Is Pelech now officially a bust?

[nik-]

What about Mika Zibanejad?

[kirant]

Originally Posted by Weiser Wonder

I think the Flames should go out of their way to get a smart and quick center. If there's a wide gap between the players available and the next center like that, trade down. I'm not a big fan of drafting wingers early unless they are very skilled, especially with discrepancy between center depth and winger depth among the prospects.

There's a player that seems to fit nicely here in the top rounds is Joseph Labate...granted, the Flames don't have a 2nd or 3rd round pick...so...

[fanman]

Don't think Pelech is a bust yet, but the clock is definately starting to tick away. I don't think the seriousness of his medical condition should be forgotten or downplayed either. He had a potentially life threatening blood clot in his shoulder, and has had to be mindful of that ever since. A broken bone or muscle tear are difficult enough to make a quick comeback from, but a blood clot will kill you if it travels to your heart. I commend him for having the guts to come back as quickly as he did. He's still young and has time to pick it up again.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by fanman

Don't think Pelech is a bust yet, but the clock is definately starting to tick away. I don't think the seriousness of his medical condition should be forgotten or downplayed either. He had a potentially life threatening blood clot in his shoulder, and has had to be mindful of that ever since. A broken bone or muscle tear are difficult enough to make a quick comeback from, but a blood clot will kill you if it travels to your heart. I commend him for having the guts to come back as quickly as he did. He's still young and has time to pick it up again.

The biggest problem for Pelech seems to be his skating and his awareness. Now, as Hal Gill has proven, you don't NEED to be the best skater when you're a really big guy with a big stick. Pelech isn't Hall Gill-sized, but to say that he couldn't play a similar style and be effective would be unreasonable.

But Feaster said he's still a guy who takes himself out of position to make big hits, leading to bad chances. And the fact that he's still getting burned by AHL forwards to the outside is really alarming. Elite forwards in the AHL are guys like Boyd, Jaffray, Dawes etc... guys who get nullified INSTANTLY at the NHL level. If Pelech can't hang with those guys nearly six years after he was drafted, why would anyone think he could handle the Sedins, Toews, Getzlaf etc.

Also, given the depth at D, I don't see where there's room for him anymore. His roster spot is better served by someone younger next year. Someone who won't be an AHL lifer.

[Nemisz/Breen]

The short comings in Pelechs game can be worked out over time. He has missed a lot of time because of injury, but I'll tell you all you have to do is watch him play when he is pissed off, for him to become a favourite. The way he punishes people with hits and his stick work is entertaining, and to watch him fight,( wow ) when he starts pounding on people it's like watching someone chop wood. He just pounds them down to the ice with huge hay makers. Don't know how his game will transfer to the NHL, but I don't think he is a bust yet and I look forward to him in training camp next year to see the competition.

[Nemisz/Breen]

Originally Posted by sa226

As far as asset management goes, it sucks to have a first round pick wasted.

But as far as young Defense prospects go, the organization is just fine. Better than fine actually.

Brodie, Erixon, Negrin(Hopefully)

Even guys like Breen and Carson.

You can add Giordano and Bouwmeester to the list as well.

Long term the Back-end is in good shape.

Don't forget we still have Leach and Ramage in the system.

[greentree]

Pelech was not very good in the Heat's 5-4 shootout win vs. the Pens farm club on Saturday night. Awkward skating, lost a fight.
Negrin also fought and took one on the chin hard, went straight to the dressing room but returned. Made some bad decisions with the puck. Not very impressive but he's been injured for most of the season.
Brodie was the only Heat player out there who displayed any NHL "ready now" potential I thought. Good awareness and some good offensive rushes, including a breakaway (good shot, didn't score on the AHL's leading goalie) and one amazing puck handling display in the third.
Rheault looked good in the 1st, lots of energy, but then faded.
Nemisz was solid and was named first star.
Kotalik seemed half interested, but scored the s/o winner, a nice backhand up high.

[Homeslice]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

God, the Flames drafting is atrocious. After almost 20 years of poor draft picks, I have no qualms saying that and is quite honestly one of the most frustrating things about the organization.

I love the Flames, but enough is enough already.

Amen brother - I know it takes a long time, and the insight of a male whitetail deer in heat to develop a good drafting team, but 20 years is 20 years...and we are clearly the drafting sloth of the NHL.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by TnT~55

Matt Pelech
2008-09 - 5 games 3 points

Kris Chucko
2008-09 - 2 games 0 points


Might want to rephrase that statement.

You know what I meant.

[VladtheImpaler]

I think the 50 contract limit will ensure that Chucko and Pelech will not be in the Flames system in 2011-12. You just can't waste limited space on guys with no upside.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

I think the 50 contract limit will ensure that Chucko, Meyers, Carpentier, and Keetley will not be in the Flames system in 2011-12. You just can't waste limited space on guys with no upside.

Fixed.

Pelech is still valuable to this team.

