Putting a couple decent passers like Backlund and Sven with Nichushkin could be a very deadly line. That's as drool inducing as having Barkov center a line with Sven and Hartman/Zykov on a couple years. Hopefully they take one of those RW.
Winger or not, Nichushkin looks like a game-changer. At 18, he is 6'4 and over 200 lbs- he still may grow an inch and fill out more as he matures. He reminds me a lot of how Malkin controls the puck. I wouldn't like to see us pass up on a potential franchise player. Ideally, we use a trade or our other 2 first rounders to move up in the draft and get Nichushkin and say a Monahan.
I'm not so sure about Malkin. I see him as a more physical Afinogenov. He doesn't have the vision Malkin has, and he doesn't keep his head up when he has the puck, very much like Afinogenov did. He has the good hands and he's strong, but I don't see anything close to Malkin yet. I actually thing in the NHL he'll get the puck stolen a whole lot from him because of the way he tries to out reach his opponent as opposed to Jagr or Malkin who use their reach but also hold the puck in their skates. Just my opinion, but in a year like this, I'd probably draft him around 11.
Yes, because he could be a Flame come Jun 30th and theirs a new video of him on youtubeeeee
Serious potential - kind of reminds me of Malkin a bit. I'm fully sold on the guy, which isn't to say I'd be upset with Monahan/Lindholm, but if you have the opportunity to hit a homerun, you do it.
Didn't Jankowski have like 56 goals and 90+ points in his draft year? I know, high school league, but those are stats, nonetheless.
Valeri definitely showed offensive output at the WJCs though.
Still would rather play it 'safe' if possible. But now I'm starting to think that the only way they do that is if they can get their hands on Barkov.
Jankowski's draft league is so bad that when you account for how bad it is, those stats don't justify his selection.
Nichuchkin was a decent scorer at the U18s (7P, 6GP), not very productive at the WJC (2P, 6GP). Neither of those are high enough to put him statistically ahead of Lindholm, Monahan or even guys like Klimchuk or Lehkonen.
I'm not saying the stats are weak enough to say that they shouldn't have been drafted where they were/are expected to, but what I am saying is that the stats aren't strong enough to say that should've/should.
They're risky picks because they don't have the production you'd expect at their positions. It's fine to take a chance on a player like that, but I don't like the idea of betting several top picks on a method that devalues scoring stats.
As for a safe bet for the Flames, I want Lindholm. There's a risk that he's taken top 5 though.
Jankowski's draft league is so bad that when you account for how bad it is, those stats don't justify his selection.
Nichuchkin was a decent scorer at the U18s (7P, 6GP), not very productive at the WJC (2P, 6GP). Neither of those are high enough to put him statistically ahead of Lindholm, Monahan or even guys like Klimchuk or Lehkonen.
I'm not saying the stats are weak enough to say that they shouldn't have been drafted where they were/are expected to, but what I am saying is that the stats aren't strong enough to say that should've/should.
They're risky picks because they don't have the production you'd expect at their positions. It's fine to take a chance on a player like that, but I don't like the idea of betting several top picks on a method that devalues scoring stats.
As for a safe bet for the Flames, I want Lindholm. There's a risk that he's taken top 5 though.
Good thing stats aren't the be all/ end all in determining whether a kid can be a good player.
