Neither of those are scouts. As a matter of fact the latter guy can't even get a job in the NHL again after doing such a bad job judging talent. Who remembers when Button went on about how Luke Schenn was the human eraser and was going to be the best defensive D man of all time?
True, but they have worked in high end positions in the NHL, and get paid a lot of money for their opinions on prospects.
Pretty much everyone got Luke Schenn wrong the guy was drafted 5th overall.
Most articles I have read and videos I have watched about Cootes has his floor as a 3rd line center and his ceiling as a top 6 center.
I think you are a little biased based off his stats page on eliteprospects.
Given that the Flames need to take some big swings to find the talent level they need to find, outside of not having the drafting opportunity to snag Misa or Frondell, my hope for round 1 sits somewhere like:
- McQueen
- Reschny
- Ryabkin
- Kindel
There’s question marks with all of them, but I think the upside is there that if they can put things together the ceiling is high enough that they could be difference makers for the team.
I get the hesitation with McQueen, but I don’t think the Jankowski-PTSD is fair. NHLEntryDraft.com has him as the biggest wildcard in the draft. The potential is there if he can put it together.
If you want to find elite talent without drafting right at the top, you have to take some risks.
I really want Ryabkin.
Last edited by ComixZone; 06-25-2025 at 11:04 PM.
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Neither of those are scouts. As a matter of fact the latter guy can't even get a job in the NHL again after doing such a bad job judging talent. Who remembers when Button went on about how Luke Schenn was the human eraser and was going to be the best defensive D man of all time?
Ok provide commentary from actual scouts then.
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Oh, did one Final Countdown mock Draft after the Zegras trade and NYR decision to pass the 12th OV pick to the Pens...
I really should have added Ryker Lee & Zharovsky going in the first but didn't quite have to time. Eldon has both rated in the first and as Sandman said Zharovsky has that 1st rnd buzz about him...
In this one, the Flames had the Bear snatched from them by the blasted 'Nucks, but think we make out alright: https://upsidehockey.substack.com/p/...t-40-the-final
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Be like the Insiders (well at least that one insider - one NHL staff member that purchased...that we know of lol).
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Alright, yet another discount and we've got a couple of coupons to give away. After a nice surge for first coupe of days, sales admittedly tailed off, but not so unexpected for our inaugural edition. (Sandman and I remained pumped from that sole NHL insider purchase lol).
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Hey @Sandman, do you have any thoughts on Aaron Obobaifo? I was wondering if he would be taking a very late flier on in a weaker draft?
I didn't do a scouting report on him, because I don't think he'll be drafted this year- perhaps next year. He only played 13 games this season (with 10 points), and isn't very big (5'10",185lbs), but I admire the way he plays, as he thinks he's a 6'3" power forward, with a gritty, physical style. One big detriment is that his skating needs some work, particularly his agility and edges.
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I wonder if he expressed that he was only interested in playing for specific teams? He's already playing college hockey, so there's a real possibility that he could go to UFA if he doesn't like the team that drafts him.
If he's already played 1 year of college hockey, and he only gets 4 years of eligibility, I guess that would mean he would finish his collegiate eligibility before his rights expire?
Interesting.
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k im just not going to respond to your #### anymore because i have better things to do like #### my model girlfriend rather then try to convince people like you of commonly held hockey knowledge.
With Florida having so much success Size and Intangibles are back at the top of the pecking order and a smaller player like Hagens could drop because of it.
I would love for the Flames to try and get Boston's pick without giving up the 18th or 32nd as part of the deal. I imagine it may not be a non-starter for Boston unless the package is too good to say not to. What does that look like?
Andersson + Zary + Pospisil +? One of the Flames better prospects? Or are the first 3 names enough? Tough to say.
