How are the other top picks doing?

[Henry Fool]

Originally Posted by neo45

Really, the highest rated player that Calgary passed on was Tervainen. That will be the guy that I will always kind of compare the Jankowski pick to.

The Flames could have drafted Hertl too. We'll see in a few years.

[Anduril]

Olli Maata would have definitely more preferably to Jankowski looking back now, but with Sieloff the comparison isn't so clear.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Anduril

Olli Maata would have definitely more preferably to Jankowski looking back now, but with Sieloff the comparison isn't so clear.

Could have come out of that draft with both. How good would that look right now?

[Bourque's Twin]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Could have come out of that draft with both. How good would that look right now?

Right now it would look stellar. 3 years from now may be different.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Henry Fool

The Flames could have drafted Hertl too. We'll see in a few years.

Hertl went 17th overall, the Flames picked 21st.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by neo45

Really, the highest rated player that Calgary passed on was Tervainen. That will be the guy that I will always kind of compare the Jankowski pick to.

Yes Really. The Flames passed over Tervainen by trading down but they passed on Maata with the actual Jankowski pick. They could have had Maata and Sieloff but they could not have had Tervainen and Sieloff.

[trackercowe]

Originally Posted by codynw

Hertl went 17th overall, the Flames picked 21st.

Yeah but they traded down, so they could of had Hertl had they taken him earlier.

[The Yen Man]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

Why is that? The "conventional wisdom" pick of last years draft at #6 was Monahan. Could you imagine if Feaster went off the board again and picked some relatively unknown kid, while Monahan fell to the Oilers? So why is it ok for Feaster to go off the board with the 2012 pick, when the conventional pick is already in the NHL on a very good Penguins team? Plus Maatta is a defenceman, which the Flames are sorely lacking in their development system

I never liked the Jankowski pick from the start, this just makes it worse

For me, it's because #6 and #21 are totally different positions. Once you start hitting the mid teens, picks start becoming more of a crapshoot. I have no problems with the Flames risking the 21st overall pick on a high risk high reward pick, but I'd have a problem if they did it at #6.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bourque's Twin

Right now it would look stellar. 3 years from now may be different.

Yep it's a possibility. I haven't given up that Jankowski won't be a player but I'm not getting a feeling he's going to be a highly skilled offensive forward that it was maybe hoped when he was drafted. He's still pretty young so you have weigh the pros and cons of having a player contribute and develop in the NHL now (Maatta) as apposed to a guy that's possibly going to be a player later in the rebuild.

[Dorkmaster]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

And McKenzie is rubbing it in:

Bob McKenzie ‏@TSNBobMcKenzie 35s For me, Maatta will always have connection to CGY, who passed on him at No. 21 that year to go off board somewhat to take Mark Jankowski.

Why doesn't Pittsburgh get ripped on for picking Pouliot ahead of Maatta if Maatta was so good. Why doesn't Pittsburgh get hate for picking Pouliot ahead of Trouba. What about Tampa and Koekkoek?

Flames get hate for passing on Maatta because they were the pick before but then still get the hate for passing on Shinkaruk even though Washington was the pick before.

Just haters hating.

[WilderPegasus]

Originally Posted by Dorkmaster

Why doesn't Pittsburgh get ripped on for picking Pouliot ahead of Maatta if Maatta was so good. Why doesn't Pittsburgh get hate for picking Pouliot ahead of Trouba. What about Tampa and Koekkoek?

Flames get hate for passing on Maatta because they were the pick before but then still get the hate for passing on Shinkaruk even though Washington was the pick before.

Just haters hating.

Which part of "go off the board" did you not get?

And really if you think that tweet by McKenzie is hating then you've got a persecution complex.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I've been saying that for the past couple of years. Flames could have had Maatta in today's lineup instead of either SOB or Butler and instead have a guy college that projects to be a Joe Colborne type center that the Flames just attained for a 4th round pick. Maybe in a few more years the Jankowski pick looks better but certainly not today, this season or probably next season. That pick's on the golden boy Weisbrod.

So who did you want picked on draft day. Did you like that they traded down? Because Matta was only a consideration after they traded down. You may have but it certainly isn't fair to complain about the flames by comparing there 1 pick against 4 or 5 other picks at two locations in the draft and say that pick would have been better.

Of course out of 10 possible selections 1 or more will be better than our 1 selection. The differences between these players are marginal. And what is Matta a 3/4 defensmen tops. Swinging for the fences over going for the Daryl Sutter pick is the better choice in the first round.

Did you want Matta on draft day?

I don't want to target you specifically but I hate when people go back to look at old drafts and say that pick would have been so much better when you are comparing the best of everyones picks vs 1 pick. A team would never have a good draft if that is how you evaluate them.

[Vinny01]

I remember being convinced the Flames were picking Maata before they called Jankowski's name. I am still opitmistic for Janko but I definitely see what EE is saying, and really see the comparison of Colborne to Jankowski. Both guys are really big, skilled and ooze potential but both need to compete harder to reach their potential. It almost seems too late for Joe and he needs to change his game to become a checking center but if Jankowski can progress he still has elite upside in my opinion.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GGG

So who did you want picked on draft day. Did you like that they traded down? Because Matta was only a consideration after they traded down. You may have but it certainly isn't fair to complain about the flames by comparing there 1 pick against 4 or 5 other picks at two locations in the draft and say that pick would have been better.

Of course out of 10 possible selections 1 or more will be better than our 1 selection. The differences between these players are marginal. And what is Matta a 3/4 defensmen tops. Swinging for the fences over going for the Daryl Sutter pick is the better choice in the first round.

