Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[Ashasx]

I've seen Draisaitl listed as both a C and LW. Does anyone know what he's been playing lately?

I've seen most discussions saying he's a C, and the more I think about it, the more I think he might be our guy.

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by Poe969

I just think there hadn't been a defenseman like Ekblad since Pronger. I see Ekblad as one of the best defensive prospects we will see in a long time. I wouldn't mind Reinhart at all but I think we need a defenseman like Ekblad to build around and they don't alone too often where it seems every year there are a couple of "elite" centers to pick from.

I think Ekblad has it all when it comes to defensemen.

Doughty? Pietrangelo? Ekman-Larsson? Plus others...High picks, who were hyped and arguably better prospects then Ekblad. They're already top players who haven't even hit their prime yet.

[djsFlames]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Sam probably gets a big boost in the rankings for the exceptional play he had last season.

He has also played very well for Canada at the U18 tournaments (2x WJC under 18 and Ivan Hlinka) 19gp 21pts over the last 2 years.

Can Dal Colle supplant him as the consensus best forward in the draft? He may but Reinhart has a better resume.

To me, the being a continuing center is the biggest reason. Second to that is big stage performance (U18,WJC), but then again, can't compare when the other guy hasn't had that opportunity.

However, I think early bloomers (in stats) can be overrated. Looking at guys like Shinkaruk.. Drouin being an example of a guy who got his footing in the stats department later but looks every bit better than the top picks this year.

Dal Colle having picked up his point pace this season on a heavy incline is a good sign to me. It's only his second year in the OHL. And looking back before that he was a big scorer clicking over a goal/game. So the goal scoring is certainly in his roots.

For the Flames' needs I'd put grit+size+skill over IQ+skill. But centers are a prized asset. Perhaps Dal Colle can still bring that abiltiy.

[getbak]

I'll admit that I've never seen Dal Colle play, but looking at his highlights on YouTube, I'm not seeing an overly gritty player.

If their official stats are to be believed, Reinhart is only one inch shorter than Dal Colle, but 10 pounds heavier. If anyone has the edge in size, it's Reinhart.

[Caged Great]

Dal Colle doesn't need to be overly physical as long as he doesn't get pushed around, which I haven't seen him play that passively. He's both a good playmaker and a good scorer. If you imagine a line of Monahan, Dal Colle and Poirier, there is enough physicality brought by Poirier that as long as the other guys aren't push overs, you have a good balanced 1st line. Plus having Gaudreau on the second line would be a good thing as he'd be better off not having to go against the big #1 d-men.

Really though, as long as we get one of the top 5 picks though, we should be fine.

[macrov]

Originally Posted by saillias

Nobody's wowed by 6'3" in the professional leagues. That pmakes him 1 inch taller than an average NHL defender.


All the same things they're saying now about Ekblad, they were saying about Jones last year. And Hedman... Larsson, etc. It makes me skeptical of anything TSN puts out there in regards to who has passed who for the consensus #1. TSN relies on this hype.

Jones, Hedman, and Larson will all become top pairing defensemen.

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[Jake]

Originally Posted by macrov

Jones, Hedman, and Larson will all become top pairing defensemen.

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Hedman already is one. Very under rated player at the moment.

[macrov]

Originally Posted by Jake

Hedman already is one. Very under rated player at the moment.

Agreed.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

To me, the being a continuing center is the biggest reason. Second to that is big stage performance (U18,WJC), but then again, can't compare when the other guy hasn't had that opportunity.

However, I think early bloomers (in stats) can be overrated. Looking at guys like Shinkaruk.. Drouin being an example of a guy who got his footing in the stats department later but looks every bit better than the top picks this year.

Dal Colle having picked up his point pace this season on a heavy incline is a good sign to me. It's only his second year in the OHL. And looking back before that he was a big scorer clicking over a goal/game. So the goal scoring is certainly in his roots.

For the Flames' needs I'd put grit+size+skill over IQ+skill. But centers are a prized asset. Perhaps Dal Colle can still bring that abiltiy.

While I am not really disagreeing with you, the more you watch Reinhart play, the more he stands out. He is not a product of his linemates - his linemates are a product of him. He is much like Monahan in that you don't really notice him until suddenly he is in a prime scoring chance. He can also make plays at high speed and under pressure.

I thought he did pretty well in the tournament, especially considering his age. I thought Ekblad was really great as well. Yes, some games were definitely not great, but the entire team didn't show up much for those except a few players.

Reinhart is ranked so high for a very good reason - he is that much better than any other forward at the moment. Will he continue to be in his pro career? I think he will be a very wonderful compliment to Monahan, and he isn't a small center either. I really believe having two very high IQ centers that compete in every zone will make this team very difficult to play against in the future. I am not going to say that Monahan and Reinhart will end up being like this, but I kind of picture them as Datsyuk and Zetterberg in that way - they never stop skating, can hurt you offensively but skate back hard and take the puck back for the team.

I remember early on in the tournament, Canada was down on a 5-3 PK. Who was the forward that Canada sent out? Reinhart. I think that says a lot about his two-way game and how good it really is.

