[News] With the 18th OA pick, the Flames select C Cole Reschny

[Snuffleupagus]

Originally Posted by stemit14

I just want him to be used as a top 3 centre whenever he starts playing with the big club. Not a winger for the first season or two, or a centre on the 4th line. He is a centre. Play him at centre on a line with enough skill to contribute some offence.

It’s why I think another year in the NCAA would be good for him. By then, he likely dominates the NCAA as a centre while also building strength and conditioning. By the 2027-2028 season, he comes into a team that could have picked top 5 in both the previous drafts and be starting in a new arena. Lots of momentum to build on in the organization by then. Plus there will likely be even fewer vets on the team by then so more opportunity.

One defensive mistake Huska will have him on the wing the next game. book it.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Will the flames really need the cap space the following season if they did buy him out? I would rather not have another older player on the roster taking up a spot from a young player.

This is why I suggested a buyout. But as Mr Mike suggested, perhaps a retained Palat can get you a pick at the deadline. He's not living up to his $6M AAV in NJ, but I really like the player and what he brings. He was playing up with Hughes and Bratt for a period this year and I thought he looked good, particularly in the Colorado game, he just can't score.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by Fan69

Really makes the center problem glaring.

Not as extreme as you'd think. A player like McKenna turns a 50 point center into a 70+ point centre.

The Flames definitely need a marquee offensive player, but when was the last time a team had both a franchise level winger and a franchise level centre playing together? (I guess that depends on how big of a Jonathan Toews fanboy you are, even then that was pre current draft lottery rules.)

The championship teams led by wingers had guys like Point, Backstrom, and Kuznetsov playing with their star wingers. Those are good players, but there's no reason a guy like Reschny can't play at that level paired with McKenna.

If the Flames ever did draft McKenna, they have McKenna, Wolf, Parekh, and Reschny in the fold. That's a much better group than most teams start out with post rebuild. The rest comes to internal development and asset management.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by blankall

Not as extreme as you'd think. A player like McKenna turns a 50 point center into a 70+ point centre.

The Flames definitely need a marquee offensive player, but when was the last time a team had both a franchise level winger and a franchise level centre playing together? (I guess that depends on how big of a Jonathan Toews fanboy you are, even then that was pre current draft lottery rules.)

The championship teams led by wingers had guys like Point, Backstrom, and Kuznetsov playing with their star wingers. Those are good players, but there's no reason a guy like Reschny can't play at that level paired with McKenna.

If the Flames ever did draft McKenna, they have McKenna, Wolf, Parekh, and Reschny in the fold. That's a much better group than most teams start out with post rebuild. The rest comes to internal development and asset management.

While i get your point, and i do think Reschny is going to be a gooder, if Potter busts or is shifted from center Reschny is basically what we got.

I am hoping that we pick top five ( any of Mckenna,Belchetz,Lawrence,Vaerhoff,Bjork) with some honourable mentions at this point of early drafting, that are game changers to me. Use our second of three firsts from a trade to grab one of Malhotra or Hextall to add to our center depth. Then use the third first to grab whoever you think is the best defender with that pick unless a winger is just clearly better.


We could walk out of the draft if we dont pick first, which is likely, with Lawrence, Malhotra/Hextall, defencemen in the first round.

My point more generally was our center depth is awful and their are some centers in this draft.

Now having said all that a shout out my boy Hoskin!
As well as the Taco King!
If one or both of these guys could finally steady that bottom six center position for more than half a season it would be huge and lessen the pressure of filling that position that seems to have been a revolving door forever.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by blankall

The Flames definitely need a marquee offensive player, but when was the last time a team had both a franchise level winger and a franchise level centre playing together?

.

how do we deal with the Edmonton situation with regards to this question?

[InternationalVillager]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I think he probably wants to.

I wouldn't be surprised if he's looking at Ben Kindel and going "I was just as good as that guy and he's doing pretty well in the NHL"

Ben Kindel has Crosby, Rust, Malkin, Karlsson to play with.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Fan69

While i get your point, and i do think Reschny is going to be a gooder, if Potter busts or is shifted from center Reschny is basically what we got.

I am hoping that we pick top five ( any of Mckenna,Belchetz,Lawrence,Vaerhoff,Bjork) with some honourable mentions at this point of early drafting, that are game changers to me. Use our second of three firsts from a trade to grab one of Malhotra or Hextall to add to our center depth. Then use the third first to grab whoever you think is the best defender with that pick unless a winger is just clearly better.


We could walk out of the draft if we dont pick first, which is likely, with Lawrence, Malhotra/Hextall, defencemen in the first round.

My point more generally was our center depth is awful and their are some centers in this draft.

