It looks to me like he'll be a solid 3rd line winger. Doesn't play the 4th line or the 2nd line, but rather plays in the checking line role.
I think he has 2nd line potential, especially if you imagine Gaudreau banking pucks in off his head & setting him up for the odd goal. He's the perfect guy to groom to play with our diminutive guys because he actually has half-decent hands & can make some room out there for them. Just needs to work on his skating... As has been pointed out, they said all the same stuff about Lucic in his draft year. Similar numbers, similar draft position. If handled correctly he could top out as a similar player.
Should Smith go back to junior this year? Is he eligible to play in the AHL? He'll be 19 in the fall, right?
I think he has 2nd line potential, especially if you imagine Gaudreau banking pucks in off his head & setting him up for the odd goal. He's the perfect guy to groom to play with our diminutive guys because he actually has half-decent hands & can make some room out there for them. Just needs to work on his skating... As has been pointed out, they said all the same stuff about Lucic in his draft year. Similar numbers, similar draft position. If handled correctly he could top out as a similar player.
Should Smith go back to junior this year? Is he eligible to play in the AHL? He'll be 19 in the fall, right?
No, if he were turning 20 in the fall he would be eligible for the AHL.
As an 18 year old, he will have to go back to junior.
So they used a second rounder to draft a potential 4th liner. What a steal! Truculence!
Burke does it again.
No way this guy would drop to 4th round. In a draft like this people would take a flyer without a doubt.
What I like about him, is the improvement he went from 1A in 30 games, to 16G 24A in 64 games. His coach is speaking highly of him and thinks he will be the key guy next year.
With the 54th overall pick the Flames select RW Hunter Smith
Quote:
Originally Posted by Malkin
So they used a second rounder to draft a potential 4th liner. What a steal! Truculence!
Burke does it again.
Yeah potentially a fourth liner, or potentially the next lucic. Or potentially anywhere in between! The draft is a crapshoot- who wouldn't be happy taking a 6'6 kid with a great attitude and some soft hands for a big guy?
Absolutely love this pick. Tons of character with this kid.
Spoke with a guy that went to grade school with this guys sister. The thing he said that made me smile was Smith is a "nice kid who didn't really fight at all until recently when he learned he can hurt people". Reminds me of a McGrattan 2.0 based off that description.
Spoke with a guy that went to grade school with this guys sister. The thing he said that made me smile was Smith is a "nice kid who didn't really fight at all until recently when he learned he can hurt people". Reminds me of a McGrattan 2.0 based off that description.
I haven't seen much but I get a real Brian Boyle vibe with this pick. If Smith can become a Boyle type that would be tremendous, I'm a huge fan of his.
Every scouting report I have seen projects him to be a 2nd or 3rd liner.
Just wondering how many times you've seen him in order to come to your own conclusion.
Or are you simply one of those clowns that automatically thinks big = goon?
Exactly, what fan comes on a forum to criticize a Flames draft pick on draft day unless it is Jankowski. Furthermore who would criticize a pick by Burke and company. This Smith guy reminds me of a less talented Chris Dingman from his size, his numbers in junior, his apparent inability to skate, his truculence, etc. but I know I should not say that because Dingman was merely a 4th liner.
I would like to know how many drafted players have anything less than some form of NHLer as their projected ceiling though. That would be real bad if Burke drafted this guy in the 2nd round and his ceiling was a 4th liner or AHLer.
The Lucic stuff is equally as embarrassing for fans as some guy saying he will be a NHL hockey player on the 4th line. When Lucic was 18 he had 30 goals and 68 points, slightly better numbers than Smith in his 18 year old year.
It was Lucic's 17 year old year when he had the 19 points, in Smith's 17 year old year he had 1 point. Their is really very little that is similar between the two players numbers at least outside of both being big guys. But somehow a Lucic comparison is a fair comparable but a 4th liner is ridiculous, colour me bemused.
Exactly, what fan comes on a forum to criticize a Flames draft pick on draft day unless it is Jankowski. Furthermore who would criticize a pick by Burke and company. This Smith guy reminds me of a less talented Chris Dingman from his size, his numbers in junior, his apparent inability to skate, his truculence, etc. but I know I should not say that because Dingman was merely a 4th liner.
I would like to know how many drafted players have anything less than some form of NHLer as their projected ceiling though. That would be real bad if Burke drafted this guy in the 2nd round and his ceiling was a 4th liner or AHLer.
The Lucic stuff is equally as embarrassing for fans as some guy saying he will be a NHL hockey player on the 4th line. When Lucic was 18 he had 30 goals and 68 points, slightly better numbers than Smith in his 18 year old year.
It was Lucic's 17 year old year when he had the 19 points, in Smith's 17 year old year he had 1 point. Their is really very little that is similar between the two players numbers at least outside of both being big guys. But somehow a Lucic comparison is a fair comparable but a 4th liner is ridiculous, colour me bemused.
We're talking about ceiling, not what they'll become exactly. One person says Smith's ceiling is a 4th liner, while another says his ceiling is Lucic. One is being a little overly optimistic, and the other is being ridiculous.
