[News] With the 16th selection, the Flames select LW Samuel Honzek

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by RyZ

What other sources have mentioned "middle six" for Honzek other than this single one? I havent seen any (other than this single write up) but have seen a plethora that call him top 6. Where is this "consensus" that you have mentioned more than once? You would have to have a considerable number of reports calling him middle six to use the word consensus, right?

In addition to ESPN above.

Corey Pronman:

Even as a wing he projects to be an important two-way player for an NHL team.

Scott Wheeler:

There’s a lot of belief out there that he’s going to be a well-rounded middle-six NHLer and maybe more (though I’m not sold on him being more than that, he’s still a very good player and will be picked higher than this as a result)

Kyle Pereira:

Honzek is an interesting player to project. When watching his game, on the surface, his ceiling isn’t very high. His skills are projectable to the next level, thanks in large part to the lack of mistakes and 200-foot abilities.

Steven Ellis

I don’t think Honzek has a huge offensive ceiling, but I think he’s going to have a long career,” Ellis said. “He throws punishing hits, is a fantastic two-way presence and has a great release on his shot. Honzek’s game is built around power, and I love him as a potential middle-six option.

He's one of the more polarizing prospects as some don't see a high ceiling. I don't think he's going to be a bust as he looks to have a high floor but he doesn't appear like he's going to be a franchise player or anything or even a first line player. If he turns into the next Backlund it's not a bad thing though but this team really needs some high talent prospects in the pipeline seeing the last two drafts outside of Coronato and Poirier haven't added much to the talent base.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Is this guy NHL ready?

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Is this guy NHL ready?

Nope. He's got the size but they shouldn't rush him as he could use another year in junior and then reassess where he's at.

[Hockey_Ninja]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Is this guy NHL ready?

Has a player drafted outside of the top 10 ever played right away?

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Is this guy NHL ready?

Unlikely. They were already talking about him likely being the captain in Vancouver next season.

One nice thing is with his late 2004 birthday, he can play in the AHL starting in 2024-25 rather than needing to be sent back to junior if he doesn't make the Flames.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

In addition to ESPN above.

Corey Pronman:



Scott Wheeler:



Kyle Pereira:



Steven Ellis



He's one of the more polarizing prospects as some don't see a high ceiling. I don't think he's going to be a bust as he looks to have a high floor but he doesn't appear like he's going to be a franchise player or anything or even a first line player. If he turns into the next Backlund it's not a bad thing though but this team really needs some high talent prospects in the pipeline seeing the last two drafts outside of Coronato and Poirier haven't added much to the talent base.

I don't see a particularly high ceiling either, which seems like a big mistake in a draft class like this one. Low-risk 3rd line players are available in any number of ways, but this draft in particular was a huge opportunity for the Flames to swing for the fences on a guy with 1st line upside. Since they've decided to sign an eternal blood pact to never, ever rebuild, you might as well take your chances in a draft where franchise talent upside was available in your usual 12th-18th OA comfort zone.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

Has a player drafted outside of the top 10 ever played right away?

Patrice Bergeron and Ryan O'Reilly come to mind.

[iLoveLamp]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

Has a player drafted outside of the top 10 ever played right away?

Bergeron, Pastrnak. Probably others, it's rare but not unheard of.

[Erick Estrada]

Well it's clear Conroy wanted to add size to the prospect base this draft. You just have to trust that they know what they are doing and to be fair Morin and Suniev are offensively talented players so it's not like they picked a bunch of Hunter Smith's.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well it's clear Conroy wanted to add size to the prospect base this draft. You just have to trust that they know what they are doing and to be fair Morin and Suniev are offensively talented players so it's not like they picked a bunch of Hunter Smith's.

The NHL is somewhat of a follower league and Vegas won the cup with a lot of size. Yes Jonathan Marchessault won the MVP, but I think teams are realizing that smaller skilled players can be important contributors, but you can't have too many of them. Same on the backend. You can have 1 or 2 smaller skilled dmen, but that's can't be how your blueline is built.

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

In addition to ESPN above.

Corey Pronman:



Scott Wheeler:



Kyle Pereira:



Steven Ellis



He's one of the more polarizing prospects as some don't see a high ceiling. I don't think he's going to be a bust as he looks to have a high floor but he doesn't appear like he's going to be a franchise player or anything or even a first line player. If he turns into the next Backlund it's not a bad thing though but this team really needs some high talent prospects in the pipeline seeing the last two drafts outside of Coronato and Poirier haven't added much to the talent base.

Pronmon and Wheeler are with the Athletic.

Hronek is labelled as bubble top of the line-up and middle line-up guy.

