I'm currently upgrading the quality of archived games I have from past seasons and happen to be doing the April 13, 2013 game vs Edmonton where Max Reinhart scored his first goal.
I choose to take that as a sign that we'll draft Sam Reinhart tomorrow.
I am hoping we get Reinhart I think it would be awesome to have 2 brothers on the team. Watching the interview with the 3 and Paul I wouldn't be shocked to see the. All wind up on the same team one day. Hopefully the flames.
I really think Calgary is Sam's top choice (maybe Florida to go #1)
Re-watched Draisaitl's season highlights. They are ridiculous.
How he can dangle and muscle through teams while crossing the blue line at 10km/h and create/finish a play is both strange and amazing to watch. He didn't need wheels to do what he was able to do because his stick work is so fast and he has incredible balance and strength. Got to wonder if he gets some wheels on him in a couple seasons what he could do.
...in that order, I would be very happy. I love Bob McKenzie's description of Marcus:
"Upside, upside, upside. Needs physical maturing but with it, could be a top defenceman. Excellent thinker with poise, good feetwork, competes, reads play well and will assert himself. Could be a 'steal' in this draft." - seems to be right up our alley for Hockey Brains and size (imagine him filled out with a 6' 4" frame)...wet dreams...
Well it's not like every scouting service has Bennett #1. Only Redline and CSS do.
ISS has Reinhart #1, Bennett #4. FC has Reinhart #2, Bennett #3. Bob Mackenzie has Reinhart #2, Bennett #3. Craig Button has Reinhart #1, Bennett #3.
So out of the rankings I look at Reinhart is favoured by more.
It's such a toss up that it could go any way. All 3 centres are fairly close. Any teams that have hockey sense as their #1 attribute would take Reinhart. Any teams looking for size will probably favour Draisaitl. Any teams that highly value competitiveness, grit and skating will probably favour Bennett. The centres are so close that teams may look at the makeup of their roster in tiebreaking.
What will Buffalo do? That's the real question. I think they do value the competitiveness of Bennett but a lot of scouts just like Reinhart slightly better and BUF might as well. BUF may have seen more of Bennett than Reinhart/Draisaitl, could that factor in? EDM needs size and needs someone who can help earlier plus tons of rumours that they like Draisaitl so he makes a ton of sense there. Plus they've likely seen more of Draisaitl/Reinhart with them watching the Oil Kings all the time and being based in a WHL city.
It's really easy to see any of Reinhart, Bennett and Draisaitl falling to us in certain scenarios. I personally think Draisaitl might be the least likely to fall to us. I think the Flames might rank Bennett highest of the 3 because of our emphasis on grit, competitiveness, work ethic and skating. Not every team may see it that way.
Certainly, I'd be happy if we got Bennett. However, I just don't expect him to be available at the #4 spot.
As I understand them the talking heads seem to be saying the three centers are all fairly close (all are good playmakers, have good hockey sense, good teammates, etc.), but what significantly distinguishes Bennett from the other two is his competitiveness and drive. Each of Buff, Edm, and Cgy desperately need this in spades, so why wouldn't one of the teams above us draft him if available?
It would be different if Reinhart's hockey IQ was incomparable or Draisatl was impossibly larger, because then predicting picks would simply be a valuation of distinguishable traits. But if the players are "fairly close" and play the same position, wouldn't the gritty, win-at-all costs guy be taken first if it's a trait all three teams need?
All speculation of course and anything can happen. I would be thrilled with any of the three so I'm going to be a happy camper either way!
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I think it'll be Bennett, hoping it's Reinhart and still cannot figure out what to think of Draisaitl to save my life.
I won't be disappointed getting any of the consensus top four and am honestly more intrigued with where we are going to use our 2nd/3rd rd picks than who we get in the first.
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Ryan Donato's excellent and played with Tim Harrison at Dexter.
Any of the Hitmen defenders (Sanheim or Thomas) would be good.
Lots of interesting depth options in 2nd and 3rd from the Dub and USHL.
...in that order, I would be very happy. I love Bob McKenzie's description of Marcus:
"Upside, upside, upside. Needs physical maturing but with it, could be a top defenceman. Excellent thinker with poise, good feetwork, competes, reads play well and will assert himself. Could be a 'steal' in this draft." - seems to be right up our alley for Hockey Brains and size (imagine him filled out with a 6' 4" frame)...wet dreams...
Dougherty, Kamenev, Cornel, Bleakley, Glover, Kempe, Karlsson, on top of the others you posted, a projected Mid Round 1st player who slips.... There are a bunch of quality players available at 34 and 54 that will round out the Flames draft quite nicely.
At this point it has got to be Bennet; Florida seems likely to pick Ekblad, and the Oilers/Buffalo seem very high on Reinhart and Draisatl. I think Bennet is a nice complement to Monahan anways so he is who i would prefer.
I really want one of the Sams, preferably Reinhart, but would be happy with Bennet, so that is who I picked. People seem to be high Draisaitl as well lately.
It seems like each of those 3 has been in the #4 spot over time. Earlier on it was Draisaitl, then Edmonton fell in love with him and then Bennet was in that spot and in the Boomer thread, Reinhart seems to be dropping.