Craig's List 2014 Prospects

[dying4acup]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

All this talk of needing two good centres but we may already be fairly good in that position with the emergence of Backlund who looks like he can be a great #2 centre.

Monahan, Backlund, Stajan with Knight, Jones, Street, Granlund, Arnold and Jankowski

Centre is actually pretty deep these days. Of course if a centre is the best player left you take him and worry about converting guys to the wing later.

But Ekblad is something we don't have any of. Looks like it'll take winning the lottery for us to get him.

For me Ekblad is the prize of this draft. An educated guess would have the sabres (with deep defensive prospect base) leaning towards a center (or forward at least) and the oilers leaning toward Ekblad as well.

But that would be an EDUCATED guess.

I know that the hockey gods stopped the Canucks from winning a cup (and would have turned the cup to dust if a Canuck jersey wearing, diving, wining, finger biting player had ever touched it) and so I believe that the hockey gods will prevent the Oil from ever touching a #1 pick ever again.

[djsFlames]

Our center position still needs something more. I'm not sold on Monahan being able to not only handle, but excel in a 1st line center slot in this league. He may be better suited to a second line role. If that's the case, then we still have a vacancy there that needs to be filled on our way to (hopefully) competing for a championship. Someone who can handle the top role. Monahan may become that, but I'd feel far safer having the likes of BOTH Monahan and Reinhart, say, working towards occupying that spot, and doing well for us there. Center is the position you Want to have depth issues with, because as people have said many times, centers can always be bumped to the wing. And to have a true 1-2 punch is essential, I believe, to a top team.

Backlund to me would be an outstanding 3rd line center for any team, with a chance of upgrading to a second line role in the future. But he's a surefire third. I still think you can have a more skilled guy ahead for him for the 2nd slot though, despite how consistent and great of a 2-way center he's becoming. I see Backlund producing little better than at a .5 PPG rate in his career. I think you'd want someone with a little more output on your second line. He's been fantastic though, don't get me wrong.

[nik-]

Yeah Monahan will need to be our 1B with Backlund on the third line. A legit team doesn't have Backlund as number 2, but 3, definitely doable. I'd be more ok with ekblad this year if we were sure we're going to be at the bottom next year but that can't be known so I'd rather take the safer center. Then if we do end up with a top 2 pick next year, one of the existing centers turns into a new RW.

I'd prefer to completely resolve the center question than risk trying to hit a home run on D.

[macrov]

We do have a lot of small players on this team. I don't care who we get as long as draft top 3.

Reinhart would make is one of smartest teams down the middle which helps win championships, and gives the flames amazing depth down the middle.

bennett is a game breaker and very exciting to watch, and again gives the flames exceptional depth down the middle.

and Ekblad fills a top 3 hole for the next 10 years, giving the flames. a very solid defensive core. All great choices.

[dying4acup]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Our center position still needs something more. I'm not sold on Monahan being able to not only handle, but excel in a 1st line center slot in this league. He may be better suited to a second line role. If that's the case, then we still have a vacancy there that needs to be filled on our way to (hopefully) competing for a championship. Someone who can handle the top role. Monahan may become that, but I'd feel far safer having the likes of BOTH Monahan and Reinhart, say, working towards occupying that spot, and doing well for us there. Center is the position you Want to have depth issues with, because as people have said many times, centers can always be bumped to the wing. And to have a true 1-2 punch is essential, I believe, to a top team.

Backlund to me would be an outstanding 3rd line center for any team, with a chance of upgrading to a second line role in the future. But he's a surefire third. I still think you can have a more skilled guy ahead for him for the 2nd slot though, despite how consistent and great of a 2-way center he's becoming. I see Backlund producing little better than at a .5 PPG rate in his career. I think you'd want someone with a little more output on your second line. He's been fantastic though, don't get me wrong.

I agree with a lot of what you say, however, there is already talk that Reinhart is best suited for the wing. There is no player in this draft with #1 center upside. We might have that solution within the system, and if we don't, next years draft will likely be the better place to find one.

Furthermore, I saw something special in Ekblad at the World Juniors. I saw an under aged kid with composure, who a (marginal) NHL coach wanted on ice against the best opposition.

