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

[_Q_]

This guy gives me Jankowski vibes.

I hope I'm wrong.

[SeanCharles]

Originally Posted by _Q_

This guy gives me Jankowski vibes.

I hope I'm wrong.

This draft is really deep. It will be like 2003 and 2015 where most of the 1st round is littered with legit NHLers.

Jankowski is barely an NHLer.

My initial reaction was to be upset as well but I’m willing to wait and see.

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

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.

Harnarayan, is that you?

[Reggie Dunlop]

I think the Flames liked Honzek, but were prepared to take Wood.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by _Q_

This guy gives me Jankowski vibes.

I hope I'm wrong.

Very different situations in their draft years. Janko was playing in a local high school league where standing out among your peers means very little and is a poor measuring stick for nhl ability, and was based off (allegedly) one happenstance viewing by one scout.

When all the scouting lists had you ranked between 9th-30th in a draft that's purportedly on the level of the Getzlaf and McDavid drafts, you're probably not a Jankowski.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I think the Flames liked Honzek, but were prepared to take Wood.

You just know wood is gonna be a good one.

Always that pick before ours for added salt in wound.

[HighLifeMan]

He may lack an "elite" standout skill, but when you possess ++ level traits in nearly every aspect of the game while also being 6"4" then that's when the entire package becomes incredibly enticing.

Some of y'all keep saying these players are easily found and I can't help but to laugh at that.

How many 6'3"+ sized skaters can you find that put up 1.30+ points a game in their draft year in the CHL? The list is incredibly short.

The closest one that I can see in recent memory is Dylan Cozens whom produced at a 1.24 pts/g rate and he went 7th overall, and is one hell of a player today.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by _Q_

This guy gives me Jankowski vibes.

I hope I'm wrong.

I don't see the relation besides they are both big. One was a huge reach on a high school player not considered a high end prospect and the other has a much better tool set and was considered a top 20 prospect in the deepest draft since 2003.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

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/

Wood isn't on that list either, and Danielson is ranked 19th. Early rankings are early rankings.

[FanIn80]

Stop comparing this guy to Mark Jankowski. Literally the only thing they have in common is their height when they were drafted.

I drive a Nissan and it has four tires on it just like a Ferarri does. Anyone with a Ferarri wanna race me?

[Jiri Hrdina]

Plus if people are going to make irrelevant comparisons the better one is Kris Chucko

[ben voyonsdonc]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I think the Flames liked Honzek, but were prepared to take Wood.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by _Q_

This guy gives me Jankowski vibes.

I hope I'm wrong.

Not even close. Honzek was ranked by most reputable scouting sources as a 1st rounder to be selected right in the range the Flames took him. His aggregate ranking was 21.5, Flames selected him at 16th, so not off the board by any means in what everyone knew would be a wide open 1st round. Some sources had him ranked higher than where the Flames took him and most people realize that being injured in the WJC hurt his draft rankings. Honzek is also top 5 in the WHL for many metrics used to evaluate players.

Jankowski on the other hand, was drafted out of a Canadian high school, which practically never happens in the 1st round. He was ranked by Central Scouting as the 43rd best North American skater. Factor in European players and goalies, and Jankowski was projected to be a 3rd rounder. Some may have had him a little higher, but most if any, did not have him as a 1st rounder. Maybe Craig Button did, that wouldn't surprise me. But it was a very off the board pick.

[Redrum]

The Leafs pick is the only Jankowski comparable.

[FlamesAddiction]

A comparison to Ryan Getzlaf would be an optimistic comparison. Similar size, similar style, similar WHL stats, similar draft position in similarly deep drafts.

But no, let's go right to Chucko and Jankowski as comparisons because it's fun to rip on the team for absolutely anything I guess.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

A comparison to Ryan Getzlaf would be an optimistic comparison. Similar size, similar style, similar WHL stats, similar draft position in similarly deep drafts.

But no, let's go right to Chucko and Jankowski as comparisons because it's fun to rip on the team for absolutely anything I guess.

I hope you realize my post was sarcasm.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja

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

Well, yes, but in unique situations. Sillinger did it. Moser for some reason.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I hope you realize my post was sarcasm.

Honestly, I didn't even see your post. I saw someone else mention him and Nemisz a few pages back though.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Honzek comparable to Meier? Sounds good.
Morin comparable is Theodore? Ok

Let's hope she's not far off

https://twitter.com/user/status/1674492181568946177

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by shutout

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

I think almost certainly. His injury was a skate cut, and he already came back as productive as he was before. It wasn’t a knee injury, nothing tore - it was a cut. Nothing to be done about that but wait it out.

He looks a like he needs to grow into his body a bit, but not much.

Give him a year in Junior and two full off seasons of training, and I’d guess we see him push for a roster spot next year, and almost certainly be a full time NHLer by year 3.

Full disclosure - I’d never heard of this kid before we picked him. When conroy said his name, it was brand new.

But looking at some highlights, looking at the physical tools, the production, how his coach uses him, I don’t know… pretty tough to look at him as anything other than a contributor at the NHL level.

First guy I’ve been curious to see at development camp since Tkachuk.