2021 NHL Draft

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Again the #1 vote getter in the pre draft poll was Sebastian Collberg

I get the point you’re making but I just don’t consider the CP poll a really telling source. That said, I now want to go back to those draft threads to see why Janko was even being discussed. I wonder if Feaster/Wisebroad were salting the samples.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I get the point you’re making but I just don’t consider the CP poll a really telling source. That said, I now want to go back to those draft threads to see why Janko was even being discussed. I wonder if Feaster/Wisebroad were salting the samples.

I suspect Janko was included because Craig Button had him high and he has (rightly or wrongly) been considered as perhaps a bit of a sign of who the Flames are interested in.

[Scroopy Noopers]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Sillinger at 5 is the highest I have seen him ranked . Hughes at 11. Wouldn’t mind him falling to 12.

They have Cossa over Wallstedt too.

[Monahammer]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

Sillinger at 5 is the highest I have seen him ranked . Hughes at 11. Wouldn’t mind him falling to 12.

Won't happen. Vancouver will for sure take him if he's there.

Sillinger is a top 5 talent in this draft, but guenther and Clarke close to our position is also tantalizing. Would love any of these three players but not sure we can get any of them.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I applaud the Jankowski draft.


Every single scout on the Flames saw him live - mostly multiple times. There were scouts that saw him 20x that season. They were absolutely sure about him it seemed. Good on them for identifying him, and having the nerve to select him.


He was a project guy. However, raise your hand and point to your posts stating he was a bust after his first NHL season. Followed it up with a decent 2nd one too. I have no idea what happened in his third, and what is going on in his 4th in Pittsburgh, but he was tracking really well. I was screaming all year for the Flames to at least try him on the wing with Bennett as the centre, and even to try him a few times on the wing on other lines, including the 1st line. Go back and check his goals scored in his first season - not a lucky goal in the bunch. I also thought he was very good at setting up his teammates.


I don't know why it suddenly stopped working for him at the NHL level. It WAS working after a long development arc. Then the wheels fell off. I still applaud the Flames in sticking to their guns that year, and managing to figure out who else was interested (and yes, there were TWO teams that were rumoured to be selecting him in the 2nd round that season) and moving down to get their guy and picking up what was looking like a solid defensive prospect as well.


Edit: 2 teams in the FIRST round.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

Won't happen. Vancouver will for sure take him if he's there.

Perhaps not if Johnson is there.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers

They have Cossa over Wallstedt too.

There are some believe that Cossa is as good or better - he had a better second half.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

There are some believe that Cossa is as good or better - he had a better second half.

Pretty sure Cossa is also a little taller which is always a good quality in a goaltender. 6’5” vs 6’3”.


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[dammage79]

I believe Cossa and Wallstedt go in the top ten. I've read at least 4 teams want a goalie. Detroit (Yzerman so would), SJ, LA and CHI have all had ppl say they're looking at the goalies.

Each team looks to have their own reasons to do so as well.

I can totally see Cossa and Wallstedt go before the Flames pick.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Lanny_McDonald

I kind of got the impression you believed there was some master list that determined BPA. Glad you don't, although that is a belief that seems to be pretty common, so just wanted to try and snuff that out. The player each team picks in the one they believe is the BPA because that is who is on the list their scouts have assembled. All the handwringing that goes on during the draft when a player is not picked by McKenzie's or someone else's list is somewhat humorous, but also annoying at the same time.

There is no actual BPA list. But when you aggregate all of the lists, you get a picture of the league’s consensus, even if it isn’t a match for any single list. So if 25 teams have a player ranked between 15 and 24, and a team takes him at 8, it’s fair to say that team ‘went off the board’ with the pick.

[Sandman]

RHD Ethan Straky,5'11"174lbs (USNTDP Juniors): 23gp/1g/5a/6pts,12PIM, and had 1 pt in 5 games at the U-18s. Straky controls the defensive end through persistent pressure on the opposition, and turns defense into offense. Facilitates play in the offensive zone through his efforts on the backend. High-end vision, and makes high IQ plays-he can create odd-man rushes with accurate stretch-passes, or open up the ice for the breakout. Plays with determination and intensity, and is consistently engaged in the play. His shot is hard and accurate, and he always seems to get it through traffic. He practices deception with little fakes and dekes to open up lanes, and create space.

Blocks shots with no fear, and keeps his stick active. Skates well backwards, and employs good gap control. Very strong shot suppression, and chance suppression, as he takes away space and possession. Defensive awareness is sky-high, and will dish out big hits to create loose pucks. He finishes checks, and plays a physical brand of hockey. Effective in board battles, he often pins his man while fishing out the puck. Leads with his stick, and challenges opponents for possession. Very good mobility, and displays good edges and agility. Strong first few steps, and accelerates very well. Changes direction quickly, making him very elusive, and helping him adapt to plays efficiently.

