Our future and their stats this year

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Extremely unlikely that they all make it, but there's plenty of reason to be excited about them as a group.

Definitely. I haven't been this optimistic about the Flames collection of prospects in over 20 years. What I'm questioning is our future top six is set.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Definitely. I haven't been this optimistic about the Flames collection of prospects in over 20 years. What I'm questioning is our future top six is set.

Yeah, well, for every moon, there is a sun

c'est la vie

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Papi34

Im finding it super hard to control my expectations because this class looks outstanding.

I temper it with remembering how good i thought Dustin Boyd and Adam Cracknell would be when they were 2nd and 4th in 06 for whl scoring.

Long way to go but its definitely more exciting having these players than not.

Cracknell's great season was as an overager in junior playing as a 20 year old. That should have (and did) raise red flags for most people. He was never an amazing prospect. But we tend to be optimistic about the prospects we have.

In my time of following the team and the prospects closely I'd say we have at least 3 times as much depth in prospects as we've ever in my time of following the team (almost 20 years). There is no disputing that we've got a bunch of prospects that are as promising or more promising than anybody we've drafted in the last 20 years.

The future is bright. Some of these prospects are pretty intriguing players. IMO Monahan, Gaudreau, Jankowski and Poirier are 4 of the best forward prospects we've drafted in the last 20 years. IMO Berra, Ortio and Gillies are about as good as any goalie prospects we've had in the last 20 years.

Right now we only lack a top end defenseman prospect. We're pretty deep at most positions.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

In my time of following the team and the prospects closely I'd say we have at least 3 times as much depth in prospects as we've ever in my time of following the team (almost 20 years). There is no disputing that we've got a bunch of prospects that are as promising or more promising than anybody we've drafted in the last 20 years.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by 4oh3

Pavel brendl I remember going to hitmen games to see him play got to the nhl and just was a terrible player

Brendl was a great junior hockey cherry picker. I started questioning his pro possibilities when the Hitmen coach scratched him for some playoff games. I don't think he had the speed or conditioning or mental makeup needed to play a 100' game, never mind a 200' game. I laughed when the Rangers picked him.

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern

Jankowski to me looks like the most promising of them all, the way he has developed and matured in just one season speaks volumes. Looks to be a complete player down the middle.

I still don't get the Jankowski love.

[Calgary4LIfe]

I agree with Cube that we need to temper expectations, and especially not start thinking that 'these 6 guys are our future top 6'. Anything can happen, and some kids just find that transition way too difficult. I do think the Flames are getting it right - forcing competition between them, letting them develop on the Heat, bringing them into a more veteran team (unlike what the Oilers are doing). The guys that deserve to be in the top 6 will push their way onto it in time.

However, I am VERY optimistic about the group as a whole. Not only are they putting up great numbers and leading their respective teams, there is a quantity about them that I haven't seen since the Flames were thought of as being an elite drafting team (the 80's - 30, not 20 years ago). I crack a smile when I think of this.

However, that smile turns huge, rivaling that of Ville Nieminen (and it really hurts since my mouth isn't like that) when I think: "Wait, this is year 1 of the rebuild. That means there is even more coming soon!"

It is just really, really comforting to know that the Flames have a fairly significant prospect base in year one of the rebuild.

[djsFlames]

Just watch some Jankowski vids. He has almost Gaudreau-like hands but is 6'3..

Really hard not to like. There's a ton of potential there.

[Vinny01]

Janko has a lot of intriguing tools but to me he is behind Monahan, Baertschi, Gaudreau, and Poirier in terms of forward prospects. Monahan is scoring at .6 ppg in the NHL and is a month younger than Janko who isn't even at ppg in the NCAA.

I hope once he fills out he reaches his potential but I am going to temper my expectations for Janko for the time being. To me he is a very similar prospect to Joe Colborne

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

Fl
It's certainly not BAD to be a top scorer in junior, but it's always better to keep expectations in check.

Such a revealing statement, I don't think fans should feel bad about being optimistic. It is sports. A distraction. If blind optimism makes enjoy the sport more than I see nothing wrong with it.

Let those expectations soar!!! Hope is good!

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I still don't get the Jankowski love.

Not everyone is going to agree with every prospect. Heck, if you took a poll on Monahan as to what his ceiling is, people will have different opinions and arguments will ensue. Monahan is a legitimate 'high-floor' prospect - the exact opposite of a project (as evidenced by him playing in the NHL) - while also having a high ceiling (though this is where the arguments come as to exactly how high).

