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

[Goriders]

I watched him in Penticton and he did not stand out from the pack. Coronato, Klapka and Kuznetsov did.

My opinion of him was that he had to grow into his frame. I would guess with the right offseason training he would be much better next season.

[Major Major]

He also missed 2+ months of the beginning of his year. Every other player is firing on full cylinders. There's no way that he is.

[Spurs]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Honzek turned 19 in November, he won't be back next year.

As for him looking pedestrian, I thought he looked really solid, and the coach must have too, making him an A and keeping him on the top line all tournament.

Ah he is an old player for the draft, I didn't check that just went with his draft year. That is a little more concerning because you would have hoped he could have stood out more offensively, but really still not the end of the world. I would maintain that nothing that has happened with him so far should change anyone's view positively or negatively from when he was drafted.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Goriders

I watched him in Penticton and he did not stand out from the pack. Coronato, Klapka and Kuznetsov did.

My opinion of him was that he had to grow into his frame. I would guess with the right offseason training he would be much better next season.

I think people put way too much stock into Penticton - especially for the kids. First, the tournament is in September, when there can be pretty big differences between players' game-readiness. And second, there is everything from 18 year olds, to 22 and 23 year olds. Coronato and Kuznetsov are 21, and Klapka is 23.

Honzek shows up to the camp as a kid just drafted, and all those guys are not only men, but they're pros.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Spurs

Ah he is an old player for the draft, I didn't check that just went with his draft year. That is a little more concerning because you would have hoped he could have stood out more offensively, but really still not the end of the world. I would maintain that nothing that has happened with him so far should change anyone's view positively or negatively from when he was drafted.

I mean, he just turned 19 in November. And he has only played a TOTAL of 48 games in the dub. With respect to development, he is more like an 18 year old than a 19 year old.

And one who is just coming back from a long injury.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I mean, he just turned 19 in November. And he has only played a TOTAL of 48 games in the dub. With respect to development, he is more like an 18 year old than a 19 year old.

And one who is just coming back from a long injury.

Good point. He’s November, 2004, but the injury and the (theoretical) language issues may mean he’s got more developmental track. Even if not, it’s not like a November, 2004 birth date is the end of the world. A 32 NHLe is solid. It was a solid pick. I feel confident he’ll help the Flames win.

I personally was hoping for Cristall because of his 44 NHLe, but I feel fine with Honzek.

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I think people put way too much stock into Penticton - especially for the kids. First, the tournament is in September, when there can be pretty big differences between players' game-readiness. And second, there is everything from 18 year olds, to 22 and 23 year olds. Coronato and Kuznetsov are 21, and Klapka is 23.

Honzek shows up to the camp as a kid just drafted, and all those guys are not only men, but they're pros.

The good thing, from a Flames perspective, is they've brought a lot of players through their developmental system in recent years and feel like they have a good handle on how players should look at the various whistle-stops on the way to the NHL (e.g., first Penticton appearance, first pro games, first pro season, etc.)

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I think people put way too much stock into Penticton - especially for the kids. First, the tournament is in September, when there can be pretty big differences between players' game-readiness. And second, there is everything from 18 year olds, to 22 and 23 year olds. Coronato and Kuznetsov are 21, and Klapka is 23.

Honzek shows up to the camp as a kid just drafted, and all those guys are not only men, but they're pros.

That was my point. Next year he will be completely different. More confidence, bigger and stronger. This year he was a kid.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I am still on the Honzek train. I still see him as a likely 1st line difference maker at the NHL level. just needs to stay healthy. I can't imagine that his timing was really back yet, and didn't expect great things from him this tournament. I think if he stays healthy, he will start impressing more and more the rest of the season. I think he was a great pick, and that many teams will regret passing on him in the future.

[FlamesDraftPrognosticator]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I am still on the Honzek train. I still see him as a likely 1st line difference maker at the NHL level. just needs to stay healthy. I can't imagine that his timing was really back yet, and didn't expect great things from him this tournament. I think if he stays healthy, he will start impressing more and more the rest of the season. I think he was a great pick, and that many teams will regret passing on him in the future.

Honzek is a nice player but you’ll be disappointed if you think he’s anything close to a first line difference maker at the NHL level especially on a good team. There were a couple other players like gabe perrault that I would’ve preferred that have a higher offensive ceiling. With that said Honzek will probably get more opportunity than a guy like Perrault because Calgary doesn’t have a deep prospect pool and there are more NHL roster spots available here than say a place like NYR.

Conroy definitely went with the safe pick being that this was his first draft.

I hope next year takes a few more risks and swings for the fences.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by FlamesDraftPrognosticator

Honzek is a nice player but you’ll be disappointed if you think he’s anything close to a first line difference maker at the NHL level especially on a good team. There were a couple other players like gabe perrault that I would’ve preferred that have a higher offensive ceiling. With that said Honzek will probably get more opportunity than a guy like Perrault because Calgary doesn’t have a deep prospect pool and there are more NHL roster spots available here than say a place like NYR.

Conroy definitely went with the safe pick being that this was his first draft.

I hope next year takes a few more risks and swings for the fences.

I completely disagree with your notion of Perrault being a much higher 'swing for the fences' pick with more offensive upside. Honzek is criminally underrated, and is not anywhere near a 'safe low-ceiling pick'. I also love the fact that he generates so much by himself - he is a catalyst on the ice, not a bystander. I 100% disagree with your assessment here, so I guess we will just have to agree to disagree, and allow time to prove who had the better assessment.