Under pressure, Straky's decision-making must improve, as he sometimes gets rid of the puck too quickly. He has enjoyed success with the puck when he waits for, or creates space to do more. He's impatient with the puck on his stick, as he looks to hold on to it for least amount of time possible, but should hold on to it and look for higher percentage plays. He's a good puck-mover, and he can make effective, accurate passes, but the more long-range ones are off the mark sometimes. He could use a little work on his top-speed, and explosiveness. He will be looked at as a potential offensive defenseman, because of his skills and attack mentality, and the team that takes him will be counting on his game to take steps at the next level towards that-for him, he will be developing at the University of Notre Dame. More potential here than finished product. He is rated "C" by Central Scouting, meaning they expect him to be picked between the 4th and 6th round.

[Sandman]

LW Lucas Forsell,6'0"165lbs (Farjestad BK J20): 13gp/4g/7a/11pts,14PIM, 17th for players under 18. Earned a game in the SHL as well. Forsell is one of the youngest players available in this draft, with a Sept.5th birthday. Offensive player with a pass-first mentality, he's always looking to setup teammates. Fantastic playmaker, attacks the middle to create scoring chances. Passes are hard, accurate, and quick, and they can come through traffic, and cross-ice. High-end puck skills.

Forsell is deadly with the puck, and has top-tier offensive awareness and IQ. He is also one of the fastest Swedes in this draft, with great footwork and stickhandling-very elusive for attackers to pin him down. Keeps up on the backcheck, separates through the neutral zone. Quick first step, fantastic acceleration and top-speed-he burns opponents, and is hard to stop when he gets going. Dekes around defenders, and embarrasses them. Very aggressive on defense, he doesn't give up on his assignments. Uses his stick well to break up plays, snuff offensive opportunities, and dislodge pucks to take possession. Strong vision defensively. He's highly competitive, and doesn't shy away from physical play-he can dish out some stiff hits of his own. Competes in the hard areas, and goes to the net to screen the goalie, or look for plays. He can carry up-ice and make successful, controlled entries-he exhibits good puck control and protection at high speed. He dishes crisp, hard breakout passes that he can stretch out. He keeps possession of the puck for his team, even through traffic. Aggressive on the forecheck, and not afraid to battle in the greasy areas. Forsell could stand to shoot more, but he also needs to better develop his shot arsenal-he shoots well, but needs more power. Big potential here for the NHL, as he has a ton of very good traits. 3rd-5th round.

[Sandman]

LHD Brian Zanetti,6'2"176lbs (Lugano U20): 41gp/9g/20a/29pts,19PIM, tied for 4th amongst D, 1st for D under the age of 18. His performance was one of the best in league history for a player his age. 1pt in 5 games for Switzerland at the U-18s. Two-way defenseman who provides stability on the backend, and is dangerous in all three zones. He uses his frame and his long reach to battle in the corners, and along the boards. Good stick that he uses to disrupt the rush, and snuff out the cycle, and he's adept at poke-checking. Closes gaps, and pressures attackers with his stick, and his physicality. His defensive awareness is quite high-he blocks shots, boxes out opponents in front of the net, and keeps play to the outside. Physical, and hard-working along the wall. Zanetti has good offensive awareness as well-he jumps into the play at the right time to create space and opportunities, create odd-man situations, or keep the play alive in possession. Good instincts, and fantastic passing skills-he can find teammates through traffic, or from long-range. Smooth skater, with good edgework that provides him with good elusiveness and escapability. Nice top speed, smooth in turns, and tough to beat 1-on-1. With his puck-control and stride, he's effective in skating the puck out in transition. Great first-passer, makes smart plays and outlets to get the puck up-ice.

Zanetti's shot could use more power and velocity-he can score goals at this level, but he'll need an upgrade for the NHL. He plays with physicality, but he could use more of an edge. His puckhandling needs improvement to help him better make plays off the rush. He's a good skater, but has room to improve his balance and agility. He's still quite raw, and he'll need time to fill in his frame and get stronger, but we may see him in North America as early as next year, as he was drafted 35th overall by the Peterborough Petesin the 2020 CHL Import Draft. Plenty of potential, and a pretty high ceiling here. Central Scouting rates him a "C", so they think he'll be taken in the 4th-6th round.

[Sandman]

LW Alexei Prokopenko,5'11"185lbs (Gatineau,QMJHL): 12gp/5g/0a/5pts, selected 8th overall by Gatineau in the 2020 CHL Import Draft. In 2019-20, for Omskie Yastreby of the MHL in Russia, he posted 14gp/8g/4a/12pts, with 3pts in 3 playoff games-very impressive production for a 16/17 year-old in that league. Started this year on Feb.27th, slotted mainly in the bottom-6-no points in the first 4 games, but scored 5 even-strength goals in the next 8 games.

