Our 6th Overall Pick: Elias Lindholm or Sean Monahan?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by T@T

...
I think this draft is going to extremely crazy when it comes to trades, Feaster needs to explore a trade with Florida for the 2nd pick, it may take something that most here wouldn't like but to get a potental generation talent like Mackinnon it might be worth the risk...

Good Lord. You honestly think that MacKinnon is a "generational talent"? Unless you mean something other than the best player of his generation (being a period of a decade or so), then I have to think that your standards are pretty skewed. If you do indeed believe that MacKinnon is that good, then I think you are vastly over-rating him.

I think that at sixth, the Flames are well positioned to draft a long-term first-line NHLer. I honestly cannot decide whom I would prefer between Monohan or Lindholm, but feel quite confident about both players.

[3 Justin 3]

Either one of Monahan or Lindholm will be a Flame come draft day (if we stay at 6th that is).

The top 4 is basically set in stone and I don't think it will deviate. It will be interesting to see what Carolina does though. Nichushkin who is a winger and highly skilled or Lindholm who is a center, which they don't need.

Personally, I want Lindholm over Monahan.

[playmaker]

Definitely Monahan for me, mainly due to the following reasons:

1) we desperately need size and grit in the top 6 to compensate for our 'softcore' group (Baertschi, Gaudreau, Backlund, Hudler, Granlund, Byron, Street, ...)

2) as a canadian guy & captain of Ottawa 67's there's a good chance he will bring leadership to this team

3) small rink experience (more credible stats)

4) I think he'd be a great complement to Jankowski and/or Backlund for the top 6 as these two are more like playmaking centers

The more I think about it, the more I realize that the best scenario would be to exchange the picks from Blues and Pens (along with a veteran forward perhaps) for a higher pick e.g. from Nashville. That would allow us to draft Monahan as a potential 1st line center and Nurse as a potential no.1 defender.

[Makarov]

Originally Posted by playmaker

Definitely Monahan for me, mainly due to the following reasons:

1) we desperately need size and grit in the top 6 to compensate for our 'softcore' group (Baertschi, Gaudreau, Backlund, Hudler, Granlund, Byron, Street, ...)

2) as a canadian guy & captain of Ottawa 67's there's a good chance he will bring leadership to this team

3) small rink experience (more credible stats)

4) I think he'd be a great complement to Jankowski and/or Backlund for the top 6 as these two are more like playmaking centers

Being Canadian makes him more likely to be a leader?

[cubistcastle]

I like my draft threads with a hint of xenophobia.

[malcolmk14]

I'd take Lindholm, but I don't think he will still be on the board. I think Carolina takes him at 5.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by GoFlamesGo1989

The Canadian head coach also had some acclaim for 18-year-old centre Sean Monahan, when the coach remarked, "his hockey sense, in my mind, is at a National Hockey League level right now."


"He has elite hockey sense," Spott said of Monahan. "He is just one of those players who can play in any situation - 5-on-5, 5-on-4, on your [penalty kill]. Sean has that innate ability. He is going to be an elite NHL player. There is no doubt about that."



These comments take the cake for me. Monahan or bust.

Yet Monahan wasn't good enough to make the team the guy was coaching. This raises the biggest questions about this kid in my opinion. If the coach who spoke so glowingly about him didn't select him for the most important tournament for that age group, just how much truth are in those glowing words? Was he truthful or just blowing smoke at the media? I'd hate to waste the most important pick in recent memory for the Flames on a guy that is a two way center - usually code for not good enough to be an elite scorer - when they have a true number one offensive pivot is there for the taking.

I think the Colorado example floating around is intriguing. I think the Flames have the option of picking a kid who will be similar to either Duchene or O'Reilly. It all depends on who you think is the best fit for the Flames. I'd take Duchene 10 out 10 times over O'Reilly, so I take Lindholm over Monahan.

[Saqe]

I don´t think you can pass on the kind of high end skill that Lindholm has, you don´t get those kinds of players every draft who also play with tenacity which he seems to do. Especially at #6. My god if the comparisons to Forsberg and the physicality of play even come close to being true with him.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by New Era

Yet Monahan wasn't good enough to make the team the guy was coaching. This raises the biggest questions about this kid in my opinion...

I honestly don't think it is that big of a deal. The ONLY two forwards to make the team with post-1993 birthdays were Drouin and MacKinnon. Do you know what other forwards did not make the Canadian world juniour team in his draft year?

· Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011, Drafted #1)
· Jonathan Huberdeau (2011, #3)
· Ryan Strome (2011, #5)
· Tyler Seguin (2010, #2)
· Ryan Johansen (2010, #4)
· Matt Duschene (2009, #3)
· Brayden Schenn (2009, #5)
· Kyle Turris (2007, #3)
· Jordan Staal (2006, #2)
· Benoit Pouliot (2005, #5)
* Not a single Canadian forward drafted in the first round last year played for Canada at the 2012 WJHC.