[Goriders]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I am still on the Honzek train. I still see him as a likely 1st line difference maker at the NHL level. just needs to stay healthy. I can't imagine that his timing was really back yet, and didn't expect great things from him this tournament. I think if he stays healthy, he will start impressing more and more the rest of the season. I think he was a great pick, and that many teams will regret passing on him in the future.

To stay healthy he’s going to have to put on 20lbs of muscle. NHL dmen will break him in half with his current frame. I think he’ll need a couple years of good diet and training to pull that off.

[FlamesDraftPrognosticator]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I completely disagree with your notion of Perrault being a much higher 'swing for the fences' pick with more offensive upside. Honzek is criminally underrated, and is not anywhere near a 'safe low-ceiling pick'. I also love the fact that he generates so much by himself - he is a catalyst on the ice, not a bystander. I 100% disagree with your assessment here, so I guess we will just have to agree to disagree, and allow time to prove who had the better assessment.

That’s not my point, my point is that Honzek is not a first line difference maker in the NHL as you think he’ll be. In 10 years when we look back at Honzek we’ll be looking at a good 2 way player but not a first line difference maker and definitely it a top line player on a good team. Gabe Perrault is merely an example of taking a chance on a higher risk, reward type player in the spot we picked, which is what I prefer, I’m sick of the Flames being always mediocre. Swing for the fences with our drafts.

[blender]

Originally Posted by FlamesDraftPrognosticator

That’s not my point, my point is that Honzek is not a first line difference maker in the NHL as you think he’ll be. In 10 years when we look back at Honzek we’ll be looking at a good 2 way player but not a first line difference maker and definitely it a top line player on a good team. Gabe Perrault is merely an example of taking a chance on a higher risk, reward type player in the spot we picked, which is what I prefer, I’m sick of the Flames being always mediocre. Swing for the fences with our drafts.

I think we all understand your opinion about this player.
Thanks.
You understand that your opinion might be wrong, right?

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by Major Major

He also missed 2+ months of the beginning of his year. Every other player is firing on full cylinders. There's no way that he is.

Exactly. I wasn't expecting much of anything out of him in this tourney, so no surprise he didn't light it up.

He was a project, still is a project. Not a big deal.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by FlamesDraftPrognosticator

That’s not my point, my point is that Honzek is not a first line difference maker in the NHL as you think he’ll be. In 10 years when we look back at Honzek we’ll be looking at a good 2 way player but not a first line difference maker and definitely it a top line player on a good team. Gabe Perrault is merely an example of taking a chance on a higher risk, reward type player in the spot we picked, which is what I prefer, I’m sick of the Flames being always mediocre. Swing for the fences with our drafts.

Your opinion is no more valid than his, yet you’re acting like your opinion is a fact, a foregone conclusion. It’s a guess. It’s incredibly hard to predict what a player will be in 2 years let alone 10.

[TheScorpion]

I remember a lot of similar sentiments being expressed when the Flames passed on Gabe Perreault's brother, Jacob, to take Connor Zary back in 2020

[Sandman]

Honzek's 56 points in 43 games in 2022-23 equates to 1.3 pts/gp, which pro-rated to 65 games would put him at 85 points, which would put him in a tie for 13th in WHL scoring. That would put him ahead of Brayden Yager (78 in 67), Nate Danielson (78 in 68), Conor Geekie (77 in 66), and Calum Ritchie (59 in 59). All that for a player who's 6'6''.

If you go with the pace Honz was playing at before his injury (43 points in 31 games), he would've had a pts/gp of 1.38, that when pro-rated to 65 games, would have put him at 90 points.

The year prior to his draft year, he was top-5 for U-20 players in the Slovakian Men's League, at the tender age of 16.

He'll be alright.

[cannon7]

Truly bizarre seeing CPers writing off Honzek after nearly being a point per game after only having 5 games under his belt this season. And anyone who criticizes him for getting garbage goals clearly hasn't watched much of him in the WHL. /It is not like Slovakia is a powerhouse, either.

[1qqaaz]

Originally Posted by FlamesDraftPrognosticator

Honzek is a nice player but you’ll be disappointed if you think he’s anything close to a first line difference maker at the NHL level especially on a good team. There were a couple other players like gabe perrault that I would’ve preferred that have a higher offensive ceiling. With that said Honzek will probably get more opportunity than a guy like Perrault because Calgary doesn’t have a deep prospect pool and there are more NHL roster spots available here than say a place like NYR.

Conroy definitely went with the safe pick being that this was his first draft.

I hope next year takes a few more risks and swings for the fences.

I am also somewhat sketpical that Honzek has first line upside. His NHLe was much lower than Perreault's and Cristall's. But then to be fair, pratically all of the 2023 picks had, and still have, much lower NHLes than those two. Only Bedard, Fantilli, Benson, Michkov, and Smith are comparable in that regard.

Honzek's injuries and general intensity continue to be concerns for me. He is clearly a lot less skilled than some of the aforementioned players. However, the Flames could have done a lot worse. Guys like Wood, Danielson, Barlow, and Moore are doing quite a bit worse than Honzek.

So I still would have preferred Perrault or Cristall. But the Flames could have done a lot worse than Honzek. He's looking better than most of his peers.