Defenseman take longer to develop, and so getting a top one sooner is better.

While I would love to draft a second Reinhart, then try to lure the 3rd over (Carolina model see: Staal), I think you try to get yourself the crown jewel (Ekblad).

The pundits don't label him as a Niedermeier or Pronger, but I think he's a Doughty!

[djsFlames]

I was just commenting on a "If it's Reinhart/Center" scenario.

Absolutely Ekblad is my first pick, still. I believe there is a time and place to draft certain players or positions. And you have to look ahead to strategically draft your future core to come into their roles around the same time. And I believe Ekblad also coincides with the BPA approach as well. I think we should look hardest into the possibility of drafting Ekblad this season and (fingers crossed) McDavid next season. As that would be the best possible combination for the team of any, and we are and will be in the running for both. And drafting Ekblad now, allowing him to mature another year in order to possibly bring both he and our center pick of 2015 into the league the following season would allow for much of our core in all key positions to enter the fold at the same time, which would be most ideal.

Of course, I'm getting way ahead of myself on so many fronts with that. But with potentially a more special crop of centers available next year, I do believe this is the draft to be gambling on the stud d-man, if there were any.

[Vulcan]

One thing we need to address on this team is the lack of size on defence. Ekblad would go a long way to fix this. If not Ekblad maybe Fleury would do.

[Calgary4LIfe]

It isn't just having 'two good centers' on the Flames.

Both Sam Reinhart and Monahan have exceptional hockey IQ, and play very good 200ft games. Both are natural leaders as well, and both have loads of maturity. Reinhart probably has an edge on his offensive game, but who thought Monahan would be able to score this much in his first season? Tough to say where either one of these prospect's ceilings are in terms of offence.

What makes drafting Reinhart very attractive is that now you get a double-threat of a Monahan or Reinhart on the ice against. With their IQ and defensive acumen, you should be able to throw either one against the top teams in the NHL. It becomes much more difficult for other teams to line-match against the Flames.

If the Flames end up drafting McDavid next year (or Jankowski really comes through, etc), Reinhart also has another trick up his sleeve - he is a RH shot (which will make faceoffs against him tougher for the opposition slightly, as I don't there are too many centers that are RHS). Then you have the Ivan Hlinka line of Klimchuk-McDavid-Reinhart (not that you should ever be drafting for junior chemistry at all, just funny how it can work out in the end - lol).

I like Ekblad, and I think there is nothing wrong with selecting him if the option is there to select 1st. I just think Reinhart shouldn't be discounted in the least when being compared to Ekblad, and though our center depth is vastly improved, it will only be 'decent', not great (unless, once again, Jankowski really pans out in a big way, which you can never bank on any single prospect doing so).

With regards to Edmonton, I am not even sure how much more they would favor Ekblad in this draft. Yes, they do need defence, but IMO they need a high-upside center that can play a good 200ft game and isn't undersized either. Line matching must be super easy against Edmonton. You have RNH to worry about.. and then Sam Gagner. They need a good center just as badly as I think they need defence. I really hope Reinhart doesn't end up in Edmonton.

[formulate]

What sort of chance do you think MacT has of getting impatient and trading their pick (possibly in a package) for some immediate help on D? Sure, Ekblad would probably make their team out of camp, but is likely a couple years away from making a significant impact on the team.

Also, with the strong group of defensemen they have coming up (Marincin, Nurse, Klefbom), perhaps they try to add a two-way centerman? Either way, I just see Burke wanting Ekblad, potentially moving up to grab him. His resume shows a history of impact deals, including a few for stalwart d-men.

[Vulcan]

As far as our future centres go, I hear Markus Granlund is really upping his game. He now has 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points in 39 games.

In Backlund's first year in Abby, he had 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 54 games. It's looking like Granlund is having the better first pro year.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

There is only a 25% chance at best that Edmonton gets the #1 pick. So if Ekblad ends up consensus #1 and some random team wins the lottery and leapfrogs both of us they may take Ekblad.