Rationale from the Flames point of view: They draft a cornerstone piece at 7. Flames only have two others - Parekh and Wolf (at least IMO). They need to find more core pieces. Obviously Rasmus holds value here. I also think he would be likely to re-sign in Boston - friends with at least one of the Lindholms there - maybe both. Plus, Boston is a great market, and as an additional plus, they have direct flights to Stockholm. Zary is traded because he isn't getting traction here in Calgary as a center. Frost was traded and has pushed Zary off to the wing now. I would love to see Zary down the middle for an entire season (or two!), but that's not looking likely. Kadri is not getting traded. Flames are flush with wingers - especially LW organizationally. Might as well use this trade-chip then, even though I do think it hurts a little. Pospisil probably holds more value to the Bruins than to a lot of other teams - he really is a Bruins-type of player. I would hate to lose him as I think he is not just fast and physical, but also an important and vastly underrated piece of the culture here, but these are the same qualities that the Bruins probably value too, right?
Bruins are a bit weak on the right side on defence. Weak on the LW. Though they should be rebuilding, they need an injection of youth and vigor into their lineup as well. I think this satisfies that. Looking at their cap, they have lots of room, and no really awful deals except for the 2 obvious ones - E. Lindholm and Zadorov. Flames take whatever they consider to be dead cap back if they wish I guess, but I don't really see it. Retain 50% on Rasmus of course if needed.
Pie in the sky dreams, but I would love a top 10 pick in addition to 18 and 32 (and 54). Gives the Flames a tonne of options - including trading up from 7th, or trading up from 18th, or trading down from 18th or 32nd. Would give them a cornerstone center for the future, plus they could then take swings on guys like West, Zharovsky, Wang or Prokhorov or Ryabkin, or continue to play it safe with guys like Lakovic and Horcoff.
Anyway... probably too much time wasted thinking about the draft. No more sleeps until the draft since I can't sleep from the excitement.
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I wonder if he expressed that he was only interested in playing for specific teams? He's already playing college hockey, so there's a real possibility that he could go to UFA if he doesn't like the team that drafts him.
If he's already played 1 year of college hockey, and he only gets 4 years of eligibility, I guess that would mean he would finish his collegiate eligibility before his rights expire?
Interesting.
If, somehow, the Flames had an opportunity to pick Hagens hopefully having another Long Islander (Coronato) who just signed an extension (and a New Yorker GM) would quell such concerns from a Flames perspective.
Find me a scout that projects Cootes as anything other than a 3rd line C. It's pretty much what every scout thinks. Could they be wrong? Sure, but I don't see it. I would rather we swing for someone with more upside.
I don't have much of personal info on the kid but from I'm told he has the tools to be a good 2nd-3rd line center, not likely a #1 but if developed properly you'll get a smart responsible 200 foot player with enough talent that'll top out anywhere from 40-65 pts, not a whole lot to complain about at #18 if the higher upside guys are gone.
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I didn't do a scouting report on him, because I don't think he'll be drafted this year- perhaps next year. He only played 13 games this season (with 10 points), and isn't very big (5'10",185lbs), but I admire the way he plays, as he thinks he's a 6'3" power forward, with a gritty, physical style. One big detriment is that his skating needs some work, particularly his agility and edges.
Funny hearing OBO is small, because he was his current size at 10 years old if I remember. He was just this ridiculous monster, so much so that people thought his parents faked his birth certificate and he was 3 years older than an '07. His dad is/was an engineer at Shell I think. He was almost prodigy level good growing up he was so dominating. He just never seemed to make that next step. Played a couple years in Shattuck which means he was very highly sought after.
I could see a team taking a late draft flyer just in case something clicks, but he is not getting taller.
He is going to be thicc like Byfuglien though, if you look at his folks. He was 8th round.
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Flames take Malcolm Spence at 18 and Will More at 32
I don't see Calgary taking two LWs.
Yeesh. Moore is a diva and spence is exactly what spence is. Zero growth in his game all season. Oh and why the hell is everyone and everything tied to us a left wing??????