Did you want Matta on draft day?

I don't want to target you specifically but I hate when people go back to look at old drafts and say that pick would have been so much better when you are comparing the best of everyones picks vs 1 pick. A team would never have a good draft if that is how you evaluate them.

Yes he was a player on my radar as many others here also had him as a player they would have been satisfied with at the Flames original pick before they traded down. Top 4 NHL defensemen are very important and just as important as a 2nd line center so I'm not clear how you can justify calling Maatta a Darryl Sutter type pick. His picks didn't even play in the NHL most of the time. Maatta is in the league two years after being drafted.

[Enoch Root]

Having a good laugh reading the "Maata would be better today than Jankowski" comments after just having read the "we should be more concerned with our team 3 years from now, not today" in the Should the Flames go out and trade for a defenseman thread.

Who cares that Maata has made the Penguins? I am pretty sure that the goal of a draft isn't to see who is the first one to make the NHL. I am more concerned with who is going to be the best payer.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yes he was a player on my radar as many others here also had him as a player they would have been satisfied with at the Flames original pick before they traded down. Top 4 NHL defensemen are very important and just as important as a 2nd line center so I'm not clear how you can justify calling Maatta a Darryl Sutter type pick. His picks didn't even play in the NHL most of the time. Maatta is in the league two years after being drafted.

He was on peoples radar along with 5 other guys including Janko in the original poll. You don't get to compare Janko to Teravainenm, Matta, Girgensonss, Ceci, etc. You get to compare him to one guy. We would be having this same conversation if Ceci or Girgensonss were excelling and that isn't fair to the draft organzation.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Who cares that Maata has made the Penguins? I am pretty sure that the goal of a draft isn't to see who is the first one to make the NHL. I am more concerned with who is going to be the best payer.

Well the guy in the league now has a leg up on the guy in college. I'm sure Canucks fans are using your methodology right now in saying that just because Monahan is in the NHL right now Horvat may still be the better player. Possible yes. Likely? I doubt it, but hey everyone has an opinion right?

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by GGG

So who did you want picked on draft day. Did you like that they traded down? Because Matta was only a consideration after they traded down. You may have but it certainly isn't fair to complain about the flames by comparing there 1 pick against 4 or 5 other picks at two locations in the draft and say that pick would have been better.

Of course out of 10 possible selections 1 or more will be better than our 1 selection. The differences between these players are marginal. And what is Matta a 3/4 defensmen tops. Swinging for the fences over going for the Daryl Sutter pick is the better choice in the first round.

Did you want Matta on draft day?

I don't want to target you specifically but I hate when people go back to look at old drafts and say that pick would have been so much better when you are comparing the best of everyones picks vs 1 pick. A team would never have a good draft if that is how you evaluate them.

I can say with 100% certainty that prior to the 2012 draft, I had no idea who I wanted. (I know you're not talking to me btw) When Matta was shown to be the highest-rated player available, and he was a 12th ranked guy or whatever it was, I was hoping we'd take him.

That being said, when I was doing the very small amount of research I do every year before the draft, I looked at all the available centre prospects, and my attention was caught by some kid who had double the points of everyone else five spots above and below him. I see his height, he's six foot four. Color me interested. Weight? 170 or whatever he was. Ouch. Stanstead College? WTF?

All that however, was diminished by the crushing reality that we had ZERO legit centre prospects at that time. Knowing nothing about the kid, I thought 'it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if we took a gamble on a player like this, if he's got the skills for it'. And this was when we were still slotted to go at 14. Lo and behold, when we draft Janko, there was a brief moment of 'who???' but then when I remembered who he was, I was laughing to myself applauding the balls on the pick. So I'm always going to root for him to have a bit more success than I did say, Chucko or Pelech or hell, even Erixon when we had him.

At 21, the higher risk stuff is okay with me. And really, I'm not sure 'high risk' really describes this player. If his offensive game doesn't translate to the NHL (which remains entirely to be seen, but given his hockey sense I'm thinking he'll be at least somewhat successful) he's still going to be a six foot four centreman that skates like the wind. If he's even halfway decent at faceoffs, I don't see how he couldn't at least be a contributing top 9 forward in this league. Which may suck given the 'best player in the draft in 10 years' comments, but if you just look at him as a 21st overall pick, I think you have to be happy with that.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GGG

He was on peoples radar along with 5 other guys including Janko in the original poll. You don't get to compare Janko to Teravainenm, Matta, Girgensonss, Ceci, etc. You get to compare him to one guy. We would be having this same conversation if Ceci or Girgensonss were excelling and that isn't fair to the draft organzation.

I think it's fair when you pick a consensus 2nd round pick or later player in the 1st round. The NHL is no different than any other league in that when a team goes off the board at the draft they are criticized. Some teams redeem themselves if that pick turns out to be a good player but most teams have to live with the criticism because the reaches don't pan out. They rarely do that's why they are called a 'reach' as you are going against the consensus. The consensus is never always right but they are right more than they are wrong.

Personally I'm not losing sleep over the whole Jankowski pick but it's fair game for McKenzie to say what he did. Until Jankowski does anything in the NHL it's fair criticism. We would be making fun of the Oilers right now if the shoe was on the other foot. I still make fun of them for picking Moroz with the 31st pick in that draft. It's fair.

[Ashasx]

@MarkEdwardsHP
@TSNBobMcKenzie sure you've heard like I have that a few other teams liked Jankowski in that area of the draft. Both players should pan out


@TSNBobMcKenzie
@MarkEdwardsHP Yup, I'm not being critical of MJ. I just recall vividly doing draft broadcast and thinking: Maatta is the choice here (21).