How Would the Flames Handle a 2016 Top 3 Pick Next Season?

[polak]

Broken record but I want the fins over Matthews. God I'd be soooooo happy if we got one of the fins it's not even funny.

(not that I'd be bummed if we drafted Matthews)

[polak]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I honestly think that if the Flames draft Matthews they move Bennett back to the wing. Matthews or even Bennett would be wasted in a 3L role.

If they draft Laine or Puljujarvi, they would likely slot in as the 2L RW with a quick upgrade to the 1L at the first opportunity.

That all being said, we should all get more comfortable with the idea of Nylander being on this team. Just saying.

I think there's a huge jump in reliability in picking a prospect already playing and excelling in a Mens league. I'd be choked if we picked outside of the top 3.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by MattyC

You're talking about the same Sean Monahan that is currently better than Jack Eichel?

The NHL is for the players who are the best as of right now, not the ones that may possibly be better in the future. You don't play people ahead of others that aren't as good, even if they might be better later on.

But the experts seem to think Matthews is already very well-developed as a player. He's one of the oldest players in this draft year, he's physically mature, he thinks the game well, and he's already playing against men in a professional league. I think he would be tried at second line centre.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Agreed. Personally I'd be pretty excited to land Chychrun or Tkachuk. Dubois is my favourite for #6 at the moment.

How is Tkachuk in terms of pure goal scoring? I admittedly haven't seem him much, but whenever I see hilights, he always comes across to me as primarily a playmaker, which, BPA reasoning aside, Im not sure really fills a huge hole for us considering our roster of young guys. I think we already have a couple of great playmakers on this team (Gaudreau and Brodie), some all-around solid forwards (Monahan/Bennett), but we're missing that shoot-first sniper up front.

For me ideally this year we draft the guy Gaudreau can consistently feed for 35-40 goals a year. I see the two Finns filling that slot of course, but I'm hoping that guy would be available at 5 as well.

[Inglewood Jack]

I'd be willing to put money down on Eichel outscoring Monahan next year, and Matthews outscoring Monahan the year after. take the near-generational player and stop overthinking it.

[Harry Lime]

Any idea of trading down instead of taking Matthews is a little baffling to Me. If we were lucky enough to land Matthews, he would likely have one year on wing, same as Bennett, and then the next year we will have the greatest problem in the world to deal with. Three number one centres.

[MarkGio]

1st Overall - Flames draft Mathews and trade away Backlund
2nd Overall - Flames draft Laine
3rd Overall - Flames draft Laine, or Puljujarvi if Laine is taken
4th Overall - Flames draft Nylander if Laine and Puljajarvi are taken

Either of these options work in the Flames favour going forward

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Toonage

That all being said, we should all get more comfortable with the idea of Nylander being on this team. Just saying.

Ugh. Would much rather draft Dubois if we pick outside the top five.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

But the experts seem to think Matthews is already very well-developed as a player. He's one of the oldest players in this draft year, he's physically mature, he thinks the game well, and he's already playing against men in a professional league. I think he would be tried at second line centre.

The "experts" are the same people who trot out Oilers success as a forgone conclusion, the same people who build up insane hype over the top picks in every single draft, no matter the difference between other years. I really don't put a lot of stock into what these people say until I actually see the players.

Really, my point is that, by pretty much any metric, 18 year olds coming into the NHL are almost always in need of a lot of development in order to have any sort of meaningful impact. There's nothing wrong with that, and maybe Matthews ends up being better than any center we currently have, but the odds of that being the case next season are very far-fetched. Writing him in as already better than Monahan, Bennett and Backlund, is putting the cart before the horse in the worst way. We can't be reliant on these assumptions. That's the Oilers way. Assume every player, whether picked 1st overall or last, needs development time before overtaking any top-line NHL roster spot and I think many people would be a lot happier with any pleasant surprises we may end up with, rather than disappointed that our shiny new toy isn't performing as expected.

[Bandwagon In Flames]

Originally Posted by Harry Lime

Any idea of trading down instead of taking Matthews is a little baffling to Me. If we were lucky enough to land Matthews, he would likely have one year on wing, same as Bennett, and then the next year we will have the greatest problem in the world to deal with. Three number one centres.

The dream.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Like Monahan, Matthews is one of the older players in his draft year. He'll be 19 by the time he plays his first NHL game. Think Auston steps into the NHL rather flawlessly and has a better rookie season than either Sam or Sean, similar to Eichel.

25 goals, 50 points

Auston Matthews has been at the top of the rankings and known in the public for so long now that I think people are overthinking things a little, or media types get bored and mix things up. As much as I love Puljavarji I'd take Matthews over him.

Also not convinced about this "pure sniper" argument I keep hearing we need. Sure it would be nice for the highlight reel but I never seen it something as a must for the winning teams. It's why I'm slightly cooler on Patrick Laine than the rest.

[polak]

If we do get unlucky and land outside of the top 3, how do we feel about trading up? What do you have to give up to move up a spot or two to get in the top 3?

I'm guessing since the jump between the fins and the rest is so big, it'll take a real good asset? Would we part with a Backlund?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by polak

If we do get unlucky and land outside of the top 3, how do we feel about trading up? What do you have to give up to move up a spot or two to get in the top 3?

I'm guessing since the jump between the fins and the rest is so big, it'll take a real good asset? Would we part with a Backlund?

Not sure about this whole "top 3" you're on about.

[polak]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Not sure about this whole "top 3" you're on about.

What?

1. Matthews
2. Laine
3. Puljujärvi
.....
.....
The rest.

Is this not the consensus?

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by polak

What?

1. Matthews
2. Laine
3. Puljujärvi
.....
.....
The rest.

Is this not the consensus?

Kinda, maybe/maybe not. Just because they've been consistently ranked that way doesn't mean there is a seizable gap at whoever is picked at four, and it doesn't mean they will for sure be picked that way.

Patrick Laine was outside the top five last summer, Luc-Dubois was somewhere in the low teens. Things change and even if Matthews, Laine, Puljujarvi go 1-2-3 I don't think there is a massive gap between the Finns and Jakob Chychrun or Luc-Dubois.

[Enoch Root]

I don't get why anyone cares in the slightest what guys will do next year. I am concerned with:

1) what they'll do when they hit their prime, and (far more importantly)

2) how they can help make the team better.

[kn]

Thanks for jinxing our chances.

[burnitdown]

Originally Posted by polak

If we do get unlucky and land outside of the top 3, how do we feel about trading up? What do you have to give up to move up a spot or two to get in the top 3?

I'm guessing since the jump between the fins and the rest is so big, it'll take a real good asset? Would we part with a Backlund?

I think it'll take more than Backlund to move up. I'd guess a 2nd and a prospect in the range of Poirier. Teams drafting in the top 3 will be looking for prospects and more draft picks, not a guy like Backlund (who albeit is a steady veteran).

[polak]

I'd rather give up a 2nd + Poirier than Backlund!

I'd have zero issues with that package.

[pseudoreality]

I think all of the top 3 will play significant minutes in the NHL next year, regardless of the team that drafts them.