Jankowski is a project, not a 'sure thing' like Monahan. Seriously, how many people on this board here thought the Gaudreau pick was Feaster's man-love fixation on St. Louis, and thought that pick was a throw-away? I did. Though Gaudreau will still cause debates as to IF he even makes it, much less how 'awesome' he will perform, but how many more people legitimately believe that he is a future NHL'er vs those that don't think it now? Jankowski to me is the same type of pick. There will be those that will keep hating (or disliking) that pick until he proves it.

I love this pick much more than if the Flames selected Teravainen. That is who I compared him to, and in hindsight TT has been a project in his own right, but someone that would translate into yet another undersized project winger for the Flames. Jankowski is still developing without a question - not 'stalling' or even worse - regressing. I think there will be more 'love' for him as the season continues to be honest.

[Mitch]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

From my perspective, Gaudreau reminds me way too much of Gerbe. Very undersized, high skill forward, mid-round pick, dominated in college... only to not be able to translate his game to the NHL. All us Sabres fans were fawning over the prospect of having the next St. Louis on our hands but the reality with those little guys is they more often struggle then excel. Time will tell with him but the expectations for him need to be tempered.

Baertschi was the top scorer on the Winterhawks 2 years ago and has struggled to translate his game to the NHL so far. Nemisz and Wahl were point per game players in junior. Chuck Kobasew scored 40 goals for the Rockets way back. Etc.

It's certainly not BAD to be a top scorer in junior, but it's always better to keep expectations in check.

Except up to this point Gaudreau has been the better prospect in pretty well every aspect.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I still don't get the Jankowski love.

Have you watched him play? If you did, you'd get it.

Originally Posted by Vinny01

Janko has a lot of intriguing tools but to me he is behind Monahan, Baertschi, Gaudreau, and Poirier in terms of forward prospects. Monahan is scoring at .6 ppg in the NHL and is a month younger than Janko who isn't even at ppg in the NCAA.

What does that say for Baertschi? Baertschi is two years older and has fallen to less than .5 PPG. This year he's down to .33 PPG.

[polak]

Gaudreau isn't even a lock to be Flames property yet.

I'm keeping my expectations very low. Been hurt too many times as a Flames fan.

[KenHouston]

You never know look at Hnat Dommecelli's stats in Junior (granted shotgun with Iginla). Even first year AHL was good then poof!! 148 points in Junior (95/96) and first year AHL 39 games 48 points.

Agree with some of you, as a group solid potential but lets not drill down into specific players as we just never know.

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/p....php?pid=19325

[Bonded]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

Jankowski is still developing without a question - not 'stalling' or even worse - regressing. I think there will be more 'love' for him as the season continues to be honest.

I am not trying to say it was a wasted pick, or that he is terrible. I just don't think he is the most promising of the prospects by any means. He seems to get a lot of love for being a big center. I'd be happy if he turned into a good third line center.

Originally Posted by New Era

Have you watched him play? If you did, you'd get it.

Haven't seen him live, watched a streamed game, and thought he looked okay. Maybe he looks better live

[Iggyinla]

Poirier also has 4 shorthanded goals already.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Bonded

I am not trying to say it was a wasted pick, or that he is terrible. I just don't think he is the most promising of the prospects by any means. He seems to get a lot of love for being a big center. I'd be happy if he turned into a good third line center.



Haven't seen him live, watched a streamed game, and thought he looked okay. Maybe he looks better live

I haven't found an instance of anyone claiming him to be the most promising prospect in the least. He is the most intriguing to me personally for a variety of factors, but I don't rank him as the most promising either. Him, Ferland and Gaudreau are my most 'interesting' or 'intriguing' prospects based on combinations of their ceilings and where they fit in on my 'fantasy' lines and future contributions, but none of the above are locks or even the most promising.

Monahan is the most promising by a league at this point, and I doubt very much there is a single fan on these boards that feel otherwise, even if they have 'favorites' like I do.

[Mister Yamoto]

Coda Gordan is currently eighth in WHL scoring. Just sayin.

[Mister Yamoto]

Originally Posted by polak

Gaudreau isn't even a lock to be Flames property yet.

I'm keeping my expectations very low. Been hurt too many times as a Flames fan.

I think Gaudreau will sign with the Flames. But if he does not sign at the end of his season this year, and plays his last season of college. That will be a big red flag.