Tough one for sure - I ended up choosing Bennett over Hockey for the same reason as the Fonz. I believe that in three years time Bennett will be a monster.
As for Hockey, I honestly believe he has a chance to make the team and stick more than any other prospect this year. All depends on whether he can make the most of the opportunities he's given - I imagine lots of offensive zone starts for him.
Surprised that so many have Sven up so high. I have him at the bottom half of the top 10. I think he needs a good year in the AHL this year. A ppg pace all season and then a good playoff too.
I have Granlund higher than Sven at this point. He was the better player for the Heat last year and he stepped up in the playoffs too, something that Sven did not do.
Every time I hear Conroy talk about Granlund, he can barely contain his enthusiasm. I think Granlund actually makes the Flames this year and I actually see more NHL skills in him than Sven. He has a better shot, better release, and more speed and agility.
Granlund seems to be one of the more unheralded prospects for the Flames. Doesn't seem to get as much love as some of the other kids. Same with Reinhart. The kid scored at a ppg pace last year in the AHL (regular season and playoffs) despite being projected for a bottom six role. I think both these guys along with Gaudreau are the main challengers for NHL spots at camp.
Oops sorry got totally ahead of myself. I went with Gaudreau over Bennett. There's something really special about this kid.
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Last edited by 868904; 07-11-2014 at 11:35 AM.
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Gaudreau - The most skilled prospect we've had in 20+ years. Just continues to improve and win.
Bennett - He's up here because of the hype of being the top pick in team history. We'll see if he performs.
Poirier - Has all the NHL level skills and plays a position we are terribly weak at. Should be an impact player for us.
Wotherspoon - Impressed the hell out the organization last year and looked really good in his short call up. Much needed blueliner.
Jankowski - Big, skilled centers do not grow on trees. Kid continues to do everything asked of him and be a team leader.
Gillies - Had a bump after the juniors but got his game back to the level expected by season's end. Great young goaltender.
Arnold - Had an incredibly under-rated college career. Was one of the top three forwards in development camp.
Granlund - Has the finishing ability we desperately need and plays a strong two way game. Can play anywhere up front.
Klimchuk - Turned a lot of heads this camp. Showed he can do it all in all three zones.
Agostino - Like Arnold, was a great collegian and stood out in development camp. That motor!
Kulak - Impressed at camp. Solid defender with a bomb! We could use a big shot on the point.
Baertschi - Still has incredible skill, but had a brutal season. Needs to bounce back. If he does he climbs the list.
Gilmour - Reminds me so much of Giordano at the same age it isn't even funny. Kid has a future.
What's really different about our current pool is not just that the scouting has identified better prospects, though that certainly plays some part. To me, the striking difference is that there are five 1st round picks in that to ten list and one that made the jump last year plus some high seconds, etc. Previously we had no high picks in the first couple/three rounds because they were traded, which makes those few bad picks that much more glaring
Long term I believe Bennett will be the Flames franchise player. Gaudreau has the potential to be a franchise winger but the center position is more important to overall team success.
What's really different about our current pool is not just that the scouting has identified better prospects, though that certainly plays some part. To me, the striking difference is that there are five 1st round picks in that to ten list and one that made the jump last year plus some high seconds, etc. Previously we had no high picks in the first couple/three rounds because they were traded, which makes those few bad picks that much more glaring
The absence of 2nd round picks was a problem, but the they also busted a really high number of 1sts:
From 2004 to 2008 they had 5 1sts and out of that got Michael Backlund.
Nemisz, Chucko, Irving, and Pelech all busted and they didn't even get anything in terms of trade from those 4.
That's god-awful.
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The absence of 2nd round picks was a problem, but the they also busted a really high number of 1sts:
From 2004 to 2008 they had 5 1sts and out of that got Michael Backlund.
Nemisz, Chucko, Irving, and Pelech all busted and they didn't even get anything in terms of trade from those 4.
That's god-awful.
True, but this is 6 picks in 3 years, plus high seconds. We had what, two seconds in that span?
But yes, 6 good picks out of six is still miles better than 1 out of five
Granlund is a bit of a sneaky prospect. He doesn't get enough credit for what he has done.
Right now I'm not sure if I would place Baertschi over him. Sven got a few years in the WHL to get acclimated to North America but Granlund has been more impressive in the AHL straight from Europe.
Surprised that so many have Sven up so high. I have him at the bottom half of the top 10. I think he needs a good year in the AHL this year. A ppg pace all season and then a good playoff too.
I'm suprised some people are so down on Baertschi and he should be no lower than #3 on anybody's list. The whole first 5 mins of this video is the Baertschi-Monahan show. Sven making some magic with an 18 year old rookie. This isn't a guy that has trouble playing in the NHL, obviously. This is a guy that needs good time and good linemates (like Colborne was gifted last season, and guess what, he improved greatly as the year went on).
To say that there are more than maybe Gaudreau and Bennett that are better prospects in our system than Sven is crazy talk.
I like Hartley for the most part but his biggest mistake/downfall right now is how he has treated Beartschi so far. It's almost as if it's personal or something.
The absence of 2nd round picks was a problem, but the they also busted a really high number of 1sts:
From 2004 to 2008 they had 5 1sts and out of that got Michael Backlund.
Nemisz, Chucko, Irving, and Pelech all busted and they didn't even get anything in terms of trade from those 4.
That's god-awful.
Yeah typically there's always going to be a few teams snooping around other teams 1st rounders that haven't flourished as reclamation projects but all four of those guys weren't tradeable and even after being released or put on waivers not a single team brought one of them in (I realize Pelech eventually got a look from the Sharks). You really can't draft any worse in the first round when you pick guys that can't make your team and don't even get a sniff with a single team immediately after being released.
I think the Calgary Puck news desk could call this election right now, and the next, and move on the #3.
But iI guess we have nothing else to do right now (except argue, bicker and piss other members off), so I can be patient with this.
Went with Johnny Hockey over Bennett mostly due to his current level of development. Bennett could be the better player in a few years.
Surprised how little love Ortio is getting in here. Last year he was 30th, deservedly so, but he was fantastic in the A last year and showed he could play in the NHL with a bit more seasoning. Probably not top 10 but should be getting some love as possibly our most improved or highest climbing prospect as I expect he'll chart in somewhere better than 30 this time around.
