McKenna Watch

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by MrMike

Yeah!!

So we should go out and get more Huberdeaus and veterans! They don't drop off the next year to being tied with Barbashev and Rust in points!

Missing the point as usual. The point is that extrapolating points after 17 games is kind of silly, and that team success and points aren’t always tied anyway. Did TB do well last year?

[FanIn80]

The thing with McKenna, is he loves scoring goals and he reaaallly loves celebrating them. Two things that the Flames have historically not been fond of.

It wouldn't surprise me if we went with Verhoeff instead. 6'4" right-shot defenceman from Saskatchewan has "Calgary Flames" written all over him.

[devo22]

Sure, it's just a snap shot after 17 games. But still:

23 P. - Macklin Celebrini (1st overall)
22 P. - Connor Bedard (1st overall)
21 P. - Connor McDavid (1st overall)
21 P. - Jack Eichel (2nd overall)
21 P. - Kirill Kaprizov (135th overall)
20 P. - Nathan MacKinnon (1st overall)
20 P. - Evgeni Malkin (2nd overall)
20 P. - Leo Carlsson (2nd overall)
20 P. - Mark Scheifele (7th overall)
20 P. - William Nylander (8th overall)
20 P. - Mikko Rantanen (10th overall)

11 G. - Sidney Crosby (1st overall)
11 G. - Cutter Gauthier (5th overall)
10 G. - Nathan MacKinnon (1st overall)
10 G. - Jack Hughes (1st overall)
10 G. - Leon Draisaitl (3rd overall)
10 G. - Cole Caufield (15th overall)
10 G. - Morgan Geekie (67th overall)

so 7 out of 11 players with 20+ points and 4 out of 7 players with 10+ goals so far were top 3 picks. That obviously won't guarantee team success or anything, and there are obvious outliers like Kaprizov and Geekie as well. Still, would be nice to go to the top 3 well for a change and draft a game changer.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by TherapyforGlencross

Keaton Verhoeff is making a significant argument for being drafted first. Mckenna has been struggling adapting to the more mature play.

Why not both? meme.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

The thing with McKenna, is he loves scoring goals and he reaaallly loves celebrating them. Two things that the Flames have historically not been fond of.

It wouldn't surprise me if we went with Verhoeff instead. 6'4" right-shot defenceman from Saskatchewan has "Calgary Flames" written all over him.

The team absolutely is going to want to get the flashy forward to get people out of their very expensive new seats. Zero doubt McKenna is the guy if the team picks 1

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by Vinny01

The team absolutely is going to want to get the flashy forward to get people out of their very expensive new seats. Zero doubt McKenna is the guy if the team picks 1

I think we have a season worth of playing before any decision is made. Players have risen and fallen before.

[Burn13]

Originally Posted by troutman

Why not both? meme.

How? We'd have to trade with another bottom feeder and get their unprotected first or Vegas needs to tank hard.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

I think we have a season worth of playing before any decision is made. Players have risen and fallen before.

Can’t think of a player with McKenna’s hype ever dropping from being the top pick but I guess you could be right?

[devo22]

Shane Wright probably didn't have the same hype, but was pretty much pencilled in as 1st overall for multiple years, I believe.

[Jiri Hrdina]

There was a while where the 2025 draft was considered the “James Hagens” draft

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by devo22

Shane Wright probably didn't have the same hype, but was pretty much pencilled in as 1st overall for multiple years, I believe.

That is a great example I remember he had a decent amount of hype. McKenna had the generational buzz about him though and while that has cooled I would be shocked if he slipped out of the top pick.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by devo22

Shane Wright probably didn't have the same hype, but was pretty much pencilled in as 1st overall for multiple years, I believe.

The exceptional status thing plays a massive part of that hype build. The biggest exceptional status bust in this era was Sean Day. Tons of hype, never materialized. Not even a late bloomers into a serviceable NHL career.

Wright's problem was there was a ton of hype and he bought into it instead of working over the hype. But at least he will be carving out a pretty okay NHL career.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

There was a while where the 2025 draft was considered the “James Hagens” draft

It was for the year leading up to it and half of that season. Then it was the Schaefer draft. Which blew my mind. But, he's doing things on a very meh isles team that's justifying his 1st OA status.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Burn13

How? We'd have to trade with another bottom feeder and get their unprotected first or Vegas needs to tank hard.

Yes. Make it so.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

The thing with McKenna, is he loves scoring goals and he reaaallly loves celebrating them. Two things that the Flames have historically not been fond of.

It wouldn't surprise me if we went with Verhoeff instead. 6'4" right-shot defenceman from Saskatchewan has "Calgary Flames" written all over him.

Yeah lol, god forbid this team injects some swagger into it.

[Calgary4LIfe]

McKenna is my #1 pick and by a wide margin. However, I am loving the doubt creeping in with him not breaking out in the NCAA, and merely having a great, but not spectacular, season. If the Flames end up last and losing the lottery, or even finishing somewhere in the bottom 3 - whatever - if the Flames don't get the top pick, I hope that there is a whole lot of doubt about McKenna, and teams overthink it and pick someone else.


Taking a look at Celebrini's dad, it is not difficult to make the assumption that he had his son physically ready for the NCAA. McKenna is NOT. He has a lot more room to grow, and when he does, he will be real good. I take him #1 without hesitating, but I do hope that there is more hesitation happening. Would be great for this kid to join the Flames with a huge chip on his shoulder being questioned and passed-over if the Flames don't have the #1 pick.

[Sandman]

Rumor was that Shane Wright was a cocky, arrogant kid, and didn't do well in pre-draft interviews. We didn't have the insight that they had.

Wright showed his true colors when he glared at the Habs' table on the draft floor on his way up to the podium. I'm sure he and his agent (and the Habs) explained it away as being something else, but that's what it was.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

McKenna is my #1 pick and by a wide margin. However, I am loving the doubt creeping in with him not breaking out in the NCAA, and merely having a great, but not spectacular, season. If the Flames end up last and losing the lottery, or even finishing somewhere in the bottom 3 - whatever - if the Flames don't get the top pick, I hope that there is a whole lot of doubt about McKenna, and teams overthink it and pick someone else.


Taking a look at Celebrini's dad, it is not difficult to make the assumption that he had his son physically ready for the NCAA. McKenna is NOT. He has a lot more room to grow, and when he does, he will be real good. I take him #1 without hesitating, but I do hope that there is more hesitation happening. Would be great for this kid to join the Flames with a huge chip on his shoulder being questioned and passed-over if the Flames don't have the #1 pick.

100%.

No two prospects develop the same way. McKenna is too good to pass up.

[BigThief]

McKenna started off slow but he'll probably pass anyone in front of him and lead his team in short order.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

The thing with McKenna, is he loves scoring goals and he reaaallly loves celebrating them. Two things that the Flames have historically not been fond of.

It wouldn't surprise me if we went with Verhoeff instead. 6'4" right-shot defenceman from Saskatchewan has "Calgary Flames" written all over him.

What? This is abject nonsense.