2014 NHL draft: After the first round.

[shutout]

#4 - Sam Bennett / Sam Reinhart / Michael Dal Colle / Leon Draisaitl
#34 - Ryan MacInnis / Nikolay Goldobin / Marcus Pettersson
#58 - Travis Sanheim / Robert Fabri / Spencer Watson
#64 - Oskar Lindblom / Ryan Mantha / Adam Mattsson
#85 - Chase De Leo / William Lagesson / Darby Llewellyn

[Caged Great]

I'd be thrilled with either Jacobs or Glover with 34, I don't think either makes it that far though. I'm still working on finding video for a bunch of players as I'll be doing a proper breakdown of 1-90 for the podcast. I'm about 3 days from wrapping a huge project I've been working on (not related) so I'll be contributing more info after that.

[Dagger]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Or we could just have Gaudreau, Baertschi, Dal Colle or Bennett opposite Poirier.

If we drafted Ehlers we'd be forced to move one of Baertschi or Gaudreau. Can't have three undersized skilled wingers in your top 6 (four with Hudler). Two of our top prospects are undersized skilled LWers.

When you're drafting top 5 for the first time ever you need to get a rare commodity. An undersized, skilled LW does not fit the bill for us. Potential top line centre or skilled winger with size are what we'll get IMO.

If your smallest need is a centre and there's a centre sitting there, you take him. If your lowest priority is a defenceman and there's a defenceman sitting there, you take him.

Burke also said that it would be the best player overall, no question, in the draft for the remainder. "The depth chart is addressed in free agency," he said.

That's what Burke said after the lottery. If Ehlers is the best talent on the board, and his stock is quickly rising we'll take him.

I also don't think he's averse to taking smaller guys. He took Kadri(6'0 167) ahead of bigger forwards like MPS, Glennie and Kassian in 2009. The pick after Kadri was Jared Cowen who was already 6'5 220. Kadri was only marginally bigger than Ehlers is right now.

Morgan Reilly wasn't exactly a giant of a defenseman at 6'0 190 coming in. Burke had him as the #1 player that year, and this is ahead of defensemen like Trouba(6'2 196), Reinhart(6'4 207), and Lindholm (6'3 196).

The point is Burke knows the hardest thing to acquire in the league is skill, and he's not going to overlook players because they are small. What he does care about in conjunction with the skill is work ethic, demeanour, compete level and hockey IQ. There are quotes littered everywhere about him talking about this.

We're taking the BPA at 4, and I think it's unfair to dismiss or anoint players based on there size right now.

[ForeverFlameFan]

I think you take a goalie somewhere in the 3rd round picks, just to keep our goaltender depth going.

Pick a defenseman and a RWer in the 2nd round, and pick another defenseman in the third.

Am I only the only one that thinks our RW depth is worse than our defensive depth? I think it's just the lack of right handed shooting.

[dammage79]

RH shots across the spectrum is a big hole in the Flames depth. I'm hoping they can address this issue in the second and third rounds

[codynw]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

I think you take a goalie somewhere in the 3rd round picks, just to keep our goaltender depth going.

Pick a defenseman and a RWer in the 2nd round, and pick another defenseman in the third.

Am I only the only one that thinks our RW depth is worse than our defensive depth? I think it's just the lack of right handed shooting.

What RW depth? Poirier and Eddy? I doubt there is a single person that thinks the Flames have better RW depth than defence depth.

And I also hope there is a goalie or two picked in the mid-late rounds.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by codynw

What RW depth? Poirier and Eddy? I doubt there is a single person that thinks the Flames have better RW depth than defence depth.

And I also hope there is a goalie or two picked in the mid-late rounds.

Yeah, the RW depth is pretty bad, it actually always has been when Iggy was even around. At one point we had Iggy, Stemps, D. Jones, and McGrattan as our 4, but the top 2 are gone and D. Jones is questionable at how good he'l play next year.

