How Would the Flames Handle a 2016 Top 3 Pick Next Season?

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Just a quick note, Dubios is the center there, Lazarev the right winger.

Even better. Lazarev looks really good in all the Dubois Highlghts Ive been watching. Has some great speed and fearlessness about him.

[Yanda]

Im finding these draft simulators incredibly depressing.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Jets4Life

Very sad that it may be the first time since 1970, that no Canadian teams qualify for the playoffs.

I found this online. The NHL Draft Lottery simulator. Kind of fun to play.

http://nhllotterysimulator.com/

Oh boy, I got a calculated, random result that assuredly will not match the actual draft lottery!

[zukes]

I was at the Kitchener-London game yesterday. Tkachuk was the best player on the ice. He drove the net 3 times holding a d-man off with one arm. He was in the corners banging. He ended up with a beauty goal and an assist as the Knights won 4-1. It should be noted that Marner had one assist and Dvorak was held off the score sheet.

I can't find a highlight but the goal was on one of those drives to the net, he used an arm to keep a guy off him, got past him and pulled a sweet toe drag, then tucked it between the goalie's pads. From my angle it initially looked like he faked losing the puck to slide it by the goalie, but he replay showed it was a toe drag and the goalie bit hook, line and sinker. Tkachuk was the best player on the ice outside of Tyler Parsons (Knights goalie) who played really well as well.

Side note: the Knights beat Erie 6-1 on Thursday as well and with Erie losing yesterday the Knights are only 2 points out of 1st with . The last CHL rankings had Erie at 1, London at 4 and Kitchener at 5. They all play in the same division! Thankfully, the OHL still uses conference seeding so they don't all have to play each other in the first two rounds. While home ice is important, finishing second in the division may be better. You get the 3 seed and play a better team in the 1st round, but the second round match up won't be Kitchener or Erie, instead likely Sarnia or Windsor who are inferior. You let Erie and Kitchener beat the holy hell out of each other and play the winner. Last 6 games will be interesting since they have Kitchener again tomorrow and Erie in the last two games of the season.

[gvitaly]

Originally Posted by zukes

I was at the Kitchener-London game yesterday. Tkachuk was the best player on the ice. He drove the net 3 times holding a d-man off with one arm. He was in the corners banging. He ended up with a beauty goal and an assist as the Knights won 4-1. It should be noted that Marner had one assist and Dvorak was held off the score sheet.

I can't find a highlight but the goal was on one of those drives to the net, he used an arm to keep a guy off him, got past him and pulled a sweet toe drag, then tucked it between the goalie's pads. From my angle it initially looked like he faked losing the puck to slide it by the goalie, but he replay showed it was a toe drag and the goalie bit hook, line and sinker. Tkachuk was the best player on the ice outside of Tyler Parsons (Knights goalie) who played really well as well.

Side note: the Knights beat Erie 6-1 on Thursday as well and with Erie losing yesterday the Knights are only 2 points out of 1st with . The last CHL rankings had Erie at 1, London at 4 and Kitchener at 5. They all play in the same division! Thankfully, the OHL still uses conference seeding so they don't all have to play each other in the first two rounds. While home ice is important, finishing second in the division may be better. You get the 3 seed and play a better team in the 1st round, but the second round match up won't be Kitchener or Erie, instead likely Sarnia or Windsor who are inferior. You let Erie and Kitchener beat the holy hell out of each other and play the winner. Last 6 games will be interesting since they have Kitchener again tomorrow and Erie in the last two games of the season.

Highlights from the game

[polak]

Will he be able to hold off an NHL defender with one arm?

That's the concern.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by polak

I don't know anything about Thachuk but if he relies on his physicality to play well and he's only average size he will probably have big issues adjusting.

Originally Posted by polak

Will he be able to hold off an NHL defender with one arm?

He's the same size as Iginla, Toffoli, Saad, Zetterberg, etc.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

I see that argument every year by certain fans and its bewildering to me. We're supposed to be concerned that he actually has size and knows how to use it? What? That means his game will translate MORE easily, not less easily.

His size, strength and style of play is an advantage. Trying to spin it as a disadvantage is just silly talk. We should be worried about smaller players not translating their games to the NHL, not guys with NHL size who play an NHL style of game.

Tkachuk has NHL skill, size and plays a style of game that will do well in the NHL. And that's why he's a top prospect this year.

[Mass_nerder]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

I see that argument every year by certain fans and its bewildering to me. We're supposed to be concerned that he actually has size and knows how to use it? What? That means his game will translate MORE easily, not less easily.

His size, strength and style of play is an advantage. Trying to spin it as a disadvantage is just silly talk. We should be worried about smaller players not translating their games to the NHL, not guys with NHL size who play an NHL style of game.

Tkachuk has NHL skill, size and plays a style of game that will do well in the NHL. And that's why he's a top prospect this year.

I think the concern is that some of these larger players are able to dominate in the juniors more because of their physical attributes, and less because of their skill.
When they get to the NHL and they lose their size/weight advantage, their skill alone might not be enough.

