[News] With the 21st overall pick Flames select C Mark Jankowski

[Itse]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Being that Jankowski looks like he's in the NHL to stay, and is starting to produce, showing glimpses of the type of offensive and defensive center he can be, does anyone who hated the pick back then still hate it now? Seems like a homerun pick for a late 1st rounder, even if it did take 5 years to get him to the show.

I never hated the pick but Määttä is still better and it's too soon to say what Jankowski will be, so I have a hard time calling it a homerun yet.

Not that not getting the absolute best player available with a pick is a big deal, as long as you're getting a good player. Right at this moment he's looking exactly like the 3rd line center we were looking for; big, defensively solid, good with puck possession, can make plays and put up goals. The signs are good.

But still too soon to call it a homerun. Ask again a few months from now.

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Itse

I never hated the pick but Määttä is still better and it's too soon to say what Jankowski will be, so I have a hard time calling it a homerun yet.

Not that not getting the absolute best player available with a pick is a big deal, as long as you're getting a good player. Right at this moment he's looking exactly like the 3rd line center we were looking for; big, defensively solid, good with puck possession, can make plays and put up goals. The signs are good.

But still too soon to call it a homerun. Ask again a few months from now.

Too early in Jankowski's NHL career to say for sure, but I think this is incorrect. Over the long run, I believe Jankowski will at least be a 2nd line center in the NHL. He's got too many tools to work with, the biggest being his brain which separates the good players from the average.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Being that Jankowski looks like he's in the NHL to stay, and is starting to produce, showing glimpses of the type of offensive and defensive center he can be, does anyone who hated the pick back then still hate it now? Seems like a homerun pick for a late 1st rounder, even if it did take 5 years to get him to the show.

I think I subconsciously saw the rebuild coming in 2012 even though I clung to the idea of an Iggy led championship team.

When the pick happened, I wasn't mad because my heart probably told my brain that when Mark was ready, the Flames would be ready.

They sure seem to have all the pieces in place now with Ferly (who I've muchly doubted) becoming a contributor on the top line. If Bennett catches fire, look out western conference.

[Racki]

nm

[Racki]

I was arguing at the beginning of this season with a Leafs fan about Jankowski's potential to play in the NHL.

My argument was quite simple, he can skate, he has size, he can shoot, he has good hands, he works hard and he's hockey smart. I don't know what his ceiling is but he's probably an NHL player.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I didn't hate it as far as the player was concerned mainly because of a lack of knowledge (although all the criticism after it was made troubled me). But there is the trading down from 14 part. I suspect he would have been available anyway if the Flames had simply made a move to get just a second round pick. So they would have had, let's say, a Teravainen or Maata plus Jankowski.

IIRC there were a lot of rumours at the draft that he wouldn't have made it past NJ in the first round as they were high on him as well.

[ForeverFlameFan]

https://www.nhl.com/flames/news/flam...ll/c-292912802

A litte on Jankowski getting his first call up. I though it was a good read. Has other players talk about their first call up too.

[GGG]

I thought Montreal was planning to take him as well.

If you look at the range now of players 14-21 its only Matta, Teruvinian, Hertl, Giergersons that you might have wanted to take ahead.

So Jankowski and a 2nd looks like a really good deal for any of those players. Yes the 2nd busted out but I don't think you trade Jankowski straight up for anyone on that list right now.

[calgaryblood]

Olli Maata is a fringe nhler and has regressed big time. Wouldn't shock me if he was traded for a third or fourth rounder at the deadline.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Olli Maata is a fringe nhler and has regressed big time. Wouldn't shock me if he was traded for a third or fourth rounder at the deadline.

LOL what are you talking about? He's still only 23 years old and averaging 20 minutes a game with 9 points in 19 games which projects to a 39 point season which isn't too shabby for a defenseman. He's not elite but he's serviceable so let's be a little more realistic here about the criticism as fringe NHL defensemen do not play 20 minutes per game.

[Matata]

Olli seems to be having a good season this year (0.5 ppg but a -5), still a 23 y/o D man with more good than bad years under his belt (plus a double cup hangover). Not great value for his contract right now, but is signed for 4 years after this. I'd put his evaluation as being much higher than a 3rd/4th at the deadline, like a mid 1st+, am I missing something?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Matata

Olli seems to be having a good season this year (0.5 ppg but a -5), still a 23 y/o D man with more good than bad years under his belt (plus a double cup hangover). Not great value for his contract right now, but is signed for 4 years after this. I'd put his evaluation as being much higher than a 3rd/4th at the deadline, like a mid 1st+, am I missing something?

If he could be had for a 3rd/4th rounder he would be on the Oilers roster today.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

Being that Jankowski looks like he's in the NHL to stay, and is starting to produce, showing glimpses of the type of offensive and defensive center he can be, does anyone who hated the pick back then still hate it now? Seems like a homerun pick for a late 1st rounder, even if it did take 5 years to get him to the show.

I have maintained that the Flames made a good choice in taking Jankowski. The Calgary Flames with any of the picks selected before him or after him that draft would still not be a contender in any year since that draft. The window is just opening up now, so it really is absolutely perfect timing that he finally arrived, with an ELC to help with the cap.

As for being a project pick - people read 'project' and think 'high chance of failure'. I would also be apprehensive if I didn't know the draft history around him. After reading a tonne of material from that draft about him, I was much more open (rather hoping) to the Flames selecting him. What cemented that was what came out from the Flames immediately after the draft (and no, not the Feaster and Weisbrod shenanigans).

Barely a scout goes to one of those Canadian prep school league games. You do apparently get the occasional one or two that end up showing up, but most games don't have a single NHL scout in the stands. For Jankowski's games after Christmas, there were often 50+ scouts on hand to take a look at him.

