I did some more research on Michael McLeod tonight. He seems like he could be a great fit for us as well. While I will say his shot doesn't blow me away, it's his will to drive the net and speed that is elite. The kid is an explosive skater and has extreme top speed. I wouldn't say his skating is as good as Mackinnons but it's in the same league at least.
He plays centre but is a right handed shot. I don't think a team can ever have to many centres. I think his elite speed would be great to have on the wing beside Bennett. Bennett and McLeod could be a nightmare for opposing defence.
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If the flames acquire another 1st in the 18-25 range, Gauthier might be their guy. RW with hands and size. Seems like a good fit. Only concerning thing with him is his speed, slightly on the slower side. Might have difficulty keeping pace on a top 6 role because of that.
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If the flames acquire another 1st in the 18-25 range, Gauthier might be their guy. RW with hands and size. Seems like a good fit. Only concerning thing with him is his speed, slightly on the slower side. Might have difficulty keeping pace on a top 6 role because of that.
You think Gauthier will be available in the late 1st?
He seems to be creeping into consensus top 10 territory in the latest rankings
Ranked #10 by Hockeyprospect.com
Ranked #11 by ISS Hockey
Ranked #6 by Future Considerations
Ranked #11 by McKeen's Hockey
You think Gauthier will be available in the late 1st?
He seems to be creeping into consensus top 10 territory in the latest rankings
Ranked #10 by Hockeyprospect.com
Ranked #11 by ISS Hockey
Ranked #6 by Future Considerations
Ranked #11 by McKeen's Hockey
He could be our first if the Flames rebound quite a bit and close in on a playoff spot.
I don't think I'd take him if the Flames are picking in the top 7 or 8.
Seems like a bit of a disappointing player skill wise for a top 10 pick. That's why I thought something in the 18-25 range would make more sense for his talent. Can't teach size though. There is a Nick Ritchie feel to him, although I like Gauthier's hands significantly more.
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Last edited by Caged Great; 12-06-2015 at 09:18 AM.
He could be our first if the Flames rebound quite a bit and close in on a playoff spot.
I don't think I'd take him if the Flames are picking in the top 7 or 8.
Seems like a bit of a disappointing player skill wise for a top 10 pick. That's why I thought something in the 18-25 range would make more sense for his talent. Can't teach size though. There is a Nick Ritchie feel to him, although I like Gauthier's hands significantly more.
Fair enough. I already said earlier in this thread that I would likely take Gauthier if the Flames were to fall out of the top 8.
And perhaps your disappointment with Gauthier also has to do with after the top 5 or so the talent in this draft is not particularly outstanding. Even xafter Matthews arguably there isn't much separating Puljujarvi, Laine, and Tkachuk from the rest of the pack.
For me, it's personal preference. If you're picking in the top 10, high end skill should be priority #1 so that way you won't be stuck picking in the top 10 for a long time. For a comparison to the 2014 draft, I would rather draft a guy like Ehlers instead of Ritchie. Gauthier is a finisher, but the lack of assists is concerning considering his team is very talented. How many of his points come from being physically bigger than his opposition. The only guy that was lopsided with that kind of offense that I can recall off the top of my head is Mantha, but even he only had 11 fewer assists than goals. JG is already -18. If he isn't creative enough to create offense on his own, and scores mainly from parking it in front of the net, then that limits his overall upside and you're talking about a guy that's a 2nd/3rd line guy. That's fine, but for a top 10 pick, that's not as good.
I know it sounds like I'm dogging him. I would easily draft him, but only if the higher end skill guys are gone when we go to pick. Last year, if eligible, I wouldn't have picked him in the top 15, maybe later.
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Also, it is still really early in the season. Things change as time goes on. Once the WJC is over is when my rankings change significantly, especially towards Feb/March. That has more to do with being more easily able to key in on them and nit pick everything. With JG being nearly a GPG right now, will he cool off or not? If he keeps pace, then that's a different story than if he slows down.
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I got the impression this was a weak draft as well. Some of the lottery picks just seem a bit underwhelming but hey what can you do.
Trailer Fire- If you do see a Penticton Vees game make sure you look for Dante Fabbro as well. He's a D ranked anywhere from 8-20 and may just end up in the Flames rang
I got the impression this was a weak draft as well. Some of the lottery picks just seem a bit underwhelming but hey what can you do.
Trailer Fire- If you do see a Penticton Vees game make sure you look for Dante Fabbro as well. He's a D ranked anywhere from 8-20 and may just end up in the Flames rang
I know BPA and all, but I really hope we don't end up drafting a Dman. We are noticeably weak in the top 6, and have very limited prospects that can change that. We have fairly decent odds of turning one of our younger d prospects into a top 4 guy I think.
