[News] With the 21st overall pick Flames select C Mark Jankowski

[Jeff Lebowski]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Unfair IMO. He's very skilled and its obvious watching him on the ice. Good stick handling, good vision, a very hard shot. Of course you probably haven't had as much opportunity to watch him so its not surprising you might be cautious with a projection.

The one thing about projecting his numbers is a guy with his size and skating has nothing to overcome at the NHL level now that he's finally added strength. He isn't disadvantaged due to size, in fact he has the size advantage. He isn't slow. There's nothing holding him back from projecting his numbers.

I dunno having watched him play in rookie camps, preseason, college, and AHL highlights to me he has obvious and undeniable top two line talent. I think his upside is 50-60+ points in his prime. I think he's a notch below Monahan/Bennett in upside but not as far behind those guys in upside as many might think. Big upside with this kid. Impressive skill in a 6'5, 200+ lb frame. No real handicaps in his game.

I agree with all of this. His attributes are eye popping to me and now that's he's physically matured you see him putting it all together. The big question for me is what kind of role and linemates does he get?

IMO he needs to have an offensive role right off the bat just like Monahan did if you want to maximize his potential. He needs a top 9 spot and although I was not liking playing him on the wing initially I'm all for it now if it's 4L or the AHL instead.

To me he's doing exactly what Monahan did in his rookie year. With increasing difficulty in the opponent he keeps raising his play. No way should they stunt that growth by saddling him on 4L or playing lesser opponents in the minors.

I'm not a fan at all of Gulutzan's 40 40 talk (games in minors and NHL). Obviously coaches know best but he looks very good. I want to know how high he can go.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I still prefer a lineup like:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ferland
Tkachuk - Backlund - Frolik
Jankowski - Bennett - Versteeg
Stajan - Lazar - Brouwer

People get a bit upset with seeing Jankowski in a role other than center, but I counter that with what the Flames have been saying and how the other centers have been doing.

Monahan is not getting displaced any time soon. Unless someone can provide more offence from the center position, he stays as this team's #1 center.

Backlund is just money as a shut-down center providing defence. That is an extremely difficult task to perform night in and night out in the NHL. He goes up against the best lines in the league, and not only does a reasonable job of shutting them down, but will out-score them. It is a craft that takes a long time to develop. Flames will probably re-sign him, and I really believe that they should.

Bennett - if you listen to Treliving talk about Bennett, he brings up how important Bennett is, and also how big of an investment has been made into him the past few seasons in allowing him to develop as a center. I loved Bennett this pre-season. I loved the growth that he showed last year as well on the defensive side of things. I thought last 1/3rd of the season and playoff Bennett was night and day better than the first 2/3rds of the season Bennett defensively. He no longer looked lost.

So that leaves the 4th line center spot. I will counter that unless Gulutzan wants to roll 4 scoring lines, no top 6 prospect should ever see more than a few games of 4th line duty. There doesn't seem to be a long-term position at center in the top 3 lines, so just kick Jankowski up to the 3rd line and give Bennett someone to play with.

Lazar I think makes for a much more prototypical 3rd/4th line center with his speed, grit and defensive acumen. Let him develop at center with limited minutes.

I can understand people wanting Jankowski - a 'natural center' - to actually be a center on this team, but that would basically force him into the 4th line for a few seasons at least. Bennett has to fail for that to happen, and I don't think he is going to fail.

I would rather Jankowski start as the #1 center in the AHL than be stapled as the 4th line center playing 4th line minutes all season. I think Jankowski isn't just a defensive center. I think he has quite a high offensive ceiling, and given decent line mates, will show that off. Look at how many points he got in the AHL. This is a total cherry picking stat, but Jankowski scored more goals in the AHL than his previous 2 seasons combined in the NCAA (27 goals in 64 AHL games vs 23 goals in 75 games). This is despite playing against a higher level of competition.

