This organization's prospect pool is lacking on defence, too, at least as far as offence from the blueline goes. Nurse & Pulock look interesting enough to take in the 4-12 slot. I don't know that Lindholm/Barkov should be a slam dunk in that range unless they're clearly the best player available.
Blah, no defensemen in the first round unless they're an absolute steal please. If other NHL GM's/Scouts all take leave of their senses and forget about Jones then sure grab him... otherwise go with a forward.
Really liking Shinkaruk if we're in the 7-12 range, guy seems like a clutch C and a strong leader. And home-grown talent is awesome to have. Only issue is he's a bit smaller at 5'10. But i'm guessing we'll be drafting no higher than #5, so it is likely Nate, Seth, and Jon are automatically out the window. Nurse could be taken at #3 or #4 if a team there is seeking D. So I could see us landing Barkov if we end up where are are now (#5 position). But it's impossible to predict this management/drafting staff when it comes time. They tend to surprise... But I really hope that, for once, they take the obvious choice and the bpa, no matter who Weisbroad may feel is a darkhorse. When you're top 10, you've gotta shoot straight.
I thought it was only Barkov's dad who was russian and his mother is from Finland.
It is. He was born in Finland, he grew up in Finland, he plays for a team in a Finnish league, plays for Finland in national team tournaments... he's Finnish.
I think it's mostly silly to not take a guy because he's Russian and I think it's beyond stupid to not select a guy from another country because his last name is Russian. Self-harming ethnocentrism that is.
I think there are some ugly undertones when you go beyond Russian hockey and start talking about Russian "values" and "mindset" in a negative context.
I'm not a huge fan of Russians, and have freely admitted it before. I think while they are smart and talented, their history and leadership has led most of them to be corrupt and selfish people. In my personal and professional experience, that has almost always been confirmed. But yes, definitely biased!
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Besides, you're wrong about cultural transfer, or whatever you call it - kids pick up the culture of their peers.
I was raised in a very similar situation as Barkov with immigrant parents, yet I'm completely wrong? Yes, kids pick up a lot of their values from their peers, but to suggest that parents don't play a huge role is naive. Especially European parents who take a more active role in their kids lives than most. Trust me, I'd love to lose a few of the eastern-euro values that are in me, but it's not that easy.
I'm not a huge fan of Russians, and have freely admitted it before. I think while they are smart and talented, their history and leadership has led most of them to be corrupt and selfish people. In my personal and professional experience, that has almost always been confirmed. But yes, definitely biased!
I was raised in a very similar situation as Barkov with immigrant parents, yet I'm completely wrong? Yes, kids pick up a lot of their values from their peers, but to suggest that parents don't play a huge role is naive. Especially European parents who take a more active role in their kids lives than most. Trust me, I'd love to lose a few of the eastern-euro values that are in me, but it's not that easy.
Except Barkovs mother was Finnish.
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what draft pick? we're trying to dump those using the waiver wire!
seriously though, i expect us to be drafting in that dead zone between 8 to 14 where we don't make the playoffs but don't get the sure thing either.
i hope that we take the best player available and don't try to specify a position. At that range (8 to 14), the player is likely to be a couple of years out and i don't think that we have the luxury of going after only a centre or a d, for example.
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They made it so whoever wins the lottery moves to 1st overall. They just haven't adjusted the odds yet.
I'm on the Lindholm bandwagon all the way.
Number 19 in this video. Not just a flashy shootout goal highlight real either, actual play.
Great defensive presence and compete level. Those highlights don't show an elite skill level though. Probably a high chance of him being an NHL player but looks more like a 3rd line centre from those highlights.
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Great defensive presence and compete level. Those highlights don't show an elite skill level though. Probably a high chance of him being an NHL player but looks more like a 3rd line centre from those highlights.
Here are some better highlights for yah. He's in my top 5 for sure, Lindholm has beat Backstroms total points in his draft year (albeit by only two points) and they have some similarities in their games.
NHL not reliable enough? Not sure why they would lie about that. Besides, who is your source that she's Finnish, the guy a couple posts above yours?
I have family in Sweden, Finland, and Norway. I'm quite close with my second cousin-in-law (she is my grandmothers sisters granddaughter-in-law so whatever that makes her). She was born in, and lived in various places in Finland before moving to Norway a few years ago. She is a pretty big hockey fan and her loyalties lie with the Flames because I introduced her to them years ago. We talk on occasion, and it usually ends up about hockey. This past month we discussed the upcoming draft and we speculated where the Flames would draft and who it would be. Barkovs name came up and I was at first hesitant because I didn't know too much about him, and assumed he was Russian. She informed me he was born and raised in Finland, lived there his whole life, and even played for the Finnish team internationally. She said from what she heard he held a Russian citizenship card in case he played in the KHL. She told me he is Finnish through and through. He is only Russian by his last name. Even his mother was Russian decent but was born and raised in Helsinki. Much like Barkov himself. Perhaps she held dual citizenship as well?
My source is word of mouth. Not the gents above me.
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Thirteen centres currently have first-round grades. Taking anything but a centre in the first, given where we will likely draft and who will be available, is inexcusable.
Centre depth in hockey is like having a franchise quarterback in the NFL. They hide most of the weaknesses on a team. The Patriots secondary might as well be called a tertiary, but the Patriots are always Super Bowl contenders because Tom Brady is one of the three best people in the world at what he does.
To contend for a championship, you need two number one centres. Much like in the NBA, you need a big 3, or you aren't winning anything. You need those centres because they can play with anyone; they keep your winger salaries down. You can play a great centre with Lee Stempniak and all will be well.
There are eight players on the Calgary Flames who make more money than any centre on the roster. That's why the team won't make the playoffs for a fourth straight year. Until we fix this issue, the ending is going to be the same.
So go forth and git er done, Feaster. Or whoever is in charge at the draft.
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Thirteen centres currently have first-round grades. Taking anything but a centre in the first, given where we will likely draft and who will be available, is inexcusable.
Centre depth in hockey is like having a franchise quarterback in the NFL. They hide most of the weaknesses on a team. The Patriots secondary might as well be called a tertiary, but the Patriots are always Super Bowl contenders because Tom Brady is one of the three best people in the world at what he does.
To contend for a championship, you need two number one centres. Much like in the NBA, you need a big 3, or you aren't winning anything. You need those centres because they can play with anyone; they keep your winger salaries down. You can play a great centre with Lee Stempniak and all will be well.
There are eight players on the Calgary Flames who make more money than any centre on the roster. That's why the team won't make the playoffs for a fourth straight year. Until we fix this issue, the ending is going to be the same.
So go forth and git er done, Feaster. Or whoever is in charge at the draft.
A lot of those c/w players will end up as wingers in the NHL IMO. Converting junior centres to wingers is a frequent phenomenon as we know from tanguay, cammalleri, horak, etc.
If we're drafting top 5-6 then I say yes, force a centre this year. Otherwise it still makes sense to draft the best player available. No point turning down a top pairing defencemen to force drafting a 2nd/3rd line centre. Don't get me wrong I'm desperately hoping like every year that we finally find our franchise centre. But you can't ignore the other positions if we're drafting outside the top 5. We need to get the best asset available.
This team needs franchise type players regardless of position. Center depth is important, but so is defence, goaltending and wings. I hope the best player available is a center when the Flames draft, but more importantly a guy that could potentially be a franchise-type player.
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