[News] With the 54th overall pick the Flames select RW Hunter Smith

[Enoch Root]

waste a year of development just so that he can score a few goals against 17 year olds?

[GioforPM]

He's man sized and would probably be better off in the minors with the other men.

It wouldn't surprise me if he blossoms more in the A, as opposed to junior.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by codynw

I personally think he could use another year in the OHL. He progressed a little bit, but he certainly didn't dominate offensively. Let him keep working on his scoring touch in a bigger role than he would get in the AHL.

I would disagree, he played what 57 games in the regular season and had 49 points, and 21 games in the playoffs and had 18 points.

I'd be all for sending him to the AHL next year where he can get professional coaching, what he needs to work on are physical skills, not skll skills. fitness, strength and core, skating. He can get way better coaching at a professional level.

Sending him back to the OHL wouldn't do much for him at this point.

[codynw]

Is he good enough to get consistent ice time in the AHL yet though?

We'll see at training camp, but right now I'm not convinced he is.

[Robbob]

AHL is a development league, so if you have to, you make some room. Who would you rather develop at this point, Smith or Hanowski?

I think this rings more true with the move to Stockton, as the lighter travel schedule will mean more develop/practice time.

[bubbsy]

his biggest asset is his size (no pun intended)... Playing in the minors where he has an overwhelming advantage in this regard won't be as valuable as starting to play in a league where the average size is closer to the NHL.

I think we all need to temper expectations with him. I think he'll have a tough year when he first moves to the pro's, where his size advantage won't be as much as an advantage, and his speed/skating could be an area that sets him back. I think it'll be a ferland like progression hopefully. Where year 1 and 2 are up and down, and hopefully year 3 is when we see him pushing for a job in the NHL fulltime.

In my minimal viewing of him, i see him as a 3rd/4th line guy who will be used on the PP to stand in front.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by codynw

Is he good enough to get consistent ice time in the AHL yet though?

We'll see at training camp, but right now I'm not convinced he is.

It's a developmental league and he is a key prospect. So if he wasn't getting the opportunities that he needs, then people should have to answer to that.

[DoubleF]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

He's man sized and would probably be better off in the minors with the other men.

It wouldn't surprise me if he blossoms more in the A, as opposed to junior.

Does he play like a man amongst boys? I recall Kanzig seemed to do something like that where he seemed hesitant to hit many players. But if another big guy showed up, he would smash him hard and skate away with an "I liked that" smirk. That being said, I haven't paid attention to Kanzig in a while and have not followed Smith at all. I wouldn't mind Kanzig and Smith together to learn from each other (ie: Both at Stockton), but as other posters have alluded to, I am not sure whether they are at the level to keep a consistent job there.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It's a developmental league and he is a key prospect. So if he wasn't getting the opportunities that he needs, then people should have to answer to that.

It's also inadvisable to put him in a position to fail if he isn't up to it as that's detrimental to a player's development. Having said that, I still think the AHL is the place for him

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by codynw

Is he good enough to get consistent ice time in the AHL yet though?

We'll see at training camp, but right now I'm not convinced he is.

It'll depend on what Poirier does to an extent. But Shore is up or out, McGrattan and Setoguchi are gone. Who knows what Hanowski is going to do. So aside from those guys (and a few guys with low game counts) there's Hathaway listed as RWs.

Smith is a rare RH shot so he may well get a good look for the A.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by ricardodw

Where does Hunter Smith play next year?

In an imaginary world where you could only draft 19 year olds I think that he would have moved up from his #54 spot last year.

If he has a good rookie/training camp the best spot for him might be the AHL rather than back in the OHL physically dominating a bunch of kids.

Bouma went back to the WHL as 20 year old and it didn't hurt him, but I think Smith might be ahead of Bouma at similar points in their careers although Bouma was far better as a 16 year old being on the memorial cup winner.