Why? Because Jankowski has never played with decent wingers. Give him talented players to play with, and I think people will be very surprised at how offensively capable he is, especially long term. He can play as a winger until injuries happen, and then gets to audition as a center. It provides the Flames with more flexibility anyway as it allows Bennett to be more aggressive on his face-offs, knowing that if he gets kicked out he has Jankowski coming in. That's valuable.

I think that Jankowski has #1 center potential still - the more you watch him, the more apparent it is. Sure, it is questionable if he ever gets there, but I do see that at his potential, and to reach it you have to be good at creating offence. The 4th line isn't going to help him develop that. However, Monahan has #1 center potential. So does Bennett. Nobody is going to displace Backlund for the foreseeable time as the de facto checking center. 4th line center is not an option, and should only be looked at if it is either for a short amount of time or if Gulutzan is intent on running 4 lines with fairly even minutes.

I see the value in running with a Janowski-centered 4th line for the playoffs - it will really help with line-matching, and provides the Flames with the ability to roll 4 lines more regularly which is extremely valuable in a protracted playoff run - but that's about it. Short spurts on the 4th line is fine for me. Starting and then keeping him all season as the 4th line center minus injury time? I surely hope not.

[Kovaz]

I agree with putting Jankowski on 3LW. We've got 5+ NHL centers now, so someone's got to play wing. If Jankowski + Bennett can find some chemistry all of a sudden that 3rd line looks really dangerous. The other option is to put him at 2LW and bump Tkachuk with Bennett, but I prefer to keep 3M together.

[kyuss275]

If Janko makes the team, its going to be on the wing. I read an article in Calgary paper and it had Gulutzan saying that Stajan was going to be the 4th line center to start the season.

I should clarify that Janko can still make the team as a center and be in press box. I meant to say, that if CP posters are hoping for Janko to be on the ice for Edmonton opener game , then it will have to be on wing.

[edslunch]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

If Janko makes the team, its going to be on the wing. I read an article in Calgary paper and it had Gulutzan saying that Stajan was going to be the 4th line center to start the season.

I should clarify that Janko can still make the team as a center and be in press box. I meant to say, that if CP posters are hoping for Janko to be on the ice for Edmonton opener game , then it will have to be on wing.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but he hasn't played wing at all in the preseason. If Stajan is the 4C then Jankowski is going down to Stockton

[MrMike]

It's amazing how much time went into this pick. Us seeing Monahan and Tkachuk make the jump same year. The Jankowski draft feels like such a distant memory

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by MrMike

It's amazing how much time went into this pick. Us seeing Monahan and Tkachuk make the jump same year. The Jankowski draft feels like such a distant memory

Well it was 5 years ago... He even got picked before Monahan.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by MrMike

It's amazing how much time went into this pick. Us seeing Monahan and Tkachuk make the jump same year. The Jankowski draft feels like such a distant memory

What is amazing is that when the pick was made it was stated it was a long term project, was all about the future, and was about developing the best player from that draft. So far, they have been accurate. Lets hope the last part is accurate too.

[Roughneck]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

When we drafted Jankowski:

- Kipper was still our starting goalie
- Glen Gulutzan was the head coach in Dallas
- Bob Hartley had just won a championship in the Swiss League
- Dennis Wideman was a pending UFA with Washington
- Jiri Hudler was a pending UFA with Detroit
- Sean Monahan had just finished his 2nd year with the Ottawa 67's
- Sam Bennett was barely old enough to drive
- The Oilers finally completed their rebuild... by drafting Nail Yakupov

What's the saying... time flies?

Remember when Iginla finally having skilled linemates like Tanguay, Jokinen and Cammalleri would solve our problems...again.

[GGG]

So if you redrafted 2012 who would you take over Jankoski starting from 12 spot where the flames could have picked to the end of the first round?

Hertl
Matta maybe?
Pearson?

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by GGG

So if you redrafted 2012 who would you take over Jankoski starting from 12 spot where the flames could have picked to the end of the first round?

Matta maybe?
Pearson?

