Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

That could be!

Though if we remember back to 2012, Craig Button was the only one who ranked Jankowski in the top 30. Not only that, but I believe he put him at #14, which was our original pick.

With that in mind, and considering Virtanen plays for the Hitmen, maybe he's ranking him in the 40s because the Flames scouts (Todd) aren't high on him.

Given that history suggests Button does talk with his brother when making these lists it is interesting to note that Perlini is rising on his list. Definitely a guy to keep an eye on.

Draisaitl seems to have put himself in contention for the top 4. It is almost shaping up like last year where Mackinnon, Barkov, Drouin and Jones were almost a toss up. Sounds like there is not much consensus and that all of Reinhart, Ekblad, Bennett and Draisaitl may be ranked 1st by various teams. Dal Colle seems to be a favourite for 5th right now.

As usual the playoffs and Mem Cup will have a big effect on the rankings as those are the crunch times. Gonna be interesting to watch things shake out.

[Vulcan]

IIRC we were discussing the brother relationship influencing Button's list before the Jankowski pick, so for some of us that pick wasn't too surprising.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Given that history suggests Button does talk with his brother when making these lists it is interesting to note that Perlini is rising on his list. Definitely a guy to keep an eye on.

Draisaitl seems to have put himself in contention for the top 4. It is almost shaping up like last year where Mackinnon, Barkov, Drouin and Jones were almost a toss up. Sounds like there is not much consensus and that all of Reinhart, Ekblad, Bennett and Draisaitl may be ranked 1st by various teams. Dal Colle seems to be a favourite for 5th right now.

As usual the playoffs and Mem Cup will have a big effect on the rankings as those are the crunch times. Gonna be interesting to watch things shake out.

Ehlers and Nylander are also making a push to make it into the top 7 alongside those 5. Nice to see additional decent options as we are looking less and less likely to pick 1st-3rd.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Ehlers and Nylander are also making a push to make it into the top 7 alongside those 5. Nice to see additional decent options as we are looking less and less likely to pick 1st-3rd.

You just don't get it. This isn't the no hit SEL or college hockey. We don't want any more lightweights on our team. Hopefully the Oil or some other top picking team thinks otherwise though.

[saXon]

The icing on the cake in yesterday's game with NYI @ Nucks was the fact that the Isles jumped ahead of the Flames in the standings, leaving them with the 4th overall pick as it currently sits.

With the Flames sched coming up in the next few games, and all the injuries, I don't see the Flames moving up in wins much more.

As long as the Flames remain inside the top 5, this leaves anyone of (in no particular order):

Ekblad
Draisaitl
Reinhart
DalColle
Bennett

Exciting stuff, even with the Flames playing their assets off.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

You just don't get it. This isn't the no hit SEL or college hockey. We don't want any more lightweights on our team. Hopefully the Oil or some other top picking team thinks otherwise though.

I never said they were good options for us. Some other team might be enthralled with one of them, allowing one of the guys we would prefer to slip, which are most of the top 5 guys. Ehlers is coming on really strong lately, which if he keeps it up, he might raise his stock like Drouin did last year. That would cause Bennett to drop to 4 where I think we'll finish. If so, that's good.

I don't want Nylander especally because we already have Gaudreau and Baertschi. No more sub 6 footers. Ehlers is 6 foot but would take a year or two to get up to NHL playing weight (165 now), so it depends on who'd be on the board and how each of them plays the rest of the year.

[Vulcan]

^^^^

Nice to see additional decent options as we are looking less and less likely to pick 1st-3rd.

I didn't read your statement that way but I'm glad you understand.

[Caged Great]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

^^^^



I didn't read your statement that way but I'm glad you understand.

I always factor other teams doing strange things into the equation. Who would've thought Jones would've went 4th, or Horvat 9th, or Lindholm ahead of both Monahan/Nichushkin (that one is a little less surprising but still)

There is a reason why teams like Florida, the Oilers and the Islanders have been at the bottom of the standings for most of the last decade. I'm sure at least one of those three will do something stupid.

[Caged Great]

Look at last year with Florida.

Going into the draft, the rankings were MacKinnon 1 Jones 2 (some had those flipped) with Drouin 3rd and Barkov 4th. Each one was a justifiable selection, but looking back now, Barkov has 24 points, and Jones 21. That was a stupid decision on Florida's part, especially when they need a #1 defenseman like Jones as they are harder to get than forwards especially when they already had Huberdeau at the same position as Barkov in the system.

