Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Edmonton doesn't have a 2nd, 3rd or 4th, no?

I like our odds of moving up more than theirs.

True, but the Oiler's may be a lot more willing to move prospects/young roster players than the Flames.

Not sure if they have anyone in their system that Buffalo will like, but it could come down to Tim Murray's personal opinions on what is being offered.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Edmonton doesn't have a 2nd, 3rd or 4th, no?

I like our odds of moving up more than theirs.

Even when they have them, what do they do with them?

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

I don't see it happening. I think Edmonton is getting Ekblad, unless they actually show up for some games in the 2nd half. Burke can offer anything he wants, but the only player Edmonton wants is Ekblad, and i think they will match anything Burke has to offer.

Buffalo is sitting pretty if they win the draft lottery. They will have Edmonton and Calgary trying to get Ekblad. If Edmonton offers what Calgary does then Buffalo will trade with them and only move down one spot.

I hope Burke doesn't sell the farm for Ekblad. He is being overhyped as he is the best player in a bad draft year. We will in all likelihood finish in the top four and get a good player. But we don't need to spend assets which we re aren't deep in in order to get a defenceman that McKenzie said was projected to be a number four defenceman as recently as last season. If we win the lottery and pick him, fine. But don't throw a bunch of picks/prospects to get him.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by kyuss275

I don't see it happening. I think Edmonton is getting Ekblad, unless they actually show up for some games in the 2nd half. Burke can offer anything he wants, but the only player Edmonton wants is Ekblad, and i think they will match anything Burke has to offer.

Buffalo is sitting pretty if they win the draft lottery. They will have Edmonton and Calgary trying to get Ekblad. If Edmonton offers what Calgary does then Buffalo will trade with them and only move down one spot.

Originally Posted by Ashasx

McKenzie and Pronman both say big dropoff after the top 3.

Wouldn't it just par for the course if a team behind us won the lottery and we ended up picking 4th, after we missed out on the elite 4 last year.

Don't recall McKenzie saying big drop after three. Heard him saying that Draisaitl needed a strong second half to stop his slide but spoke highly of all players in the top four. Here's hoping for a bottom three finish.

[sureLoss]

Red line's reports top 10, they are not impressed with Bennett as everyone else and mention Draisaitl as being in the mix with Reinhart and Ekblad.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports...nuary/4807865/

NO.	PLAYER	POS.	HT., WT.	SHOOTS	DATE OF BIRTH	TEAM
1	Aaron Ekblad	D	6-3, 212	Right	Feb. 7, 1996	Barrie
2	Leon Draisaitl	C	6-1, 209	Left	Oct. 27, 1995	Prince Albert
3	Sam Reinhart	C	6-1, 182	Right	Nov. 6, 1995	Kootenay
4	William Nylander	LW	5-10, 170	Right	May 1 , 1996	Sodertalje
5	Michael dal Colle	LW	6-2, 171	Left	June 20, 1996	Oshawa
6	Sam Bennett	C	6-0, 178	Left	June 20, 1996	Kingston
7	Jake Virtanen	LW	6-1, 203	Right	Aug. 17, 1996	Calgary
8	Haydn Fleury	D	6-3, 204	Left	July 8, 1996	Red Deer
9	Nick Ritchie	LW	6-3, 232	Left	Dec. 5, 1995	Peterborough
10	Nikolay Goldobin	RW	5-11, 175	Left	Oct. 7, 1995	Sarnia

They also talk about Justin Kirkland, emerging power forward that would be interesting around in the later rounds:

Kelowna Rockets first-year man Justin Kirkland, who played the last two seasons at noted Saskatchewan hockey factory Notre Dame, is a late-blooming power forward who is still filling out an impressive 6-3 frame after a recent growth spurt. One of our WHL scouts has been impressed by the seamless transition he has made into major junior, and sees a high end hockey IQ.

Kirkland already graduated high school a year early to dedicate his draft season towards improving on ice and logging extra hours needed in the gym. For now we'll call him a Red Line sleeper because we haven't heard much talk about him yet among the scouting fraternity. But we'll be surprised if their isn't some added scouting attention on Kelowna in the second half.

[SHOGUN]

Oh man would I love the Flames to win 1st overall if we finish below the Oilers.. then draft Ekblad.

[ThatsRobbery]

Originally Posted by SHOGUN

Oh man would I love the Flames to win 1st overall if we finish below the Oilers.. then draft Ekblad.

That's the dream, I would laugh so incredibly hard at my Oiler friends.

[sureLoss]

At the beginning of this season the feeling around the scouting community was that Ekblad was in a class below Seth Jones.

It seems the gap between Jones and Ekblad has closed.

Think I am starting to believe the hype in Ekblad.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

At the beginning of this season the feeling around the scouting community was that Ekblad was in a class below Seth Jones.

It seems the gap between Jones and Ekblad has closed.

Think I am starting to believe the hype in Ekblad.

Well I'm an Ekblad believer but even if he isn't as good as Jones, this draft class isn't as good as last years either.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

At the beginning of this season the feeling around the scouting community was that Ekblad was in a class below Seth Jones.

It seems the gap between Jones and Ekblad has closed.

Think I am starting to believe the hype in Ekblad.

This one is for TTC

[nik-]

Just 4 points up on Florida now from 8 a few days ago. I'm sure the hockey gods are going to find a way to #### us in this draft since the talent apparently drops hard after the first 3 players.