Impressive shot, with a lightning release and good accuracy in his wrister, and his one-timer. Patrols the high slot, and attacks the net when he sees an opportunity arise. Strong physical presence, highly competitive, and works hard. Fearless in jumping into board battles, and causes turnovers. Keeps his feet moving, and works hard for positioning, and puck-possession. He's very often the one pulling the puck out of battles. Protects the puck well, while scanning for options-very strong puck possession ability. Gets in passing lanes, intercepts pucks-gets a lot of takeaways, but gives up very few takeaways.

There's not a huge amount of creativity here-he's a pure goal-scorer. Not much of a playmaker, he defers to teammates to facilitate. AP is an adequate stickhandler, who doesn't hold on to the puck for too long. Average skater, but has agility for tight-area quickness, and elusiveness-he has a hunched-over style that gives him balance and puck-control, but has to work on all aspects of his mobility. He has been projected as possibly being a dependable, bottom-6 winger, but that ceiling could rise with better skating. Rounds 5-7.

[Monahammer]

All respect to Cossa, who did have a great whl season. But he really shot up the rankings while wallstedt has been tracking highly as a goalie project for years. He put up good numbers in the 3rd best men's league imo, while Cossas still playing junior. If you have a pick between the two I think you need to go with wallstedt!

Really warming up to the concept of taking wallstedt if all of Guenther, Clarke, Sillinger, and Johnson get taken before. Would likely require a team selecting Cossa first too.

[Monahammer]

For comparison sake, none of Lehner, Lundqvist, or Markstrom were viewed as good enough by their Swedish clubs to play in the SHL in their draft year while Wallstedt played his first game in the top Swedish league last year and the full season this year. His international and junior stats are better than those players too.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by dammage79

I believe Cossa and Wallstedt go in the top ten. I've read at least 4 teams want a goalie. Detroit (Yzerman so would), SJ, LA and CHI have all had ppl say they're looking at the goalies.

Each team looks to have their own reasons to do so as well.

I can totally see Cossa and Wallstedt go before the Flames pick.

That would be so awesome for the Flames! That would really add to the talent in regards to skaters available.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

There is no actual BPA list. But when you aggregate all of the lists, you get a picture of the league’s consensus, even if it isn’t a match for any single list. So if 25 teams have a player ranked between 15 and 24, and a team takes him at 8, it’s fair to say that team ‘went off the board’ with the pick.

You get a picture of the media's consensus.
The teams in the league don't release their lists so you never see a league consensus.
Even Bob MacKenzie's list who uses NHL scouts only uses a dozen scouts on 8-10 teams so hardly a league consensus.
If the media were even close to half as smart as they think they are when doing up the lists they would be working for the teams not the media.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I applaud the Jankowski draft.


Every single scout on the Flames saw him live - mostly multiple times. There were scouts that saw him 20x that season. They were absolutely sure about him it seemed. Good on them for identifying him, and having the nerve to select him.


He was a project guy. However, raise your hand and point to your posts stating he was a bust after his first NHL season. Followed it up with a decent 2nd one too. I have no idea what happened in his third, and what is going on in his 4th in Pittsburgh, but he was tracking really well. I was screaming all year for the Flames to at least try him on the wing with Bennett as the centre, and even to try him a few times on the wing on other lines, including the 1st line. Go back and check his goals scored in his first season - not a lucky goal in the bunch. I also thought he was very good at setting up his teammates.


I don't know why it suddenly stopped working for him at the NHL level. It WAS working after a long development arc. Then the wheels fell off. I still applaud the Flames in sticking to their guns that year, and managing to figure out who else was interested (and yes, there were TWO teams that were rumoured to be selecting him in the 2nd round that season) and moving down to get their guy and picking up what was looking like a solid defensive prospect as well.


Edit: 2 teams in the FIRST round.

Lol applauding them for trading down, missing out on Hertl, Teravainen, Vas, and Wilson to draft a bust? Who cares how he did the first year after 6 yrs development. At the end of the day he was a bust and screwing up Bennett along with him.

[Flamesfan05]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

For comparison sake, none of Lehner, Lundqvist, or Markstrom were viewed as good enough by their Swedish clubs to play in the SHL in their draft year while Wallstedt played his first game in the top Swedish league last year and the full season this year. His international and junior stats are better than those players too.

I would take Wallstedt if he is available

But I doubt Treliving would, he needs a guy that can help quickly to save his job. My guess is the pick will be traded