Since most of us aren't watching most of these guys regularly, we're probably just seeing the numbers and size, and are scared they'll be the next Kris chucko, or Mark McNeil.

I haven't watched tkachuk really at all, but from what I've heard, he isn't a guy killing it in the juniors because he just out-muscles smaller guys.

Personally, I think tkatchuk would be a good pick is we're 4-6 range.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

How many junior players actually dominate just because of size? Not many that I can think of, certainly not many that were highly regarded for the draft. You still have to have skill to put up crazy numbers.

Chucko had skating issues and then concussion issues. McNeill's skating was questioned in his draft year even.

As for Tkachuk he's highly regarded as one of the smartest players and best playmakers in the OHL. He has decent size but loves to be in and around the net and that's how to score at the NHL level. I think he'd be a great match for Monahan and I think he could find Monahan in the slot and for tap ins.

Gauthier has skill to go along with his size, very dynamic offensive player. Laine and Puljujarvi are both big and skilled. I mean nobody we're talking about isn't highly skilled. Nylander just happens to be one of the most skilled.

I don't think anybody we're talking is dominating mostly because of their size. It's their combination of skill and size. But size advantage doesn't go away. Gauthier at 6'4, 220 lbs is going to be hard to handle at the NHL level just like he's hard to handle at the junior level. Laine is going to be hard to handle in the NHL at his size just like he is right now in Finland. Tkachuk has the size to survive the NHL and he plays a style around the crease that is going to be involved in offence. Nylander has elite skill but is the smallest of the bunch.

There's no wrong answer really. The top end is so good this year you'd have to go out of your way to pick a bust IMO. If the lottery shafts us and we end up as #6 or 7 and end up with one of Nylander/Dubois/Gauthier or something like that I'll still be pretty dang happy, those are all elite guys. If we pick higher we get the guy the Flames scouts want most or we get flexibility to move down or up.

I know people are complaining about the possibility of moving down two spots in the lottery but luckily in its a draft that has a great top end! No matter how far we move down we get an elite prospect IMO. I'd prefer top 3-5 but anywhere in the top 8 should get us a great piece.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Maybe it's because someone compared him to Rick Nash but I'm not as interested in Laine as the rest. Better goal scorer but I think Puljujarvi is the better all round talented player. My top rankings might be Matthews, Puljujarvi, Dubois, then Laine.

[polak]

Originally Posted by Mass_nerder

I think the concern is that some of these larger players are able to dominate in the juniors more because of their physical attributes, and less because of their skill.
When they get to the NHL and they lose their size/weight advantage, their skill alone might not be enough.

Yup this is where I was coming from.

If that's not the case then good.

[Roof-Daddy]

Man Rick Nash gets a bum rap. Personally, I'd be ecstatic if the Flames ended up with a Rick Nash equivalent out of this draft, especially a right shooting one.

I mean, if the Flames end up doing better than that, great, but 8 out of 12 years with 30+ goals would be friggin awesome.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Laine looks better than Nash to me. I've heard some Lemieux comparisons recently does that scare you as much?

[rohara66]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Man Rick Nash gets a bum rap. Personally, I'd be ecstatic if the Flames ended up with a Rick Nash equivalent out of this draft, especially a right shooting one.

I mean, if the Flames end up doing better than that, great, but 8 out of 12 years with 30+ goals would be friggin awesome.

Exactly. As evident by this seasons crappy PP and lack of scoring we could really use a pure goal scorer like Rick Nash.

[Hackey]

Nash is a beast of a player without a doubt. If we got a Nash equivalent I'd be extremely happy. I think the reason Nash gets a bit of grief is because he makes close to 8 million a season. With only one season above 70 points I can understand the arguement.

[GranteedEV]

If Laine, like Nash to this point, becomes a career 35G scorer, along with a solid two-way game and puck protection skills, that would be most satisfactory.

Then add the fact that there's a chance he will throw up some 50G seasons with how hyped his shot is...

[dammage79]

I have to say, Laine is a stud but I've fallen more towards Puljujarvi. He's not a perimter shooter like Laine. I just have a feeling there'd be so many dirty in close goals between he and Bennett feeding off of eachother that it'd be a killer duo for so many years. And the fact he is pure RW. I'm not going to cry with any of he top 3 or Nylander (he's #4 for me, FDL posted a nice bunch of quotes from scouts as to why in the draft thread), but Puljujarvi to me looks like the perfect compliment to Bennett. He Drives like Bennett, has the speed like Bennett, but has higher IQ and vision. I just have a hunch he'd be the better fit.

[icecube]

Nothing wrong with shooting from the perimeter if you have the ability to score from there. Not many do but it's obvious looking at his shot than Laine has that ability.

[Buff]

Between the two Finns I would choose Laine because it is easier to spell. However, I would still rather have Matthews because it is easier to say.

Solid logic. Cant' refute.