Our 6th Overall Pick: Elias Lindholm or Sean Monahan?

[GoFlamesGo1989]

Hands down we better pick SEAN MONAHAN

The fact that he was able to get the same number of points in less games, without his linemates or teammates from last years powerhouse team, such as Shane Prince, Tyler Toffoli, and even Tyler Graovic, and Cody Ceci were traded this year. He had little to no help. Playing with 95's/96's, while serving a suspension, and playing hurt, is very impressive. He's still up in my top 3.

[ComixZone]

You only draft Nichushkin if the interview process goes well. Which, if the interview process does goes well - and there are no character issues with him, then it's likely that will show up in his interview with Carolina, and they'll take him before we get a chance.

If Nichuskin is not a Russian-threat ala Kabonov or Radulov - his skill level will dictate he gets chosen before we get a chance to pick him.

[nik-]

I don't think there's any scenario where the Flames draft Nichushkin unless they've already take a center with our 6th overall and he's sitting there at St. Louis pick.

We can address a major organizational hole with our pick, there's no reason to take the risk.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by nik-

I don't think there's any scenario where the Flames draft Nichushkin unless they've already take a center with our 6th overall and he's sitting there at St. Louis pick.

We can address a major organizational hole with our pick, there's no reason to take the risk.

Your pick should always be best player available, though. If the scouting staff thinks he's the best player available at 6, they should take him.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Your pick should always be best player available, though. If the scouting staff thinks he's the best player available at 6, they should take him.

Agreed.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by nik-

I don't think there's any scenario where the Flames draft Nichushkin unless they've already take a center with our 6th overall and he's sitting there at St. Louis pick.

We can address a major organizational hole with our pick, there's no reason to take the risk.

Many needs and holes to address. Center is just one of them.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Your pick should always be best player available, though. If the scouting staff thinks he's the best player available at 6, they should take him.

Normally yeah, but things don't always come down to the ability of the player. This is one of those cases.

[BACKCHECK!!!]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Your pick should always be best player available, though. If the scouting staff thinks he's the best player available at 6, they should take him.

Pick the best player available*.

(* and then convince a millionaire Russian teenager to quit his job on easy street, take a huge pay cut, leave his homeland and all his family and friends to move to a foreign country where nobody speaks a word of Russian and nobody else from Russia is on the team, and where he will have to earn his position on the depth chart all over again, and impress a new set of coaches who could easily ruin his career, to live in a place they call "Cow Town").


Or they can just pick the 2nd best player available.

Considering that delivering an NHL impact player with that 6th pick should be the single most important objective for the Flames organization right now, I'd rather they passed on Nichushkin.

Nothing against the kid, or his nationality. If Lindholm or Barkov had multi-year contracts in a league that can pay them significantly more than an NHL ELC, I'd say the same about them.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Your pick should always be best player available, though. If the scouting staff thinks he's the best player available at 6, they should take him.

That was probably true at one time but the dynamics have changed. I don't care if he says he's been a Flames fan all his life and dreams of playing for us, I wouldn't draft Nichushkin.

As has been reported Dynamo just paid $10M for him and I would think they want to get more than two years return on him. He's 18 and probably easily swayed by a big new contract, which I can see Dynamo offering. He may never come and play in the NHL. Someone else who is ignorant or can afford to take a chance should draft him.

[gargamel]

Are there any restrictions against talking to a player who is under contract in the KHL? I assume there aren't, but I don't know for sure.

If we can talk to Nichushkin and get a very good sense that he's committed to coming to the NHL in 3 years, I think the dropoff in talent from him to Lindholm or Monahan is enough to make it worth picking him.

If we can't talk to him or if we get any sense that he'd consider staying in the KHL, then I'd be fine with passing him over.

[Ashasx]

I don't think Nichushkin is any better than Lindholm or Monahan.

Grigorenko was touted as better that Yakupov for a while last year, but he really isn't. He dropped because he's really just not all that good.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by gargamel

I think the dropoff in talent from him to Lindholm or Monahan is enough to make it worth picking him.

What dropoff? How large is the dropoff? What are you basing this dropoff on? Have you seen any full games of any of the players in question?

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

That was probably true at one time but the dynamics have changed. I don't care if he says he's been a Flames fan all his life and dreams of playing for us, I wouldn't draft Nichushkin.

As has been reported Dynamo just paid $10M for him and I would think they want to get more than two years return on him. He's 18 and probably easily swayed by a big new contract, which I can see Dynamo offering. He may never come and play in the NHL. Someone else who is ignorant or can afford to take a chance should draft him.

I still say you take the best player available. I'm not saying Nichushkin is the best player or who that might be since I'm not an expert. Tampa's head scout says Nichushkin is half-Malkin, half-Ovechkin. If you truly believe that and he's available at six, you take him. You don't pass on him no matter what his status is.

I think Tampa will take him, personally.

[Roof-Daddy]

My biggest worry about taking Nichushkin wouldn't be about him wanting to come to Calgary or him coming over right away, Flames management would have to have a pretty good idea about that before taking him. The biggest worry for me would be a year or two or three down the road, if things aren't going the way he likes, or he just has a good old change of heart and decides to take his ball and go home (ala Radulov), we'd be hooped.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

I still say you take the best player available. I'm not saying Nichushkin is the best player or who that might be since I'm not an expert. Tampa's head scout says Nichushkin is half-Malkin, half-Ovechkin. If you truly believe that and he's available at six, you take him. You don't pass on him no matter what his status is.

I think Tampa will take him, personally.

If they like him that much they should deal down to #6, hope he's still there and pick up another first rounder+

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

If they like him that much they should deal down to #6, hope he's still there and pick up another first rounder+

If they like him that much, why take that risk?

Don't forget that Malkin didn't come over until two seasons after he was drafted. I'd say he was worth the wait.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

If they like him that much, why take that risk?

Don't forget that Malkin didn't come over until two seasons after he was drafted. I'd say he was worth the wait.

If they have inside info on who Carolina likes then it might not be a big risk. The Flames wouldn't take him at 3. Don't see NSH taking him after the Radulov and Kostitsyn disasters. That leaves only Carolina as a possibility. If they know Carolina really likes Lindholm or Monahan then it could be a shrewd move.

[gargamel]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

What dropoff? How large is the dropoff? What are you basing this dropoff on? Have you seen any full games of any of the players in question?

I'm not a scout so I'm not reading much into the limited amount of play that I've seen, but pretty much all of the experts that I'm aware of have Nichushkin rated as a top 4 or 5 talent in this draft and at least comparable to if not better than Barkov.

Lindholm and Monahan seem to be projected as good first liners, but not guys who are likely to ever become franchise players. We need a franchise player and aren't going to be competitive until Nichushkin's KHL contract ends anyway, so I think he'd be worth the wait if he's still on the board when we pick.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

If they have inside info on who Carolina likes then it might not be a big risk. The Flames wouldn't take him at 3. Don't see NSH taking him after the Radulov and Kostitsyn disasters. That leaves only Carolina as a possibility. If they know Carolina really likes Lindholm or Monahan then it could be a shrewd move.

If they knew without a shadow of a doubt who Carolina was taking it would be a shrewd move. That might be tough information to come by, though.

I could see them flipping picks with Carolina more than Calgary for that reason.

If I'm the Flames, I try and do a flip with Carolina and then make the move with Tampa. Would probably cost less than an outright flip with Tampa.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Fair enough. I don't agree that Nichushkin is significantly more likely to be a franchise player than Lindholm or Monahan. IMO centres are much more likely to end up as franchise players. How many franchise wingers are there in the NHL and would you want to build around that player?