Now having said all that a shout out my boy Hoskin!
As well as the Taco King!
If one or both of these guys could finally steady that bottom six center position for more than half a season it would be huge and lessen the pressure of filling that position that seems to have been a revolving door forever.

Stocksellus has the potential to be a good top 6 center - more of a middle-six I would say, but the potential to be a good #2 center.


However, yes, I 100% agree, and I bet that the Flames draft another center in the 1st round.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Stocksellus has the potential to be a good top 6 center - more of a middle-six I would say, but the potential to be a good #2 center.


However, yes, I 100% agree, and I bet that the Flames draft another center in the 1st round.

From everything i read and heard stock really took off when he was put on the wing. Didnt include him for that reason.

[Bingo]

Top six forward and 33% 1st line projection.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1995618464195903608

[stemit14]

Loving his development so far. Will be interesting to see what happens with him next year. I know a lot of us fans will be excited to see him play with the flames as soon as possible but I actually think the best thing for him might be to play one more year of college hockey after this season. He’s on pace to have a really solid freshman year… if he goes back for one more year after this, I think he’ll have a dominant year in the NCAA and might even challenge for the hobey baker.

Next season the flames will likely struggle for wins even more so than this year. I think dominating the NCAA would be better for him. Plus the lighter schedule in the NCAA (compared to the NHL and AHL) will allow him to bulk up more during the season. And I would like him to get to be used as a 2nd line center when he eventually joins the flames - not as a 3rd line winger or someone that gets bounced around to the 4th line.

[Erick Estrada]

I wonder if Not So Optimistic Flames Fan posts here lol. I'm trying to hold off getting overly excited about these kids because so many of them don't pan out but all you can hope for is that they continue to excel in their development and this kid is doing just that. I think he's the guy most fans here wanted with that pick was he not?

[D as in David]

Originally Posted by stemit14

Loving his development so far. Will be interesting to see what happens with him next year. I know a lot of us fans will be excited to see him play with the flames as soon as possible but I actually think the best thing for him might be to play one more year of college hockey after this season. He’s on pace to have a really solid freshman year… if he goes back for one more year after this, I think he’ll have a dominant year in the NCAA and might even challenge for the hobey baker.

Next season the flames will likely struggle for wins even more so than this year. I think dominating the NCAA would be better for him. Plus the lighter schedule in the NCAA (compared to the NHL and AHL) will allow him to bulk up more during the season. And I would like him to get to be used as a 2nd line center when he eventually joins the flames - not as a 3rd line winger or someone that gets bounced around to the 4th line.

The AHL is also an option for him. The second half of this season - and playoffs - will give us a good indication of where he should start next year. Maybe he kills the second half of his season this year like he did last year.

[YyjFlames]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

I wonder if Not So Optimistic Flames Fan posts here lol. I'm trying to hold off getting overly excited about these kids because so many of them don't pan out but all you can hope for is that they continue to excel in their development and this kid is doing just that. I think he's the guy most fans here wanted with that pick was he not?

It's pretty safe to get excited about this guy. He's got the skillset, IQ, work ethic and mental makeup that suggests a pretty high floor.

He was a steal at the draft at 18.

I'm still pretty chaffed to not get to see him live and up close in Victoria for his last few years of pre NHL development. He made those games so much more entertaining with his noticeable, typically selfless, plays on every shift.

He'll be a great fit beside skilled shooters like Coronato or Gridin--and I feel in the longer term he's the type of guy that'll be able to unlock slumping skilled players (like Sharangovich) with his on ice vision.

[D as in David]

His floor is looking like 2C, or is that overly optimistic at this point?

[Monahammer]

I continue to like the Trottier comparison. I hope he can grow a sick lip warmer.

[Lewis_D]

Originally Posted by YyjFlames

He was a steal at the draft at 18.

I think the Flames lucked out abit in the sense that Reschny really took off during the playoffs. I'm sure there were some teams in the 10-20 range that thought about it but likely went with the guy they were interested in months prior. Either way, it's looking like their loss and our gain.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by D as in David

His floor is looking like 2C, or is that overly optimistic at this point?

I think the projection is moving that way, but not the floor (if that's an answer).

He no longer looks "middle six" to me, and has top six as a projection but his floor is still probably a bubble player I would think.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by Monahammer

I continue to like the Trottier comparison. I hope he can grow a sick lip warmer.

That’s high praise. Trottier is my favourite all around player of all time.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

He's looking good, but hopefully he can fill the net a little more than he has.

Still sitting at 2 goals on the season.

As far as the aspects of a center's game that will give him a leg up at the NHL level though he looks like a home run from where the flames were picking.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by D as in David

His floor is looking like 2C, or is that overly optimistic at this point?

Floor is the worst possible outcome in his range of career outcomes. Unfortunately, there's still a question mark as to whether he will even make the NHL.

/debbie downer