[News] With the 26th OA pick, the Flames select LW Jakob Pelletier

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

I will be cheering for this kid to make it. Mature game and tenacious motor.



Pelletier, Zary, Ruzicka, Phillips and Gawdin - plus Mackey.


I have to figure that 2 out of this bunch will make it through camp and preseason, and be on the starting lineup (more if injuries happen of course). Mackey is almost a guarantee at this point. Sutter is most familiar with Ruzicka and Gawdin, and one game of Phillips. Those are the front-runners right now.


I do think Pelletier will be an everyday NHL'er. Maybe this upcoming season, maybe not for a few years, but he seems like one of those really 'pro' guys that are way more mature than you would expect them to be, and play a really mature game already.

I'll throw Pospisil in there, as a dark horse. Injuries might have slowed down an ascent to the NHL, though.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

development wise, I think the Flames ought to be careful rushing him...

better to spend a year in the minors to get used to the pro game rather than bringing him up too early imo

Pelletier is 20 years old.

If he can play, play him. If he can’t, don’t.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

Yes.

All of Pelletier, Zary, Wolf, and Francis will be able to join the Heat from the CHL next season.

I'm all for Francis not covering the Flames next season, but I don't want him anywhere near the Heat either.

[Geeoff]

I'd rather see Zary and Pelletier on the Flames than dud vets like Nordstrom, Simon and Leivo

[oldschoolcalgary]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Pelletier is 20 years old.

If he can play, play him. If he can’t, don’t.

not sure where the discrepancy is: if he is ready, by definition they aren't rushing him...

all I heard about Bennett is that they ruined him by not allowing him to develop in the minors...

pretty innocuous comment to seize on

[Sandman]

Sometimes a player looks ready skill-wise and body-wise, but is far from ready maturity-wise and mentally. These are the guys that get ruined.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by oldschoolcalgary

not sure where the discrepancy is: if he is ready, by definition they aren't rushing him...

all I heard about Bennett is that they ruined him by not allowing him to develop in the minors...

pretty innocuous comment to seize on

And also because they didn’t give him enough top 6 minutes.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Why the extremes? There is a LOT of room between AHL and Top 6 minutes. I do think that Bennett was mishandled, but it doesn't mean that he should have been given top 6 minutes or sent to the AHL. His rookie season proved that he was ready for the NHL. It was what came after.


Just kind of silly to argue in extremes, no?

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Why the extremes? There is a LOT of room between AHL and Top 6 minutes. I do think that Bennett was mishandled, but it doesn't mean that he should have been given top 6 minutes or sent to the AHL. His rookie season proved that he was ready for the NHL. It was what came after.


Just kind of silly to argue in extremes, no?

I’m pointing that out. There is a lot of agreement here that Bennett was mishandled and but it’s funny how many of those opinions are 100% opposed in how he was mishandled.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I’m pointing that out. There is a lot of agreement here that Bennett was mishandled and but it’s funny how many of those opinions are 100% opposed in how he was mishandled.

I agree.

Classic case of Chesterton's lamp post. Since a lot of people won't be familiar with that, here's the short version:

A mob tears down a lamp post. Some want to replace it with a better light, some want darkness, some just want to tear things down. OK, wise guys, the post is gone… now what?

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I'm all for Francis not covering the Flames next season, but I don't want him anywhere near the Heat either.

Totally worth it

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I’m pointing that out. There is a lot of agreement here that Bennett was mishandled and but it’s funny how many of those opinions are 100% opposed in how he was mishandled.

I get what you're saying, but I don't know that these two ideas are incongruent:

1. Bennett should have had a slightly bigger role in the NHL playing with better linemates
2. Bennett should have gone to the AHL to play top line minutes for a month or two.

Of course, it's really only in his 3rd full season where the AHL would have made much sense (and I believe his last chance to go down without waivers). But that would have required a long-term view of a key asset instead of plugging an immediate hole in the bottom 6.

Casey Mittlestat seems to be the most recent example of marinating in the AHL after a full season in the show.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by powderjunkie

I get what you're saying, but I don't know that these two ideas are incongruent:

1. Bennett should have had a slightly bigger role in the NHL playing with better linemates
2. Bennett should have gone to the AHL to play top line minutes for a month or two.

Of course, it's really only in his 3rd full season where the AHL would have made much sense (and I believe his last chance to go down without waivers). But that would have required a long-term view of a key asset instead of plugging an immediate hole in the bottom 6.

Casey Mittlestat seems to be the most recent example of marinating in the AHL after a full season in the show.

I've seen takes like "After the Colorado series Bennett should have been the 1C".

I agree that I'm exaggerating the incongruity. But I've also seen "Bennett needed to be with Gaudreau and Monahan on RW for a season", Bennett should have been on Backlund's wing like in first year" and "Bennett needed to play centre (which would have meant' 3rd-4th line deployment)"

[CalgaryFan1988]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

I agree.

Classic case of Chesterton's lamp post. Since a lot of people won't be familiar with that, here's the short version:

A mob tears down a lamp post. Some want to replace it with a better light, some want darkness, some just want to tear things down. OK, wise guys, the post is gone… now what?

Sounds like this Chesterton fella works in the Health and Safety department, in a facility with a unionized environment.

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

I've seen takes like "After the Colorado series Bennett should have been the 1C".

I agree that I'm exaggerating the incongruity. But I've also seen "Bennett needed to be with Gaudreau and Monahan on RW for a season", Bennett should have been on Backlund's wing like in first year" and "Bennett needed to play centre (which would have meant' 3rd-4th line deployment)"

Totally fair. Ultimately I think the organization simply failed to develop (m)any complete players, instead relying on patchwork hoping to be just good enough.

We can hindsight a bunch of ideas, but ultimately I think it was just a roster that couldn't fit together very well. Easier said than done, but the best option was probably to trade one of Sean, Johnny, or Sam, as it's simply too many 'conditional' players to build around.

[GioforPM]

And we've managed to derail the thread by mentioning Bennett.

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

And we've managed to derail the thread by mentioning Bennett.

As is tradition.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

And we've managed to derail the thread by mentioning Bennett.

Don’t we also need to open some discussion about Mark Jankowski? It’s been a day or more since someone brought him up.

[neo45]

Originally Posted by D as in David

I'll throw Pospisil in there, as a dark horse. Injuries might have slowed down an ascent to the NHL, though.

I like Pospisil’s chances a lot more than most players on the heat this year as he can play all three forward positions and his game will translate to a bottom 6 role

I think he’s a very high floor prospect. Scored at a higher clip than Phillips and Gawdin this year and is younger, bigger, and meaner.

I think he’s on the fourth line season after next

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

And we've managed to derail the thread by mentioning Bennett.

Probably inevitable for a loooooong while in any thread related to developing players.

If Pelletier has a really strong camp I'd give him a few games, but he has to really grab the bull by the horns to stay up.