This is NOT A BIG DEAL, but is more a testament to how exceptional MacKinnon and Drouin are, combined with how painfully average the draft class was from 2012.

If Monahan somehow misses out this year—playing as a 19-year-old in a tournament for 19-year-olds, then there is reason to be concerned. It is actually pretty rare for Canadian forwards to be selected for this tournament in one's draft year

[manwiches]

I have wavering faith that Feaster chooses correctly...

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him go off the board and draft some NCAA kid who isn't even ranked. lol

[albertGQ]

#6 and Tanguay is an overpayment for #4 in my opinion

[Mattman]

If we could draft Lindholm and get him on the RW with Baertschi on LW then I think we would need someone like Owen Nolan in the middle

[red sky]

Originally Posted by manwiches

I have wavering faith that Feaster chooses correctly...

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him go off the board and draft some NCAA kid who isn't even ranked. lol

Did you literally laugh out loud?

[Vinny01]

I don't know enough about either player to make an educated guess. I tend to prefer Monahan because of my Canadian bias and the Toews comparison. Then I hear things about Lindholm being like Forsberg and having a higher offensive ceiling so he sounds awesome. I am comfortable with either player and see positives to getting both.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by manwiches

I have wavering faith that Feaster chooses correctly...

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him go off the board and draft some NCAA kid who isn't even ranked. lol

Honestly? This wouldn't surprise you?

I continue to see this sentiment spewed on this board or at least alluded to on a fairly consistent basis, and it is silly. I perceive that those who anticipate such a thing happening have their mind made up based on the events of the 2012 draft, in which the Flames went "off the board" to select Jankowski, and also some of Feaster's own draft history in TB, in which he on occasion attempts to select a handful of "hidden gems".

Well, there is a big difference—HUGE—between selecting at 14 in a weak draft year, and selecting at 6 in arguably one of the deepest drafts since 2003. Last year's draft was marginal, and I would argue that he did the best thing possible for the Flames organisation, who was light on future talent and in a below average draft to spend his pick on a boom/bust player like Jankowski. When Feaster was with TB, he drafted in the top ten once, and he used that pick to select the undisputed top selection. There is no reason whatsoever to expect that this year, faced with high probability of drafting an elite NHL talent at #6, Feaster will not follow suit, and draft very close to how the top-end is ranked. This especially considering the substantially greater risk involved this year, with this pick, as compared to last year, with the #14 pick in a talent-diluted draft.

Enough already. The Flames will select a top 5–10 rated prospect with their pick.

[Trailer Fire]

I know a bit about both Lindholm and Monahan, anyone care to sell me on either pick? Not what they could be, but what they are. What they bring to the table right now, as opposed to projecting to be "X" player with "X" ceiling.

[ToraToraTora]

Originally Posted by red sky

Did you literally laugh out loud?

I dont know if he did, but I sure did. Getting weird looks at work now.

[handgroen]

When we talk about the need for size, and monohan being the bigger player, we need to keep in mind that monohan is only 2 inches taller and they are the same weight @ 195lbs
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sweden-...184824712.html

“In the elite league all the (defencemen) and players are strong,” said the 6-foot, 194-pound centre. “You need to protect the puck a lot and that’s helped me a lot.”

http://blogs.edmontonjournal.com/201...-monahan-have/

and at 6’2”, 193 pounds he has the size that Edmonton typically covets.

lindholm is in no way a lightweight or a soft touch.

[darthma]

I vote Lindholm. His name sounds nicer than Monahan.

[ricardodw]

Is Lindholm that much better than Nino Niederreiter #5 pick 2010 or Michael Granlund #9 pick 2010?


These guys both got drafted the year before Baertschi.


If the Flames want another talented guy to go along with Baertschi maybe they look at the St.L #1 pick as a a key piece in getting one of these guys.


Pretty sure the Flames #6 pick this year would get one of these guys 3 years along the path.

Granlund is a particularly realistic comparison to Lindholm as he was playing with men in Finland as a 17 year old.... dominated the men's league for 2 years after that and then was not an impact player the NHL in 2013. He sat the last 3 games of the year when Minnesota was clawing its way into the last playoff spot.

Is Lindholm as good as Granlund.... He is playing in the swe men's league next year.... then he will need a year to adapt.


Tim Erixon (and david Runblad) were in the Swedish Men's league for 3 years each before coming over to the NHL/AHL.

The SEL is not adequate prep for the NHL. Lindholm will likely be 3 years away from becoming a NHL regular.

It took the Sedin's 5 years to hit their stride in the NHL after 3 years in the SEL.