I do agree that Buffalo may pass on Ekblad if they end up #1. Although I wouldn't rule it out completely, I'm not sure any of their defensemen has the offensive upside of Ekblad. Perhaps they would be a good target to trade up with? Imagine them drafting him and having a defense with Zadorov, Ristolainen, Myers, Ekblad, Ehrhoff, McBain, Pysyk.

I think Burke could make a competitive offer to Buffalo to move up from #3 to 1 or #4 to 1 if Buffalo ends up with the #1 pick post lottery. Price would probably be steep but Ekblad may be worth trying to move up for.

[FlameZilla]

If it is indeed the Sabres with the 1st pick this draft they would be in a great position to drop a couple of spots to draft a centre. With recent draft reports suggesting that any of Bennett, Reinhart or Ekblad could go 1st overall, they may as well maximise assets by trading with someone desperate to get the big D prospect.

I'm sure Burke will be buttering up Pat Lafontaine or whoever is in charge by then.

[loob job]

I kinda wish we would stop winning so we can guarantee a top 3 pick. The team is playing with a ton of heart right now which is great but we aren't going anywhere this year so happy and sad when i see we win.

[indes]

I always though Monahan was projected to be a solid 1C? He's playing damn good hockey for 19 and has all the tools and the IQ. A 1-2 punch of Monahan and Reinhart/Bennet would be huge for the franchise in a couple years. If janko and some of our other centres start panning out that'll be some solid trade bait to fill holes.

[FlameZilla]

Originally Posted by loob job

I kinda wish we would stop winning so we can guarantee a top 3 pick. The team is playing with a ton of heart right now which is great but we aren't going anywhere this year so happy and sad when i see we win.

No need to panic about winning. We're still 4 points behind the Panthers. I have a funny feeling Burke is going to do everything he possibly can to draft Ekblad. This could very well be his last action as an NHL GM, so he'll want to go out with a bang....

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by indes

I always though Monahan was projected to be a solid 1C? He's playing damn good hockey for 19 and has all the tools and the IQ. A 1-2 punch of Monahan and Reinhart/Bennet would be huge for the franchise in a couple years. If janko and some of our other centres start panning out that'll be some solid trade bait to fill holes.

Some people have different opinion on what a #1 C is. I think that to most, Monahan looks like a futurre #1 C, but to some, there are really only 6-8 "true" #1 C's in the NHL (think Crosby, Stamkos, Tavares type guys) and in those terms, he probably isn't there.

[Anduril]

Originally Posted by RyZ

Some people have different opinion on what a #1 C is. I think that to most, Monahan looks like a futurre #1 C, but to some, there are really only 6-8 "true" #1 C's in the NHL (think Crosby, Stamkos, Tavares type guys) and in those terms, he probably isn't there.

Yikes, hard to agree with that kind of semantics. The more common opinion would be 30 teams, therefore 30 #1C.
Though I still don't agree with that.

[PeteMoss]

How many people have actually seen Bennett play? At least with Reinhart and Ekblad we've seen small sample sizes - WJHC and prospect game. I haven't seen Bennett play before so I have no opinion him.

[Erick Estrada]

Monahan has acquitted himself pretty well in the NHL as an 18 year old. He has a lot of work to do but IMO it's too early to write him off as a possible #1 center. That said I have no issues with Reinhart or Bennet being chosen by the Flames as while I see good center depth in the organization I see mostly NHL quality 3rd/4th line centers and not top 6 centers.

Still think Ekblad fills the biggest need but it's looking doubtful the Flames may get a chance to pick him.

[Five-hole]

I think we finish 2nd or 3rd. We're 4 points behind Florida after a hot streak. It's possible we pass them but unlikely. Keep in mind that a lot of the teams around us are trying to get better (are on the upswing parts of their rebuilds, in theory) and we still are shipping off veteran assets.

Edmonton should pass us, but they may not. Buffalo is so far behind at this point that I don't see it happening unless we go on a prolonged period of suck, but with Hartley at the helm we'll pick off wins here and there. Buffalo is also likely to shed a few more veteran assets (Moulson, Miller) and could actually be worse than they are now by the end of the year.

I see the bottom 4 shaking out as:

1. Buffalo
2. Calgary
3. Florida
4. Edmonton