That is the same tier as the guys picked 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 (Honzek), 18, 19, 23, 32.

Everyone else picked after him as listed in the tier: Middle of the line-up player, except for the guy the Leafs took (Has a chance to play games) and the Blues guy (projected to play games)

So based on their tiers - no one picked below him is in a tier above him and he's in the same tier as a bunch of guys picked ahead of him.

He's not more polarizing than most guys picked in these spots.

[mrdonkey]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well it's clear Conroy wanted to add size to the prospect base this draft. You just have to trust that they know what they are doing and to be fair Morin and Suniev are offensively talented players so it's not like they picked a bunch of Hunter Smith's.

Well, you don't *have* to trust that they know what they're doing. I don't think this organization has earned that trust. IMO the Flames' drafting has actually been pretty bad going back to 2017. But you do have to accept that what's done is done.

The later picks seem like good ones, but the Honzek one is still a head scratcher for me when guys with more upside were right there.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Well it's clear Conroy wanted to add size to the prospect base this draft. You just have to trust that they know what they are doing and to be fair Morin and Suniev are offensively talented players so it's not like they picked a bunch of Hunter Smith's.

Yeah but they didn't do it by just taking big players who have limited skill, these guys are big and can skate and have offensive potential.

Not garbage picks like Kanzig and Hunter Smith. Wasted draft picks just to pick size for the sake of size. Those picks still annoy me.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

Pronmon and Wheeler are with the Athletic.

Hronek is labelled as bubble top of the line-up and middle line-up guy.

That is the same tier as the guys picked 8, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16 (Honzek), 18, 19, 23, 32.

Everyone else picked after him as listed in the tier: Middle of the line-up player, except for the guy the Leafs took (Has a chance to play games) and the Blues guy (projected to play games)

So based on their tiers - no one picked below him is in a tier above him and he's in the same tier as a bunch of guys picked ahead of him.

He's not more polarizing than most guys picked in these spots.

He is definitely more polarizing at those middle guys were projected to be first round picks all year. Some had him as more of a 2nd round prospect while some had him in the teens of the 1st round. If you look at prospect rankings earlier in the season he wasn't even in the discussion of first round pick as he's a bit of a late riser. Cosentino seems like his biggest fan but the reality is that he wasn't even talking about him until the calendar hit 2023 as he wasn't on his December list. He's a later riser for better or worse.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article...ember-edition/

[Tbull8]

So next year in Vancouver, then a year with the Wranglers, then probably starts Wranglers and maybe gets a couple games I'd say.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

He's a later riser for better or worse.

I wonder if there is much correlation of if risers or fallers do better once drafted

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by mrdonkey

I don't see a particularly high ceiling either, which seems like a big mistake in a draft class like this one. Low-risk 3rd line players are available in any number of ways, but this draft in particular was a huge opportunity for the Flames to swing for the fences on a guy with 1st line upside. Since they've decided to sign an eternal blood pact to never, ever rebuild, you might as well take your chances in a draft where franchise talent upside was available in your usual 12th-18th OA comfort zone.

Its going to be fun revisiting these takes in a couple if years.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

In addition to ESPN above.

Corey Pronman:



Scott Wheeler:



Kyle Pereira:



Steven Ellis



He's one of the more polarizing prospects as some don't see a high ceiling. I don't think he's going to be a bust as he looks to have a high floor but he doesn't appear like he's going to be a franchise player or anything or even a first line player. If he turns into the next Backlund it's not a bad thing though but this team really needs some high talent prospects in the pipeline seeing the last two drafts outside of Coronato and Poirier haven't added much to the talent base.

Well Coronato just got here and Pelletier has had 20-some games to acclimate.

Those reports/projections are strange because they contradict some others.

I feel like the mainstream guys actually don't have a strong pulse on this player.

I do wish we drafted for an elite quality (skating/shooting/playmaking), but honzek looks to have no real weaknesses and may be the closest to a guaranteed player at 16 because of his floor (200ft, strong on skates, nhl size)

There's a higher chance that the teams around them draft a bust because there is more downside with some other options that were available. Alternately, some of them also had higher upside.

We really need another star to come out of the woodwork like Gaudreau did though, because we're going to lose some good established players over the next calendar year.

Have to uncover that next core.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I wonder if there is much correlation of if risers or fallers do better once drafted

Hard to say. Druin comes to mind as a guy of a late riser that didn't pan out but Scheifele comes to mind as a late riser that worked out.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I wonder if there is much correlation of if risers or fallers do better once drafted

Have to wonder if he wasn't injured and was part of the WJC and had played a full season on the pace he was if he would not have been higher on the lists a lot earlier and not be considered a riser