[Erick Estrada]

Pelech isn't a bust as he wasn't expected to be a franchise player when drafted. However he's a poor pick and another addition to the wasteland of Calgary Flames poor draft picks. If you look at the past couple of decades (excluding the 80's of course) you would have to come to the conclusion that the franchise is amongst the worst of all time at drafting and developing young talent. It's actually looking worse under Darryl Sutter's years.

[thymebalm]

Erick, you can't any anything about "the Sutter era" of drafting when some of the kids he picked are still 18 years old. We will see how 2007-2010 was to Sutter. I think a lot of those kids will reach the bigs.

As for Pelech, like Ryan Wilson and Keith Aulie and others, he probably won't get any more NHL time with the Flames, but I would wager he'll make his way back to the NHL.

Who knows, his window is closing here in Calgary, I would agree.

[sworkhard]

Originally Posted by thymebalm

Erick, you can't any anything about "the Sutter era" of drafting when some of the kids he picked are still 18 years old. We will see how 2007-2010 was to Sutter. I think a lot of those kids will reach the bigs.

As for Pelech, like Ryan Wilson and Keith Aulie and others, he probably won't get any more NHL time with the Flames, but I would wager he'll make his way back to the NHL.

Who knows, his window is closing here in Calgary, I would agree.

+1. The 2007 -2010 drafts are a much better indication of Sutter's drafting as it was his own handpicked staff doing th drafting after he revamped the scouting staff during the 2006 off season when he became a full time GM. It will be a few more years before we can determine how successful those drafts were.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by sworkhard

+1. The 2007 -2010 drafts are a much better indication of Sutter's drafting as it was his own handpicked staff doing th drafting after he revamped the scouting staff during the 2006 off season when he became a full time GM. It will be a few more years before we can determine how successful those drafts were.

This is true - and I share some of that optimism - but the criticism of some of his picks is also valid.

Pelech I think is a bit of bad luck - he lost a lot of key development time due to injuries.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Darryl's drafting (and his team) has noticeably improved steadily over the years. Granted, there may be lot of excuses, reasons or pure horrible insight into some of his selections - but he was also a rookie GM. I would say it has gotten better and better judging by the talent in the WHL and those trickling into the AHL (and NHL - Backlund).

Time will really tell exactly how good his drafting was in the last couple of drafts, but I for one am just glad nobody is still griping that "We should have taken that Kabanov kid instead of Reinhart" and the associated jokes with nepotism and re-treads.

In my opinion, regardless if you are optimistic about the the last few draft's worth of picks, or are still fairly negative on our prospect pool as a whole - at the very least, I think we can all agree that it SEEMS to be improving, we seem to be drafting players that seem to be developing better, and we seemingly are drafting players with higher offensive upsides than we did in the past. Sure, everything is relatively unproven, but it at least SEEMS to be improving, rather than 'more of the status quo'.

edit:
I am hoping the current scouts don't change, and are added to in the off-season. Hopefully Feaster (or whomever is ultimately hired as the GM) continues drafting more skilled guys, and loads up our 3/4th lines with FA grunts when needed. Much more cost effective, I would think.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by thymebalm

Erick, you can't any anything about "the Sutter era" of drafting when some of the kids he picked are still 18 years old. We will see how 2007-2010 was to Sutter. I think a lot of those kids will reach the bigs.

As for Pelech, like Ryan Wilson and Keith Aulie and others, he probably won't get any more NHL time with the Flames, but I would wager he'll make his way back to the NHL.

Who knows, his window is closing here in Calgary, I would agree.

All I know is the drafts under Coates and Button yielded more NHL regular players. I like Erixon and Brodie but the forward group is highly suspect. When you have major injuries at the forward position and the best you can bring up from the farm is Lance Bouma there's problems.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

All I know is the drafts under Coates and Button yielded more NHL regular players. I like Erixon and Brodie but the forward group is highly suspect. When you have major injuries at the forward position and the best you can bring up from the farm is Lance Bouma there's problems.

Here, let me increase your knowledge. Those were terrible teams with a very limited budget, that it didn't take much to make. Young players would be on the fast track as the big team was desperate. This team isn't or hasn't been in that position, so the players have to earn their promotion, although some would say they haven't been given a fair chance, which further weakens your argument.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

All I know is the drafts under Coates and Button yielded more NHL regular players. I like Erixon and Brodie but the forward group is highly suspect. When you have major injuries at the forward position and the best you can bring up from the farm is Lance Bouma there's problems.

Bouma was brought up for the sole purpose of playing a 4th line role with limited minutes.

[CaramonLS]

Originally Posted by sworkhard

+1. The 2007 -2010 drafts are a much better indication of Sutter's drafting as it was his own handpicked staff doing th drafting after he revamped the scouting staff during the 2006 off season when he became a full time GM. It will be a few more years before we can determine how successful those drafts were.

Out of curiosity... he didn't have the ability to hand pick his staff after he was first hired on as the GM?

IMO, as a GM you're just as much to blame, keeping bad people in the wrong places - as the guy who put them there in the first place.