Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[getbak]

Alex Tuch: 6'4", 213lbs RW. Right handed shot who turns 18 a month before the draft.

Button still has him at 32, but Hockey Prospect has him #10. He seems like a truculent kind of guy who would be perfect for the Flames' second first round pick (now, they just need to get a second first round pick).

[Badgers Nose]

Originally Posted by getbak

Alex Tuch: 6'4", 213lbs RW. Right handed shot who turns 18 a month before the draft.

Button still has him at 32, but Hockey Prospect has him #10. He seems like a truculent kind of guy who would be perfect for the Flames' second first round pick (now, they just need to get a second first round pick).

Or early in the second round if Button is right.

[CliffFletcher]

Crazy that there's only one d-man in the top 15.

[calgARI]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Crazy that there's only one d-man in the top 15.

Bad timing. Either Flames trade down or they will take a forward and use other 1st round picks (assuming they acquire 1 or 2) on dmen.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Crazy that there's only one d-man in the top 15.

These guys only have 5 defensemen going in the 1st round altogether. One is Ekblad, who will be a top-2 pick. Then there's 3 more in the 16-20 range, where I doubt we'll have a pick (ours won't be that late, and no one in than range is likely buyers at the deadline). Unfortunate for us. I really want us to get a d-man in the 1st this year.

[Goodlad]

For comparison's sake heres Craig's latest (Dec 9)

1.Sam Reinhart,       C   Kootenay(WHL)
2.Aaron Ekblad,       D    Barrie(OHL)
3.Sam Bennett,         C    Kingston(OHL)
4.Michael dal Colle,   LW   Oshawa(OHL)
5.William Nylander,   LW   Rögle(SWE)
6.Adrian Kempe,      LW    MODO(SWE)
7.Jared McCann,       C      Sault Ste. Marie(OHL)
8.Leon Draisaitl,       LW  Prince Albert(WHL)
9.Brendan Perlini,      LW   Niagara(OHL)
10.Nikolaj Ehlers,      LW    Halifax(QMJHL)
11. Haydn Fleury      D      Red Deer (WHL).
12.Anton Karlsson     RW   Frolunda (SWE)
13.Ivan Barbashev    C/LW  Moncton (QMJHL)
14.Kasperi Kapanen   RW   Kalpa (FIN)
15.Julius Honka         D      Swift Current (WHL)

[Bring_Back_Oliwa]

Originally Posted by Goodlad

These guys only have 5 defensemen going in the 1st round altogether. One is Ekblad, who will be a top-2 pick. Then there's 3 more in the 16-20 range, where I doubt we'll have a pick (ours won't be that late, and no one in than range is likely buyers at the deadline). Unfortunate for us. I really want us to get a d-man in the 1st this year.

You can find quality d-men in later rounds in drafts.

I say load up on big wingers in the first. There is a ton of talent there and we lack in size on the wings with our current prospects.

[sureLoss]

I have been saying for months that this draft is weak on defensemen.

The Flames are still not very rich in terms of blue chip prospects. If they need to take a forward then so be it.

Rather they choose quality over quantity and not trade down.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I have been saying for months that this draft is weak on defensemen.

The Flames are still not very rich in terms of blue chip prospects. If they need to take a forward then so be it.

Rather they choose quality over quantity and not trade down.

Agreed. I'd like to see us be done with trading down for now. I'm also a firm believer in drafting BPA, it's just nice when that player coincides with an organizational need.

[edslunch]

How good is Ekblad ? Good enough to overpay for the pick?

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Rather they choose quality over quantity and not trade down.

Yeah the one thing I would hate to see is the Flames forcing the d-man issue this draft. If the good d-men aren't there, they aren't there. Draft the best player available, and use the asset to try to acquire defensive pieces via trade.

I wonder it would take to get one of Buffalo's good young d-men prospects.

[sureLoss]

ISS updated their top 30:
http://www.isshockey.com/iss-top-30/

[nik-]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

I have been saying for months that this draft is weak on defensemen.

The Flames are still not very rich in terms of blue chip prospects. If they need to take a forward then so be it.

Rather they choose quality over quantity and not trade down.

And we still need another top end center. So if we're at #2 and the gap between Ekblad and the forwards is obvious, take him, but I'm totally happy with a forward this year.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

ISS updated their top 30:
http://www.isshockey.com/iss-top-30/

1	Reinhart, Sam	C	11/6/1995	R	6.00.75	185	Kootenay	WHL
2	Ekblad, Aaron	D	2/7/1996	R	6.03.5	216	Barrie	OHL
3	Dal Colle, Michael	F	6/20/1996	L	6.01.5	179	Oshawa	OHL
4	Nylander, Willie	F	5/1/1996	R	5.11	169	Modo	SweE
5	Bennett, Sam	LW	6/20/1996	L	6.00.25	178	Kingston	OHL
6	Karlsson, Anton	LW	8/3/1996	L	6.01.25	187	Frolunda	SweJE
7	Draisaitl, Leon	C	10/27/1995	L	6.01.75	208	Prince Albert	WHL
8	Perlini, Brendan	LW	4/27/1996	L	6.02.5	205	Niagara	OHL
9	McCann, Jared	C	5/31/1996	L	6.00.25	179	S.S. Marie	OHL
10	Fleury, Haydn	LD	7/8/1996	L	6.02.5	198	Red Deer	WHL
11	McKeown, Roland	D	1/20/1996	R	6.00.75	197	Kingston	OHL
12	Kapanen, Kasperi	RW	7/23/1996	L	6	180	Kuopio	FinE
13	Bleackley, Conner	C/RW	2/7/1996	R	6.00.5	192	Red Deer	WHL
14	Virtanen, Jake	LW	8/17/1996	R	6.00.75	208	Calgary	WHL
15	Ritchie, Nicholas	F	12/5/1995	L	6.02.25	231	Peterborough	OHL

[ClubFlames]

What's with the lack of RW prospects in recent drafts? Seems like every winger is listed as LW/C these days.

I'm still hoping Ekblad does a Seth Jones and drops a few spots to us.

[Husky]

Is Sam Bennett Beau Bennett's brother?

[SuperMatt18]

I'll be alright as long as we land in the top 5.

I'd prefer one of Reinhart, Ekblad, or Dal Colle but would settle for Draisaitl, Bennett or Nylander.

Roland McKeown would be alright too, another Right Handed shot for the blueline.

[nik-]

Yeah, from what I've seen, it seems like all 6 of those guys are pretty nice players, but nowhere near the talent of last year, and a greater separation between the first 2 and the rest.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by nik-

Yeah, from what I've seen, it seems like all 6 of those guys are pretty nice players, but nowhere near the talent of last year, and a greater separation between the first 2 and the rest.

I assume we Monahan would go ahead of most of these guys? I'm not sure where to set my expectations this year. It should would be nice if we could get another Monahan type guy out of this draft.

[dammage79]

The way this season is going I'm starting to try and wrap my head around guys like McKeown and Bennett. Unless the Flames win the lotto, no ekblad because they aren't that bad.