flames get 1st overall pick, today who would you pick?

[djsFlames]

Somehow I just don't see Seth Jones helping us a couple years down the road as much as a surefire top line center, as N Mac is being touted to be. Can we please just address and put to bed this one sore spot that has been plaguing the team for god knows how long? Rather than deviating from a perfect opportunity yet again with some (sure valid) but unnecessary excuse.

I say you build your contender from the center out. And if by a stroke of luck Janks actually pans out, then great, you've got your 1/2 and you've filled out your most crucial forward position.

[FlameyMcFlameFace]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Jankowski is a nice prospect, but you can't bank on him.

Wouldn't it be even better if we had a 1-2 punch of MacKinnon and Jankowski?

Ok now I'm going to say the same to you about Brodie, hes a nice prospect but you cant bank on him..

How about the Brodie and Jones show from the point?

[Rubicant]

Originally Posted by flamesfan2.0

hopefully that person is mark jankowski.. We need to start addressing our defensive needs because mark my works in like 2 years the talk will be we have zero defensive prospects..

As for brodie again, I dont like throwing our eggs in one basket. We still have no clue about Brodie and how he will turn out.. Is he a top 2 Dman? I don't know. Point is draft the best talent.

Exactly - hopefully.

It should be extremely obvious, especially to Flames fans how difficult it is to acquire a franchise centre. Drafting is by far the best way to do that, so they should take MacKinnon unless they feel Jones really is head and shoulders above him.

[Goodlad]

Originally Posted by flamesfan2.0

hopefully that person is mark jankowski.. We need to start addressing our defensive needs because mark my works in like 2 years the talk will be we have zero defensive prospects..

As for brodie again, I dont like throwing our eggs in one basket. We still have no clue about Brodie and how he will turn out.. Is he a top 2 Dman? I don't know. Point is draft the best talent.

This is about the 5th time you've said this in the thread, yet not once have you stated why you're so convinced Jones is the best player in the draft. Maybe if you elaborated on that people would have an easier time understanding your point of view.

[Ashasx]

Originally Posted by flamesfan2.0

Ok now I'm going to say the same to you about Brodie, hes a nice prospect but you cant bank on him..

How about the Brodie and Jones show from the point?

Brodie is already a top 4 defenceman for this team.. he's closer than Jankowski to reaching his potential.

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by flamesfan2.0

What about our slacking defense? I honestly dont believe the flames are in a position to pick a prospect just because he is a center when our defense is weak too. When we draft a center, all of us are going to start complaining about the lack of defensive depth we have..

I might be alone, but I dont see why center is our ONLY focus right now.

What happened last we picked the stud defenseman ahead of the forward?

Dion taken ahead of Carter, Parise, Getzlaf, Richards, and Kesler.
Yes, I am using hindsight, and yes we all loved Dion for the first few years, but take the forward. I think it was Holmgren in Philly saying his philosophy was always to draft the forward, and trade for or FA sign the defenseman, due to the length of time it takes the latter to develop, while forwards can slot in much quicker. And yes, I understand Philly has not won much, ever, but this part of their strategy has made sense.

Off topic, but man was that ever a great draft. Except for NYR taking Hugh Jessiman 12th....

[nik-]

MacKinnon without a doubt. If we didn't use that pick to address a borderline ancestral need of this team, I'd be pretty upset.

[FlameyMcFlameFace]

Originally Posted by Goodlad

This is about the 5th time you've said this in the thread, yet not once have you stated why you're so convinced Jones is the best player in the draft. Maybe if you elaborated on that people would have an easier time understanding your point of view.

Sorry Im going by all the reports on him, all the stats that see him 1st overall. His performance in the WJC, aswell as him 3rd in points as a Dman in the WHL. Thats why I said today in the start of the thread because I see him today as the best prospect due to his performance today.. The thread question was if you were to draft today.

[dammage79]

Either Combination of Jankowski with MacKinnon or Barkov would look pretty sweet for a good long time. Add Bcklund into the mix and that is a very nice looking group of centermen.

[FlameyMcFlameFace]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Brodie is already a top 4 defenceman for this team.. he's closer than Jankowski to reaching his potential.

To be fair, Janko did just get drafted. However yes I see where you are coming from. However hes top 4 on a team that compared to other nhl teams, is easier to crack the top 4 D.

[mustache ride]

First center picked vs first Dman from 2004 to 2009

Tavares or Hedman?
Stamkos or Doughty?
Turris vs Hickey?
Johnson vs Staal ( Toews,Backstrom, Kessel)?
Crosby vs Johnson?
Malkin vs Barker?
Staal vs Suter?

[IamNotKenKing]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

It should also be noted how young MacKinnon is... if I'm not mistaken, if he goes first, he'll be the youngest first overall pick in NHL history.

For all intensive purposes, Jones is a year older than MacKinnon.

Sorry, man, I have to call you out on this one.
You mean to say "for all intents and purposes".

[Mitch]

Mackinnon

[saillias]

No, no, never, to drafting Seth Jones #1 overall. I wouldn't pick him at 1, 2, or 3.

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthread.php?t=124701

Hamrlik, Jovo, Berard, Phillips??!! These are the guys who were being touted the same way Jones is. Hell no. Stay away.

[$ven27]

MacKinnon.

[Dorkmaster]

Originally Posted by mustache ride

First center picked vs first Dman from 2004 to 2009

Tavares or Hedman?
Stamkos or Doughty?
Turris vs Hickey?
Johnson vs Staal ( Toews,Backstrom, Kessel)?
Crosby vs Johnson?
Malkin vs Barker?
Staal vs Suter?

How many of those dmen were rated number 1? Only E. Johnson. Hedman was the next closest. Pick the best player regardless of need. If its Drouin, who cares if we have similar players in Bartschi and Gaudreau. If its Jones, who cares if we have Wideman and Brodie. If its Mackinnon then its Mackinnon.
Carey Price wasn't a need for Montreal at the time, but he's turned out to be one of the best picks that year.

Best player always whoever that player is. With this year, thankfully each of the top 4 seem extremely promising in their own ways.

[saillias]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

Draft the best available talent, that player is Seth Jones. Drafting for immediate need is stupid.

What if the best available talent was a goalie? Should we take the goalie?

Drafting for immediate need may not be smartest, but drafting a defenseman or a goalie #1 overall doesn't have a good track record either. He's not going to turn out the way you think he will, and if he does, it will be literally the first time in modern hockey history that a defenseman picked 1st overall turned into the player he was touted to be. That's not even hyperbole.

[Sakari]

I bet we pick a goalie. I'd say Mackinnon, but we'll probably draft a goalie. Because we're the Flames.

[Wronskian]

In regards to defenseman vs. forward at 1st overall; I'm of the opinion that dmen are much more difficult to project, therefore with careful drafting you can hit home runs. In the event that you suck at drafting (flames under Sutter), then you always have the ability to shore up the D at free agency. I feel that dmen take longer to develop therefore you have lots of options on July 1st.

[Anduril]

Mackinnon and AINEC. We've been complaining about the lack of a true Centre and at this, having a more than 2 legitimate Centres, for years. IF there's an opportunity to add Mackinnon to Jankowski as a potential one-two punch, I don't see why we don't do it.
Jones doesn't stand out enough to make it an obvious choice.