Flames 2013 Draft Discussion

[FlamesAddiction]

Is Elias Lindholm related to Hampus Lindholm?

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Is Elias Lindholm related to Hampus Lindholm?

Nope.

[puds]

If we do end up drafting 5th think Lindholm should be the guy. Think he would go top 3 in a lot of drafts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=d8o6i1O5Ack

He has the 4th highest ppg for a draft eligible player behind the Sedins and Forsberg. Looks to have great vision, strength on the puck, and good along the boards and also a solid hitter.

[$ven27]

Lindholm is more like Forsberg in style of play, IMO. He's a lot more physical then Backstrom.

[puds]

Agree with the above his style is more similar to Forsberg/Crosby extremely strong and patient on the puck with a nice set of hands.

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Bonded

Unless we win the lottery I doubt we get a true #1

This kind of thinking frustrates me a wee bit. I guess it's to be expected given the Flames drafting and development over the last 15 years, but solid two way #1 centers are drafted all time without the benefit of a top pick.

Sure, drafting in the 1st-5th overall is more of a sure thing, but it's entirely possible the Flames could solidify the center position for this organization without winning the lottery, or finishing last.

Jeff Carter - 11th overall
Ryan Getzlaf - 19th overall
Ryan kesler - 23rd overall
Mike Richards - 24th overall
Patrice Bergeron - 45th overall
Joe Pavelski - 205th overall

Travis Zajac - 25th overall
Brandon Dubinski - 60th overall
David Krejci - 63rd overall
Mikhail Grabovski - 150th overall

Anze Kopitar - 11th overall
Martin Hanzal - 17th overall
Paul Stastny - 44th overall

Patrick Berglund - 25th overall
Artem Anisimov - 54th overall

Logan Couture - 9th overall
Brandon Sutter - 11th overall
David Perron - 26th overall
Jamie Benn - 129th overall


I'll stop there.

If we came away from this draft with 2-3 centers similar to any of the above, we'd be laughing for years, and it's not impossible, it's just up to the drafting and development staff of the Flames to find some "hits" and avoid the "misses".

A top pick would be great this year, but it's not the only way to draft top centers.

[Erick Estrada]

You can't even rule out a guy like Lazar not blossoming into a 1st line center. He would probably had been a top 10 pick in last years draft.

[puds]

Imo, there's 3-4 "true" 1st line centers in the top six of this draft. You just wont get the best one if you don't draft MacKinnon.

[Hockey_Ninja]

After looking at our schedule compared to Tampa's and Carolina's here's the differences:

Tampa:

@Habs
Canes
Leafs
@Bruins
Panthers

Canes:

@Jets
Flyers
@Lightning
Islanders
Rangers
@Penguins

Flames:

Ducks
@Wild
@Preds
@Blues
@Hawks


Our only hope to get into the top 4 is to pretty much lose every single game (Pretty sure we'll win the Preds game though) and The Canes and Lightning actually wake up and win some games. Looking at our schedule i say we have the hardest stretch coming up. Bolts could beat any one of Tampa and Florida and with the way the Habs have been playing these past few game they could pull an upset there. There's still hope for Bakrov.

[Teroy]

I still like Kerby Rychel with our St. Louis pick. Could be that C we're looking for.

Nurse
Rychel
Klimchuk

[Flamin' DBag]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

Our only hope to get into the top 4 is to pretty much lose every single game (Pretty sure we'll win the Preds game though) and The Canes and Lightning actually wake up and win some games. Looking at our schedule i say we have the hardest stretch coming up. Bolts could beat any one of Tampa and Florida and with the way the Habs have been playing these past few game they could pull an upset there. There's still hope for Bakrov.

It will definitely be interesting to see how it all works out. I think we will end up ahead of one of Carolina and Tampa. Because they play each other there's a guarenteed 2 pts for one of them. I also think that whoever wins the cgy/nsh game will end up ahead of the other. It's the last game I really see either team winning. From that, I think the flames end up 5th entering the lottery.

[neo45]

Originally Posted by Teroy

I still like Kerby Rychel with our St. Louis pick. Could be that C we're looking for.

Nurse
Rychel
Klimchuk

I don't think he plays center and I think people have been on here before warning against picking him. He has slid from a top 10 ranking to late first round so scouts might see some red flags as well. I can't really comment on it because I have seen pretty limited action of him

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Teroy

Nurse
Rychel
Klimchuk

Wow, would that be disappointing. If that was our first round I would say the rest of the draft is irrelevant, we'd be labelled as draft losers.

[$ven27]

Originally Posted by New Era

Wow, would that be disappointing. If that was our first round I would say the rest of the draft is irrelevant, we'd be labelled as draft losers.

Why? Because they're unfamiliar names?

[Flamin' DBag]

Originally Posted by Teroy

I still like Kerby Rychel with our St. Louis pick. Could be that C we're looking for.

Nurse
Rychel
Klimchuk

I'm hoping for something like this:

Barkov/Lindholm/Monahan
Domi/Mantha
Bowey/Mueller/Morin

I'm not really trying to advocate drafting by position, but it seems like the best value for the flames picks will be: centres with the cgy pick, wingers with the stl pick and defense with the pit pick.

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by New Era

Wow, would that be disappointing. If that was our first round I would say the rest of the draft is irrelevant, we'd be labelled as draft losers.

If our pick drops to #8 or below, those picks would make for a good first rond IMO.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by $ven27

Why? Because they're unfamiliar names?

No. It's because they don't address our most pressing needs. The Flames have needed a top center for two decades, so you waste the highest draft position the team has had, possibly ever, and draft a defensive defenseman with that pick? Then you go and select a player plummeting in the ratings with your second 1st round pick hoping to fill that big need. Finally you pick a player with our third first rounder that floats between center and a position where we are extremely deep? But hey, he's a local kid so that must be good, right?

We really need to score big this draft, and a defensive defenseman, a mediocre center and a C/LW with mixed reviews doesn't scream success based on what we need.

[devo22]

Originally Posted by New Era

No. It's because they don't address our most pressing needs. The Flames have needed a top center for two decades, so you waste the highest draft position the team has had, possibly ever, and draft a defensive defenseman with that pick? Then you go and select a player plummeting in the ratings with your second 1st round pick hoping to fill that big need. Finally you pick a player with our third first rounder that floats between center and a position where we are extremely deep? But hey, he's a local kid so that must be good, right?

We really need to score big this draft, and a defensive defenseman, a mediocre center and a C/LW with mixed reviews doesn't scream success based on what we need.

drafting for our current problems is a horrible idea unless you're drafting in the top 5.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

You can't even rule out a guy like Lazar not blossoming into a 1st line center. He would probably had been a top 10 pick in last years draft.

Agreed - and if the Flames drop out of the top 3 - I would target a couple guys with top centre upside.

Take a guy like Lindholm and then manage your risk by adding another guy like Lazar.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by devo22

drafting for our current problems is a horrible idea unless you're drafting in the top 5.

I see what you mean. It is unlikely that anyone drafted in the first round this year is going to be expected to step in and play in the next two or three years. Everyone is a project.

It's better to draft guys we already have in numbers. What I wouldn't do for a center with top end talent and size. Or a right winger with any talent what so ever. Sorry, couldn't draft that because the BPA was a left winger. Put him in the cue behind the other 9 left wingers and he'll play when attrition works its magic.

Can't there be a happy medium when it comes to drafting? You can target specific positions and still take what is considered BPA. You don't have to have a linear list of players and stroke them off. You can have a matrix and select players based on need and how you see the players at those positions being drafted.