No, not Maatta or Pearson. Maybe Skjei (LD) or Hertl (LW/C) but I'd probably just stick with Jankowski. I see Jankowski as having he potential to be a Rich Man's Backlund though. Like Jordan Staal or better.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Maatta had a good start to his career but injuries and perhaps just limited ceiling is really making it clear that his upside is limited. Not an impact player whereas Janko could be.
Same as Girgensens who is another guy that some fans were lamenting in the years following the draft.
My pick would be Vasilevsky with the benefit of 20/20.
It has shaped up to be a very poor draft so far.

[Flash Walken]

You take maatta 10 times out of 10. 200+ games, top 4 dman on a cup winner/contender.

Janko looks great as an emerging prospect right now, but defenders who can walk onto cup contenders and contribute in a top 4 role dont grow on trees, even if they don't produce offensively.

Imagine the fanbase reaction if valimaki made the team this year or next. How high would we value him?

[Love]

Brady Skjei

Maatta skates in quicksand and is a bandaid. I'd rather Jankowski

[Itse]

Too early to call it between Jankowski and Määttä, both are still young.

But yeah, obviously so far Määttä is the superior pick.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

You take maatta 10 times out of 10. 200+ games, top 4 dman on a cup winner/contender.

Janko looks great as an emerging prospect right now, but defenders who can walk onto cup contenders and contribute in a top 4 role dont grow on trees, even if they don't produce offensively.

Imagine the fanbase reaction if valimaki made the team this year or next. How high would we value him?

We would be very high. Doesn't make it the right perspective. It is a marathon not a race. Janko has yet to even have an opportunity to show what he can do at the NHL level.
Would you take Girgensens over Janko at this point? He too made the NHL within the first 2 years of his selection.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

You take maatta 10 times out of 10. 200+ games, top 4 dman on a cup winner/contender.

Janko looks great as an emerging prospect right now, but defenders who can walk onto cup contenders and contribute in a top 4 role dont grow on trees, even if they don't produce offensively.

Imagine the fanbase reaction if valimaki made the team this year or next. How high would we value him?

Defenders walk onto contenders all the time. Those teams shelter these players with their team play to boost their perceived value. Maatta had the benefit of an arguably top 5 in league defense partner in Letang, along with always being on the ice with the likes of Crosby and Co. Last year in the playoffs he was awful but constantly bailed out by Fleury and Murray.

Look no further than Justin Schultz in Edmonton VS Schultz in Pittsburgh.

Or Dougie Hamilton as a top pair sophomore on the Bruins wih Chara vs 4th year pro Hamilton who looked middling on a second pair with Kris Russell. Or... Matt Bartkowski on that same team playing top 4 minutes who people wanted as a centerpiece in the Iginla trade vs Matt Bartkowski afterwards.

If you look at Maatta for who he is individually rather than the team he plays on you realize he hasn't had an impressive career yet at all. Jankowski might only be beginning his career but should be the better player for the next ~decade (the prime of the two)

[Lanny_McDonald]

I actually stick with Jankowski. Vaseline-ski in Tampa would have been a close second, but could you imagine if the Flames had selected another goaltender in the 1st round? Oh, the meltdown.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by New Era

I actually stick with Jankowski. Vaseline-ski in Tampa would have been a close second, but could you imagine if the Flames had selected another goaltender in the 1st round? Oh, the meltdown.

True but we also would have a #1 goalie that we would be confident in at this point.

[calgaryblood]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

You take maatta 10 times out of 10. 200+ games, top 4 dman on a cup winner/contender.

Janko looks great as an emerging prospect right now, but defenders who can walk onto cup contenders and contribute in a top 4 role dont grow on trees, even if they don't produce offensively.

Imagine the fanbase reaction if valimaki made the team this year or next. How high would we value him?

Is Maata even a top 4 dman? He's had his troubles recently.

He started off hot and has taken a big step back and was a healthy scratch a few times last season.

He was sheltered big time as well.