It is just unbelievable how bad these teams are. Our worst season in franchise history and some of these teams are just dusting us in the draft rankings like it's nothing.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

At the beginning of this season the feeling around the scouting community was that Ekblad was in a class below Seth Jones.

It seems the gap between Jones and Ekblad has closed.

Think I am starting to believe the hype in Ekblad.

It does?

Jones looked clearly like the better prospect to me. Of course, I'm only going by the WJC where Jones dominated the tournament while Ekblad belonged.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

It does?

Jones looked clearly like the better prospect to me. Of course, I'm only going by the WJC where Jones dominated the tournament while Ekblad belonged.

Which is why scouts don't just use the WJC to evaluate prospects.

At the beginning of the season there were genuine concerns about Ekblad.

His offensive numbers showed little improvement from his 1st year in the OHL to the 2nd year. Now in his draft year he is out producing Jones, and Jones was on a much more talented offensive team.

Also concerns about whether his size was helping him dominate weaker players in the OHL and that advantage would disappear in the NHL. While true to some degree, there is a lot more to his defense side of the game than just physical domination from the reports I have heard.

The gap between Ekblad and Jones is a lot closer than what was perceived at the start of the season.

[The Original FFIV]

Originally Posted by nik-

Just 4 points up on Florida now from 8 a few days ago. I'm sure the hockey gods are going to find a way to #### us in this draft since the talent apparently drops hard after the first 3 players.

It is just unbelievable how bad these teams are. Our worst season in franchise history and some of these teams are just dusting us in the draft rankings like it's nothing.

Is there a link to this drop after the top three? Because I haven't seen anything of the sort. I thought the top four maybe five were the top tier but if there is something showing a big drop would be interested to see.

[Table 5]

Yeah, the whole drop off after 3 seems made up. I remember it being first attributed to Bob McKenzie, but I haven't seen him say it anywhere. You'd get a great scorer like Dal Colle at 4 at the very least.

Having said that, I'd definitely like to stay in the Top 3 range. Good thing we play the Hawks next.

[Tinordi]

Originally Posted by sureLoss

Which is why scouts don't just use the WJC to evaluate prospects.

At the beginning of the season there were genuine concerns about Ekblad.

His offensive numbers showed little improvement from his 1st year in the OHL to the 2nd year. Now in his draft year he is out producing Jones, and Jones was on a much more talented offensive team.

Also concerns about whether his size was helping him dominate weaker players in the OHL and that advantage would disappear in the NHL. While true to some degree, there is a lot more to his defense side of the game than just physical domination from the reports I have heard.

The gap between Ekblad and Jones is a lot closer than what was perceived at the start of the season.

I don't disagree with any of this, Ekblad has emerged as a solid prospect. But what your post didn't convince me of is that Ekblad is pulling even with Jones. Jones was the number 1 ranked prospect for almost the whole year in a draft that was considered much stronger. Jones was considered a special prospect, infact he's still looking special when he's been relied on to be Nashville's #2 defenceman throughout the season as a 19 year old.

And yes, use much more than the WJCs but the eye test can be important sometimes. Jones was that American team, the whole play defensive and offensive funneled through him, and a team that eventually won the tournament. Ekblad just wasn't close to that level in the tournament. Sure there could be many reasons for that but it was a strong contrast between the two players.

[strombad]

Honestly, I think the best we could do at this point is 5th, and I think the top five are all going to be good players. The top 3 are a cut above, but Dal Colle, Draisaitl, Bennett, and Nylander have all taken turns in the 3-5 range on different lists this year. If we get one of those guys, we'll be alright. Would Ekblad or Reinhart be absolutely ideal? Yeah. Would Bennett be the best of the rest, maybe even the best overall? Maybe. But I don't think it's something we really have to worry about.

This draft is similar to the drafts the Oilers picked in, while there is going to be a "#1 overall", it's still not the most elite draft class.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by strombad

Honestly, I think the best we could do at this point is 5th, and I think the top five are all going to be good players...

Huh? I just don't see the Flames pulling ahead of either Florida or NYI. In my mind, a d bottom-three finish is all but guaranteed.

[sureLoss]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

I don't disagree with any of this, Ekblad has emerged as a solid prospect. But what your post didn't convince me of is that Ekblad is pulling even with Jones. Jones was the number 1 ranked prospect for almost the whole year in a draft that was considered much stronger. Jones was considered a special prospect, infact he's still looking special when he's been relied on to be Nashville's #2 defenceman throughout the season as a 19 year old.

And yes, use much more than the WJCs but the eye test can be important sometimes. Jones was that American team, the whole play defensive and offensive funneled through him, and a team that eventually won the tournament. Ekblad just wasn't close to that level in the tournament. Sure there could be many reasons for that but it was a strong contrast between the two players.

And a lot of people think Ekblad is special. One of the few players in the CHL to get exceptional status. He has been pretty much in the running for the #1 overall pick for a long time as well. This year may not be as deep, but it doesn't mean he isn't getting close to Jones.

Also give team USA other players a lot of credit. John Gibson and Jacob Trouba had a lot to do with their success and arguably more than Jones.
Also where was the level of play in the Memorial Cup where Jones merely looked like he belonged and did not dominate?

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Huh? I just don't see the Flames pulling ahead of either Florida or NYI. In my mind, a d bottom-three finish is all but guaranteed.

Florida could easily out tank us if they chose. I'm not saying top 3 isn't most likely, I too would be extremely surprised if we did better than 3rd, but I KNOW we won't do better than 5th.