Bouma didn't go back to the WHL as a 20 year old, he turned pro but that has little to do with this argument. I'd wait to see how Smith does in camp. He may develop more in junior as he hasn't played a lot of junior games.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by DoubleF

Does he play like a man amongst boys? I recall Kanzig seemed to do something like that where he seemed hesitant to hit many players. But if another big guy showed up, he would smash him hard and skate away with an "I liked that" smirk. That being said, I haven't paid attention to Kanzig in a while and have not followed Smith at all. I wouldn't mind Kanzig and Smith together to learn from each other (ie: Both at Stockton), but as other posters have alluded to, I am not sure whether they are at the level to keep a consistent job there.

Smith likes to hit, as far as I could tell (which is just from watching him in the tournament). I don't think he will be a scorer, so running around hitting kids in the OHL isn't probably going to help him as much as learning more systems and increasing his strength to play vets in the AHL.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by codynw

Is he good enough to get consistent ice time in the AHL yet though?

We'll see at training camp, but right now I'm not convinced he is.

NHL time, absolutely not. Not even until a couple more years until we see a call up.

AHL time? Absolutely is capable of playing 3rd/4th line RW minutes (most likely will be 4th line AHL minutes). As Enoch said, he needs to start playing in a better league, he's got nothing else to prove against 17 year olds.

[polak]

Unless they are small, I think sending prospects back to Junior is dumb as they become older.

Playing against 16 year olds isn't going to get you any more prepared for the NHL. Sure, if the player is small still than yes, let him grow a bit and fill out but if he's already an NHL sized dude, let him play in a league that will get him closer to the NHL.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by polak

Unless they are small, I think sending prospects back to Junior is dumb as they become older.

Playing against 16 year olds isn't going to get you any more prepared for the NHL. Sure, if the player is small still than yes, let him grow a bit and fill out but if he's already an NHL sized dude, let him play in a league that will get him closer to the NHL.

Lots of times though you need to not put a player at a level that sinks them. Most eligible prospects are too good for Junior by 19/20 season, but if you're not ready, your not ready. Aka Michael Ferland

[sureLoss]

You start him in the AHL next season, unless he has a really bad training camp.

If he struggles really badly in the AHL, consider demoting him to the ECHL or sending him back to junior.

[GreenLantern]

Didn't we go through the same thing with Ferland? Struggled at the pro level, sent him back to junior to dominate and then worked his way back up.

Seems to have worked out ok for him. Wouldn't be worried at all to see Smith make the jump next year.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Didn't we go through the same thing with Ferland? Struggled at the pro level, sent him back to junior to dominate and then worked his way back up.

Seems to have worked out ok for him. Wouldn't be worried at all to see Smith make the jump next year.

Ferland had other issues to work through as well.

That said, it's not much of a risk to start in the A next season and see what happens. B

[Sylvanfan]

I say sign him and try to put him in the AHL and if he's struggling too much there down to the ECHL. If he goes back to Junior he's going to play a role that he's unlikely to every play in the NHL. He's took on a larger role in Junior this year from previous years. At this point I do believe his next progression is to play against other men who will be less intimidated by his size, which will force him to work on the other aspects of his game which will allow him to utilize his size. If he plays a year as a first year pro getting 8 minutes of ice a night as a 4th line banger, I don't think that kills his long term development.

Even with Ferland after he got to the NHL this year the first time, he realized what type of NHL game he would have to play to stick, and subsequently his AHL production dipped after he went down again. But when he came back up to the NHL, he was an improved NHL player.

[ricardodw]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Bouma didn't go back to the WHL as a 20 year old, he turned pro but that has little to do with this argument. I'd wait to see how Smith does in camp. He may develop more in junior as he hasn't played a lot of junior games.

Bouma was drafted as an 18 year old in 2008 and then back for Vancouver for 2 more seasons. Joined the Heat for the 2010 playoffs past his 20th Birthday March 3 2010. That gave him 4 full seasons in the WHL... was he eligible to go back to the WHL for another year?

I think he was able to go back to the WHL. Ferland born a month later was able to go back to Saskatoon after messing up his first AHL chance and would have been 21 for the 2013 playoffs.