I would want us to pick 2 RWers and 2 D in the 2nd and 3rd round, but we jump from the third round to the sixth and seventh round to pick a goaltender, resulting in possibly not picking as a good of a goalie than a third rounder goalie would be. Not even mad about the 4th and 5th pick being gone, Colborne and Russell were steal deals.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by ForeverFlameFan

Yeah, the RW depth is pretty bad, it actually always has been when Iggy was even around. At one point we had Iggy, Stemps, D. Jones, and McGrattan as our 4, but the top 2 are gone and D. Jones is questionable at how good he'l play next year.

Iggy and D. Jones never played together.

[djsFlames]

Definitely Lemieux with the Calgary pick if he's on the board. Can't pass that up.

D-men after that.

[PeteMoss]

Article posted above quoting Burke saying he's going to take the best player available and disregard position and worry about the depth chart in free agency...

Next four posts - I hope we select by position or shooting hand after the first round.

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by Da_Chief

Colorado 2nd - RW Hunter Smith

I'd like the Flames to get him somehow. Tough, good skill and 6'7".

Flames need that combo IMO.

[FightinSioux]

I think hunter smith will still available in the 3rd round for use to snag up.

[Ring of Fire]

Assuming the Flames have picks 34, 58, 64, 85, and their 6th and 7th rounders, here are some players I could see the Flames being interested in (pick where they will likely be available based on pre-draft charts is listed after the player info), categorized by position/style of play from what I've read:

34, 58, 64, 85

Good sized 2-way forwards with offensive upside
Eric Cornel - C/RW (6'2" 185lbs CAN/OHL)34
Nick Magyar - RW (6'2" 192lbs USA/OHL) 34, 58
Connor Bleakley - C/RW (6'0" 198lbs CAN/WHL) 58
Anton Karlsson - RW (6'2" 194lbs SWE jr)64, 85
Juho Lammikko - LW (6'2" 190lbs FIN jr) 85
Oskar Lindblom - LW (6'2" 187lbs SWE jr)late
Lucas Wallmark - C (6'0" 176lbs SWE men's)late

Good sized 2-way defencemen
Brycen Martin - LD (6'2" 185lbs CAN/WHL) 34, 58
Roland McKeown - RD (6'1" 187lbs CAN/OHL)34, 58
Jack Dougherty - LD (6'2" 185lbs USA - U of Wisconsin bound) 34, 58
Jack Glover - RD (6'3" 192lbs USA - U of Minnesota bound) 34, 58
Joshua Jacobs - LD (6'2" 194lbs USA - Mich St bound) 58, 64
Travis Sanheim - LD (6'3" 190lbs CAN/WHL) 64, 85
Ben Thomas - RD (6'2" 194lbs CAN/WHL)85, late
Aaron Irving - RD (6'1"190lbs CAN/WHL) 64, 85, late
Jacob Middleton - LD (6'2" 207lbs CAN/OHL) 64, 85, late

Smaller (below 6') skilled forwards with grit
Brayden Point - C/RW (5'8" 154lbs CAN/WHL) 34, 58
Jayce Hawryluk - C/RW (5'10" 185 lbs CAN/WHL) 58
Spencer Watson - RW (5'9" 170 lbs CAN/OHL) 64, 85
Shane Gersich - C/LW (5'11" 174 lbs USA/ U of North Dakota) late
Maxim Letunov - C (6'2" 155 lbs RUS/USHL/Boston U bound) late
Tyson Baillie - C/RW (5'10" 187 lbs CAN/WHL) late

Big physical forwards
Hunter Smith - RW (6'6" 209lbs CAN/OHL) 58, 64
Shane Eiserman - C/LW (6'2" 201lbs USA/ U of New Hampshire) 58, 64
Justin Kirkland - RW (6'3" 190lbs CAN/WHL) 85
Keegan Iverson - C/RW (6'0" 216lbs USA/WHL)85, late
Noah Rod - C/RW (6'0" 192lbs Swiss jr) late

Stay at home physical D-men
John MacLeod - RD (6'1" 179lbs USA/Boston U) 58, 64
Aaron Haydon - RD (6'3" 190lbs CAN/OHL) 64, 85
Alexis Vanier - LD (6'5" 225lbs CAN/QMJHL)58, 64, 85, late
Adam Ollas Mattson - LD (6'4" 216lbs SWE jr)85, late
Andreas Englund - LD (6'3" 190lbs SWE 2) late
Eetu Sopanen - LD (6'5" 225lbs FIN jr) late
Ryan Mantha - RD (6'5" 225lbs USA/USHL) late
Nelson Nogier - RD (6'2" 194 lbs CAN/WHL) late