From the Flames' POV, they apparently cycled ALL their NA scouts to get at least one viewing of him. Most of the Flames' scouts had more than one viewing. There was often more than one Flames scout at his games, and the Flames had scouts at each and every single one of his games since Button got Weisbrod to take a look at him. To me, that is the Flames' doing their due-diligence. It isn't like picking a project pick from somewhere where only one or two scouts saw him play, and had some gut feeling that Jankowski could one day be an NHL player. They put all their eyes on him. They invested a lot.

Button also made mention that scouting someone like Jankowski - a superior talent playing in such a low-level league - requires a lot of experience. He stated that it is difficult for many scouts to be able to figure out if his skill-set can translate well into the NHL, and strongly felt that the Flames were able to properly evaluate him, even knowing he was a project that would take a number of years to develop. He seemed to be very confident of it (of course, you expect platitudes, but I have come to trust Tod Button for being both fairly honest in his interviews, as well as direct - I never see him being a 'cheerleader' or patting himself on the back).

With the above in mind, and also looking at his particular strengths (size, skating ability, IQ - which was thought of as high, vision and playmaking ability) it sure sounded a lot more like a deep and thorough risk-analysis type of decision, rather than a cheap roll of the dice gamble.

Jankowski may not have panned out, but from the onset I applauded the move. The rebuild started at this point I thought. Feaster stopped trading picks to 'win now', and was looking more towards the future. I disliked Feaster, but turning over control of the draft to Button (and Weisbrod, I guess) and putting a stop to the bleeding of trying to keep the Flames competitive with only a miracle of winning the cup at the time was shrewd. Argue if his own incompetence forced him to do it or not, argue that in so doing, he pointed the proverbial finger at Weisbrod for it being 'his pick' or not, but in the end that was a shrewd move.

I am of the mindset that it doesn't matter how soon a player can come in and help the team after being drafted, but what is more important is HOW MUCH he can help the team. This may still end up being a draft pick that won't out-perform his peers at the draft, so it is still a bit premature to definitively state this as a success or a failure. However, I still bet that Jankowski will be a key cog for this organization for years to come, still has 1st line center potential (but now has added defensive checking center to his repertoire), and I also bet that he will be thought of as one of the better draft picks from his draft class down the road. Maybe not the best as Feaster (and Weisbrod) declared so embarrassingly, but I do think he will end up being one of the better players from his class.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by calgaryblood

Olli Maata is a fringe nhler and has regressed big time. Wouldn't shock me if he was traded for a third or fourth rounder at the deadline.

Maatta hasn't been consistent in his NHL career, had injury trouble, and his play deteriorated quite a bit last year to the point that Pens' fans were hoping that he would get traded for a bag of pucks just to be rid of him.

However, he has started playing well again this season, and seems to be 'back on track'. I am not that high on Maatta myself, but he is far more than a fringe NHL'er, and if he maintains his current level of play, he is worth every cent of his contract and more.

[Poe969]

Originally Posted by Matata

Olli seems to be having a good season this year (0.5 ppg but a -5), still a 23 y/o D man with more good than bad years under his belt (plus a double cup hangover). Not great value for his contract right now, but is signed for 4 years after this. I'd put his evaluation as being much higher than a 3rd/4th at the deadline, like a mid 1st+, am I missing something?

what a surprise, Matata like Maata....Olli, is that you?

[Beninho]

Originally Posted by Itse

I never hated the pick but Määttä is still better and it's too soon to say what Jankowski will be, so I have a hard time calling it a homerun yet.

Not that not getting the absolute best player available with a pick is a big deal, as long as you're getting a good player. Right at this moment he's looking exactly like the 3rd line center we were looking for; big, defensively solid, good with puck possession, can make plays and put up goals. The signs are good.

But still too soon to call it a homerun. Ask again a few months from now.

A 6'4 center who can score and play at a high level is a hell of a lot more valuable than what Maata brings to the table. No way would I trade Janko potential for Maata right now

[Huntingwhale]

I didn't hate the pick. At the time it was well known the team had no center depth and Jankowski had all the tools in place, he just needed to put it together, and that it would be a very long process.

I didn't watch him during his college days. Never really saw him play until the first pre-season game this year.

What's surprised me the most is how good he is. He just...is good. He uses his body to shield the puck. He can make plays. And he has a great shot and likes to pick the corners.

I don't know if he'll ever be the best player from his draft. But I do know the Flames now have another big body centerman, when at the time Janko was drafted he had none.

Pretty amazing how far he has come. And no one in the entire universe could have ever predicted that him and Jagr would be a thing. Unreal.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

I've been impressed with two parts of Janko's game:

1) He is using his size. For example, in the second period yesterday, he was pursuing a puck along the boards to Lack's left. He saw the impending Blues player, lowered his center of gravity and basically boxed the player away from the puck and came away with it. Hopefully Jagr helps him hone that skill further.

2) Great patience so far. In the second period again, he was coming down the middle of the ice in the Blues zone, kept the puck, looked off the defender and almost made it right through on goal. Ditto for his second goal where he had the wherewithal to make a move rather than panic and shoot.

Fun to watch our prospects develop in the NHL...

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

I've been impressed with two parts of Janko's game:

1) He is using his size. For example, in the second period yesterday, he was pursuing a puck along the boards to Lack's left. He saw the impending Blues player, lowered his center of gravity and basically boxed the player away from the puck and came away with it. Hopefully Jagr helps him hone that skill further.

"You're doing great kid, you just have to bulk up your ass".

[Krynn]

From my understanding there was at least 3 other teams who wanted him and where pissed calgary grab him lol.
He would not have made it out of the first found in my opinion