[News] Sportsnet's Top 30 - Draft 2014

[Da_Chief]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

You might not like Ritchie at 4... but saying he's not a surefire NHLer is a bit much.

No one is a surefire NHLer but some ppl are being ridiculous by claiming some are and some are not. Stupidity at its best.

[AC]

I'm on board with Ritchie, though I'd prefer Bennet or Reinhart personally.

Either way these threads are going to be entertaining years down the line when we figure out what type of player everyone in the top 5 has become.

Ritchie seems to be a very polarizing prospect.

[Parallex]

Not on board with Richie. Not at all.

I'll be pissed if, after having been lacking at the more important center position for over a decade, they elect to draft a winger who's been noted to have poor conditioning and consistency issues (along with having scored less points then the centers).

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Not on board with Richie. Not at all.

I'll be pissed if, after having been lacking at the more important center position for over a decade, they elect to draft a winger who's been noted to have poor conditioning and consistency issues (along with having scored less points then the centers).

18 year old males without consistency issues are very rare in any situation.

[nightfx]

What's with people saying Ritchie is overweight/out of shape? Is it his chubby face?



He looks in pretty good shape for an 18 year old to me.

[Hackey]

I think Sportsnet just has to make some out of the box picks to help their list standout and get people talking. If they go with a typical list then people read it and no discussion takes place.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by Hackey

I think Sportsnet just has to make some out of the box picks to help their list standout and get people talking. If they go with a typical list then people read it and no discussion takes place.

Yeah, Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News posted a list today and nobody is talking about it at all (Ritchie is at #7 BTW).

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by saillias

Couldn't agree more, I would go as far as to say Sutter's constant trading down in the 1st round crippled this franchise.

I wouldn't go that far. I agree trading down from 4 is a bad idea because you can land an elite player but when your drafting in the bottom half of the round the talent is not nearly as good, a lot closer in overall skill, and a lot tougher to judge.

[868904]

I think with how Treliving and Burke like their players and teams, their order is this:

Ekblad
Bennett
Draisaitl
Ritchie
Reinhart

Ekblad cause he's big and a big need.

Bennett cause he has the skill and IQ that Reinhart has but he's got that belligerence. One of Burke's interviews on the Flames website has him talking about how he had his scouts in Vancouver move Kesler up from the 2nd round after he saw him once. Bennett sounds an awful lot like Kesler.

Draisaitl gets the edge over Ritchie because he's a centre, but they are both big boys which gives them the edge over Reinhart.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Parallex

Not on board with Richie. Not at all.

I'll be pissed if, after having been lacking at the more important center position for over a decade, they elect to draft a winger who's been noted to have poor conditioning and consistency issues (along with having scored less points then the centers).

We've been lacking at the powerforward position ever since Chris Simon left. We did have Bertuzzi for a time but he had toned down the power in his game. Despite many calling Iginla a powerforward because he'd fight, he didn't really have the size/strength to power through defenders for the latter half of his career. Iginla was more of a sniper IMO.

At centre we've recently spent three 1st rounders (Backlund, Jankowski, Monahan) and have a nice looking 2nd rounder (Granlund) so we actually look in much better shape at centre than we do at powerforward. The only powerforward we have in the system is Ferland.

[Igster]

Whatever happens, it will be interesting to follow Ritchie and see what he becomes.

[Rick M.]

Originally Posted by 868904

I think with how Treliving and Burke like their players and teams, their order is this:

Ekblad
Bennett
Draisaitl
Ritchie
Reinhart

Ekblad cause he's big and a big need.

Bennett cause he has the skill and IQ that Reinhart has but he's got that belligerence. One of Burke's interviews on the Flames website has him talking about how he had his scouts in Vancouver move Kesler up from the 2nd round after he saw him once. Bennett sounds an awful lot like Kesler.

Draisaitl gets the edge over Ritchie because he's a centre, but they are both big boys which gives them the edge over Reinhart.

Given Burke's comment about Reinhart, the 'braineac center' who 'dismantled the Hitmen', I doubt he had him ranked lower than Ritchie.

[Hackey]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

We've been lacking at the powerforward position ever since Chris Simon left. We did have Bertuzzi for a time but he had toned down the power in his game. Despite many calling Iginla a powerforward because he'd fight, he didn't really have the size/strength to power through defenders for the latter half of his career. Iginla was more of a sniper IMO.