Puck Moving D-Men
Jake Walman - LD (6'1" 174lbs CAN/ Providence College bound) 58, 64, 85
Luc Snuggerud - LD (5'11" 165lbs USA/U of Nebraska-Omaha bound) 58, 64, 85
Sebastian Aho - RD (5'9" 165lbs SWE men's) 64, 85, late
Emil Johansson - LD (6'0" 194lbs SWE jr) 64, 85
Julius Bergman - RD (6'1" 196lbs SWE jr) 85, late

Goalies
Ville Husso - G (6'2" 183lbs FIN SM Liiga) 58, 64
Jonas Johansson - G (6'4"198lbs SWE jr) 58, 64
Linus Soderstrom - G (6'3" 187lbs SWE jr)58, 64, 85, late
Kaapo Kahkonen - G (6'2" 201lbs FIN jr) 58, 64, 85
Alex Nedeljkovic - G (6'0" 183 lbs USA/OHL)64, 85
Elvis Merzlikins (6'3" 187lbs LAT/Swiss NLA) 85, late
Kasimir Kaskisuo (6'2" 185lbs 20 yrs old - U of Minn-Duluth bound) late
Mikael Saari - G (6'0" 168lbs FIN jr) late

[dying4acup]

Don't know much about each prospect. The info is appreciated. At the end of the draft, I'd like to see 3-4 big bruising d-men added, 1-2 righthanded forwards and a goalie. But obviously no reaching off the board. BPA

[lanny9]

Originally Posted by FightinSioux

I think hunter smith will still available in the 3rd round for use to snag up.

Don't know what round he is ultimately pegged at but I would not be opposed to taking him in the second, he made a huge jump in production, typical late bloomer(maybe due to injury) and has played well in the playoffs. He says he has gotten his coordination now and with that has come more speed and looks to have a better all round game. He has the size we desperately need, once he fills out with more muscle he could be a decent NHL 3rd liner.



https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/juniorho...hockey,wp32212

http://tphockey.com/2014/03/red-line...omer-to-watch/

[H2SO4(aq)]

reading nothing more than name, size, and position, im going to assume Jack Glover is gonna be a solid NHLer. I hope we take him.. just because.

[Ring of Fire]

Here's a more trimmed down guess of the picks the Flames may value:

34: Cornell/McKeown/Martin/Doherty/round 1 faller
58: Glover/Jacobs/Point/Hawryluk/Magyar
64: Karlsson/Watson/MacLeod/Haydon/Eiserman/Walman
85: Kahkonen/Lammikko/Thomas/Nedeljkovic
6th & 7th: Gersich/Merzlikins/Kaskisuo/Wallmark/Englund/Sopanen

[dammage79]

I don't think Anton Karlsson makes it out of the first round. Was why I didn't put him up in my opening post.

[FlameZilla]

This is a great resource for researching these prospects outside of the 1st round. THW have done a great job compiling all this info.

http://thehockeywriters.com/2014-nhl...april-edition/

All of the following players seem to have risen up the various rankings, which I think it a very good sign:

2nd: D Roland McKeown, C/RW Eric Cornel, C/RW Connor Bleackley, D Jack Glover, D Travis Sanheim, RW Ondrej Kase (has skyrocketed up the rankings since the midterms)

3rd: RW Nick Magyar, D Brett Lernout, RW Spencer Watson, Aaron Irving, D Alexis Vanier (played half the season with a dislocated shoulder), RW Hunter Smith

I'm not sure I'm really sold on either MacInnis or Lemieux... I'm not convinced that it isn't their bloodlines which make them more appealing than the other players ranked around them.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I don't think Anton Karlsson makes it out of the first round. Was why I didn't put him up in my opening post.

Any ideas why he plummeted in the NHL CS rankings? He dropped from 27 to 78!