the puck follows him around when in fact he's two moves ahead of those he's playing against. Agostini should have the ability to play on any line on the team. He won't be a huge scorer but he'll be an important guy that retrieves the puck. I see him as the Gary Roberts on the Roberts-Nieuwendyk-Loob line. Two years from now and it'll be Gaudreau-Jankowski-Agostini as the second line on the Flames. I think he really doesn't follow college hockey or gets to see these kids at all because the contrast between the two is clear, and Hanowski is a 3/4 line player while Agostini plays higher up the lineup.

Well in; I think Pronman specializes in "generic platitudes".

[Hank Hill]

Originally Posted by dying4acup

When I see Hanowski, I have visions of Brian Mclellan, on the wing for Gilmour and Mullen.

I don't remember Brian Mclellan, so your point has been made.

[Hank Hill]

I like this list but would swap around Harrison and Hanowski in their respective spots

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Hank Hill

I don't remember Brian Mclellan, so your point has been made.

I remember McLellan. He was the Flame's fourth-line LW in 1989, behind Patterson, Roberts, and Peplinski. The fact that he was stuck behind Pepper on the depth chart tells you something about him as a player, unfortunately.

The next two seasons, Peplinski was gone and Patterson was injured a lot. McLellan bounced around different lines but never really seemed to click with anyone. He wound up being traded to Detroit for the immortal Marc Habscheid and was out of the NHL shortly thereafter.

On the other hand, McLellan did play over 600 NHL games. I'll be shocked if Hanowski does that well.

[sureLoss]

Pronman is going to be on the Fan 960 this afternoon to discuss his top 10 list, if anyone cares to listen... don't know the exact time.