At centre we've recently spent three 1st rounders (Backlund, Jankowski, Monahan) and have a nice looking 2nd rounder (Granlund) so we actually look in much better shape at centre than we do at powerforward. The only powerforward we have in the system is Ferland.

Center is arguably the most important position on a hockey team. Basically an essential requirement for winning. Don't think you can say the same about power forward. You can also switch quality centers to the wing. We need elite top 6 talent regardless of position and out of the guys you named Id say only Monahan is a for sure legit top 6 player.

[EldrickOnIce]

I have no problem with moving down, if you get your man.
I expect the Flames have Ritchie at 4, ahead of Draisaitl. If the first three are gone, and you can get Ritchie at 6 plus a second round pick, you're crazy not to.

The issue is who is where on their list, that might cause this place to blow up on draft day. Ritchie over Draisaitl is not a stretch at all, imo. Ritchie, or trading down, if Reinhart is on the board would cause a Rico Fata is on waivers type of epic meltdown

[AC]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

I have no problem with moving down, if you get your man.
I expect the Flames have Ritchie at 4, ahead of Draisaitl. If the first three are gone, and you can get Ritchie at 6 plus a second round pick, you're crazy not to.

The issue is who is where on their list, that might cause this place to blow up on draft day. Ritchie over Draisaitl is not a stretch at all, imo. Ritchie, or trading down, if Reinhart is on the board would cause an Rico Fata is on waivers type of epic meltdown

I agree completely.

I'm a big Ritchie fan as of late, however my reaction to us taking him at #4 (or trading down to take him a few spots later) is contingent on who we end up passing on to do so.

Regardless, CP is going to be at least 50% pissed off (maybe in terms of the vocal minority) no matter who we take I'm betting.

My stance is I do not care whatsoever who we take. I just want to be able to look back at this draft 5, 10, 15 years down the line and feel like we made the right pick.

[19Yzerman19]

What spot are you thinking they'd trade down to? Eldrick is saying 6, which is Vancouver; not sure they'd want to trade up unless they're taking Reinhart. It's possible that Ritchie is available at 8, and the Leafs may be willing trade partners.

Incidentally, I've been meaning to posit this in a draft thread and here is as good as any... what do people generally think about the odds of William Nylander going top 5? I've been high on him for months now but despite having apparently earned the go-to description of "possibly the best player in this draft" and "highest ceiling", he hasn't gained much momentum on these lists. IMO, taking him at 4 would be worthwhile, in spite of him probably not being the stereotypical "Burke player".

[EldrickOnIce]

Yeah, just threw out 6 not thinking of who picked there.
But that might be a perfect example anyway. Reinhart on the board at 4, and Flames swap first round picks and get Vancouver second.
Not saying a likely scenario at all, but reaction would be incredibly negative, even though it would take a few years to determine whether or not it was a good move.

[Vulcan]

Looking back at last years draft, most teams in the top ten got it right. Maybe Nichushkin moves up. Despite the success of MacKinnon he wasn't the #1 pick from a lot of rankings. What I'm getting at is that most teams got their picks right because scouting is very good these days and I expect we'll make the right choice this time as well.

[19Yzerman19]

^Pretty impossible to assess who got their picks right from a draft that happened last year. We'll need 3-5 years to properly assess that.

Eldrick, if Reinhart fell to the Flames at 4 and they traded back so that Vancouver could pick him I think Treliving might be burned alive outside the Saddledome when he got back. I think Reinhart goes to Buffalo at 2, though.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by EldrickOnIce

I have no problem with moving down, if you get your man.
I expect the Flames have Ritchie at 4, ahead of Draisaitl. If the first three are gone, and you can get Ritchie at 6 plus a second round pick, you're crazy not to.

The issue is who is where on their list, that might cause this place to blow up on draft day. Ritchie over Draisaitl is not a stretch at all, imo. Ritchie, or trading down, if Reinhart is on the board would cause a Rico Fata is on waivers type of epic meltdown

I agree for the most part.

I'm 50% Ritchie in the conversation to shake things up, and 50% preparing the fan base for liking Ritchie more than one of the four.

And I agree that one is likely Draisaitl.