Never discount strange decisions..... especially with teams that can't seem to find their own behinds with both hands, a search team and a map.

[FlameZilla]

I have a funny feeling Reinhart ends up falling in our laps at 4th overall. Call it gut intuition...

[saXon]

Originally Posted by FlameZilla

I have a funny feeling Reinhart ends up falling in our laps at 4th overall. Call it gut intuition...

Could be, and I agree with your notion of the other picks being taken at spots where they weren't projected to be. Like Jones was last year.

I have this crazy intuition that Draisaitl will be taken 2nd overall. Like Barkov was. I was high on Barkov last year, and no one saw that move coming. He was projected to go 4th or even 5th.

I have been high on Draisaitl since seeing him at the world Jr's 2 years ago. It wouldn't surprise me to see another of my big and talented 2 way center fave's snatched up by a perennial bottom feeder.

[jg13]

If we're picking top 4, I expect Burke to try to move up to grab Ekblad depending on who has #1 overall. I'm just hoping he c**kblocks edmonton more than anything.

The price may be fairly cheap to move up because there are 3 centres available in the top 4 arguably in the same skill range. Theres a ton of "what if's" because we're still weeks away from determining who picks where, but I expect this could potentially happen if Buffalo wins the lottery.

[albertGQ]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Look at last year with Florida.

Going into the draft, the rankings were MacKinnon 1 Jones 2 (some had those flipped) with Drouin 3rd and Barkov 4th. Each one was a justifiable selection, but looking back now, Barkov has 24 points, and Jones 21. That was a stupid decision on Florida's part, especially when they need a #1 defenseman like Jones as they are harder to get than forwards especially when they already had Huberdeau at the same position as Barkov in the system.

Never discount strange decisions..... especially with teams that can't seem to find their own behinds with both hands, a search team and a map.

I would've picked Barkov over Jones too

[ClubFlames]

Originally Posted by T@T

I can't stand Button (he's a phony goof IMO) I'm personally willing to bet him a grand that Virtanen gets picked in the first round.

41st...what an idiot!

You better not be in BC.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Caged Great

Look at last year with Florida.

Going into the draft, the rankings were MacKinnon 1 Jones 2 (some had those flipped) with Drouin 3rd and Barkov 4th. Each one was a justifiable selection, but looking back now, Barkov has 24 points, and Jones 21. That was a stupid decision on Florida's part, especially when they need a #1 defenseman like Jones as they are harder to get than forwards especially when they already had Huberdeau at the same position as Barkov in the system.

Never discount strange decisions..... especially with teams that can't seem to find their own behinds with both hands, a search team and a map.

I would have picked Barkov over Jones as well. Barkov has been Florida's most reliable center apparently this year - offence and defence - according to the Florida fans, and he has certainly looked great. Not bad considering he is the youngest player in the NHL.

Also, Huberdeau was not a center any longer. He got moved to the wing in his last year in Junior (which was a Florida decision, as they felt his game at center wouldn't translate to the NHL). This is his third full year of being a winger I believe.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Huberdeau actually played wing in junior as well with zach Phillips centering him. He was a C/LW. Didn't he play wing at the WJC too? It isn't surprising he is playing wing.

Barkov taken 2nd wasn't very surprising either. I had MacKinnon and Barkov top two for the Flames personally. Those four could have gone in any order but MacKinnon pushed himself into the favourite with his playoff and men cup dominance.

Horvat going 9th wasn't surprising either.

This year it looks like Bennett, Draisaitl, Ekblad and Reinhart may go in any order.

[Dagger]

Adding Bennett to Monahan would be the closest we could come to Nieuwy and Gilmour. Would be sensational.

[Muta]

Landing Bennett would be amazing for this franchise. I really hope we have a chance to get him.

[FakenHaken]

Originally Posted by Muta

Landing Bennett would be amazing for this franchise. I really hope we have a chance to get him.

Monahan thinks so too!

[Wastedyouth]

I wouldn't be making any moves to 1st unless it was to get Reinhart. Who I think is the gem of this draft. Ekblad, while very good, seems much more Jack Johnson than Drew Doughty.