[formulate]

I like the look of a couple American two-way skating defenders in 6'2, 193lb Josh Jacobs and 6'2, 175lb Jack Glover, both playing in the USHL and committed to the NCAA next year (Michigan State for Jacobs, University of Minnesota for Glover).

Could be potential early second-rounders or late (acquired) first-round picks. I would really like to add a solid defensive prospect in that range, especially if our top pick is a forward.

[lanny9]

If we were in position to draft Ekblad we would be foolish not to. He is listed on the OHL website as 6'4" and 217lbs as a 17 year old. He still may grow some more and will definitely put on more weight as he ages, playing weight could be in the 220-230lb range imo, that is no pushover by any means in the NHL, that has stud written all over it with his skill set.

I was very impressed by his play at the worlds, sure he had some bad giveaways but that is expected from a 17 year old playing against older guys in the best tournament in the world. His positioning was phenomenal, his physical presence was always there when needed and his ability to jump into the play really caught me by surprise for such a big guy. They often say that this position is the hardest to learn and as a 17 year old I think he has all the makings of a very special talent that could lead us from the back end for many years to come. He may not have the flash of say a Jones, but his overall game is far superior imo and as such I think we should consider ourselves lucky to be in a position to draft him. I would not be surprised to see him at #1 in the next go round of rankings after his showing at the Worlds and how much Sutter leaned on him for big minutes when Reinhart was out with the suspension.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

I thought Reinhart played well at the WJC. He was one of the few forwards that could create on offence. His play did tail off later in the tournament, but I think part of that had to do with switching linemates. In my (amateur) opinion, B. Sutter tried to spread the offensive talent to thinly, and it really hurt their production in the last few games.
Having said that, it would seem that the Flames are free-falling to the 2nd pick and I would be thrilled to have Eckblad in Flames silks.

[djsFlames]

Yeah.. Sutter's not too bright when it comes to setting up lines to generate offence.

Not to say I'd be disappointed with Reinhart, not at all. Early on I agree he looked great out there. Just speculating on how great the gap is between the two players in question. And knowing full well that Dal Colle is likely considered more of the Burke type of player as it stands.

I think either selection would help the team. If we're looking to bolster our center group for years to come, Reinhart would be the perfect choice. Although if we're looking to build a big strong top line, while adding a future power forward, which we seem to possess few of. (Ferland, but he isn't exactly a lock), then Dal Colle would be ideal.

I think though that with the defensive depth Buffalo possesses, Reinhart will be out of the question anyways.

[Tinordi]

If you're just going by WJCs then Jones is 10x the prospect that Ekblad is. In his draft year, Jones dominated the WJCs. Ekblad merely belonged.

[Johnny Rotten]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

If you're just going by WJCs then Jones is 10x the prospect that Ekblad is. In his draft year, Jones dominated the WJCs. Ekblad merely belonged.

I wonder if Ekbald is going to considered the "safe pick" of this year's draft? Kind of the like the offensive lineman who gets drafted over a running back in the NFL, not because of upside, but because he can play 10+ years and maybe make a few Pro Bowls.

I'd be happy with Ekblad-because of his position-but I'm not sure of upside.

[nik-]

I'm still scared of the "Physical freak show in the CHL" dominance. I'd still prefer Sammy, but if he's gone and Ekblad is on the board with our pick, I'd be ok if we took him.

[Ashasx]

Ekblad was a little bit younger than Jones, and how often do 17 year old defencemen even make the Canadian WJC team?

Ekblad is better defensively, but his puck moving skills and offense aren't as good. Ekblad plays like Weber-lite, whereas Jones will probably be like Pietrangelo.

The Flames would be foolish to pass on him in my opinion. Teams don't win the Stanley Cup anymore without a big #1 defencemen, and we're not getting one any other way.

[Oling_Roachinen]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

The Flames would be foolish to pass on him in my opinion. Teams don't win the Stanley Cup anymore without a big #1 defencemen, and we're not getting one any other way.

Same could be said about #1 centers though.

The weakest #1 center to win a Stanley Cup since the lockout was probably the Bruins center. Yet they had Krejci lead all players in points along with Bergeron. A case could be made for a young Getzlaf and last years Toews.

With #1 defensemen Gonchar won it as did Hedican/Ward.

If you think Ekblad has a better chance at becoming a number 1 defenseman than whoever is available has of becoming a number 1 center it's probably an easy choice, but that might not be the case if they manage to win the lottery or fall a couple spots.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Same could be said about #1 centers though.

The weakest #1 center to win a Stanley Cup since the lockout was probably the Bruins center. Yet they had Krejci lead all players in points along with Bergeron. A case could be made for a young Getzlaf and last years Toews.

With #1 defensemen Gonchar won it as did Hedican/Ward.

If you think Ekblad has a better chance at becoming a number 1 defenseman than whoever is available has of becoming a number 1 center it's probably an easy choice, but that might not be the case if they manage to win the lottery or fall a couple spots.

No, I agree, but Dal Colle or Draisaitl or Bennett are not in the same tier as Reinhart.

Ekblad is the better prospect than any one else in my opinion, so you don't take the lesser prospect when the team's need for a stud defencemen is just as great.

[KelVarnsen]

I love how people judge players based on the WJC. Dustin Boyd looked good in the WJC. Dustin Boyd!