Scott Wheeler's Prospect Pool Rankings 2024

[FlamesAreOne]

Originally Posted by shutout

https://flamesnation.ca/news/revisit...spect-rankings

Flames Nation revisited their summer prospect list with some thoughts on where the players are and where Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo would slot into it.

Seems low for Brzustewicz.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Rikster

How would you know how often I visit this site or that I rushed over?

You think asking a poster to pump the brakes on the Makar comparisons is odd?

If my opinion bothers you so much, tell me and your fellow Flame fans why you don't think the Makar comparison is unrealistic.

I think everyone knows any comparison to Makar is out of reach and doesn’t require pointing it out repeatedly.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think everyone knows any comparison to Makar is out of reach and doesn’t require pointing it out repeatedly.

Oh, yeah? Well, here's a comparison for you:

Brzustewicz has just as many feet as Makar! One for each skate!

It's destiny, I tell ya. Destiny.

[Macindoc]

Originally Posted by shutout

https://flamesnation.ca/news/revisit...spect-rankings

Flames Nation revisited their summer prospect list with some thoughts on where the players are and where Hunter Brzustewicz and Joni Jurmo would slot into it.

Oof! I hope Brz is a better prospect than Ronni or Schwindt.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

Oof! I hope Brz is a better prospect than Ronni or Schwindt.

He is. Morin and Suniev are the best comparables IMO.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

It's interesting that the Canucks reeeeally want our Loui Eriksson.

Talk about gluttons for punishment.

P.s. thank you for Rasmus Andersson <3

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by Macindoc

Oof! I hope Brz is a better prospect than Ronni or Schwindt.

I'm sure he is. You look at their list and they missed pretty big on both Pospisil and Zary so just shows how speculative these lists are.

I would say the title of best D prospect in the organization is totally up for grabs.

[Nelson]

Vancouver 18, Los Angeles 17. The Flames are in the top half of the league for prospects, as far as Wheeler goes.

[DoubleK]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Vancouver 18, Los Angeles 17. The Flames are in the top half of the league for prospects, as far as Wheeler goes.

I did not see that coming after graduating so many players this year. Zary et al must still be part of the calculus.

[Nelson]

Originally Posted by DoubleK

I did not see that coming after graduating so many players this year. Zary et al must still be part of the calculus.

He must’ve liked our 2023 draft class and Brzustewicz?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by Jay Random

Oh, yeah? Well, here's a comparison for you:

Brzustewicz has just as many feet as Makar! One for each skate!

It's destiny, I tell ya. Destiny.

Ha!

Little-known fact: Hunter Brzustewicz only has one foot.

[chummer]

Originally Posted by Nelson

Vancouver 18, Los Angeles 17. The Flames are in the top half of the league for prospects, as far as Wheeler goes.

Was listening to Wheeler on 650 today, man the guy seems to know his stuff.

[Sandman]

Parker Bell should absolutely be on that list. I think he's a better prospect than Lipinski- no disrespect to Lipinski.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Ha!

Little-known fact: Hunter Brzustewicz only has one foot.

Curses! Foiled again!

[Calgary4LIfe]

I am pleasantly surprised that Wheeler has the Flames in the top half of the league in his prospect rankings. I do wonder if Zary - among others - is still on that list or not. I am sure he has also realized that the Flames have graduated a number of prospects continually over the last decade, even with lower picks (and a lack of picks overall). I wonder if his model is adjusting for teams who are finding players late into the draft, and how it can (or is) altering the data in his current models.


I would have thought that Morin would have taken a step forward this season, but it seems he has taken a step back - at least when you look at his stats. However, he has only played 41 games, while some on the team have played 51, so I wonder if he has a nagging injury? He was second in scoring last season, and was 54(!!!!) points ahead of the next highest D in points (72 points vs 18!). Last season, there was a total of 10 defencemen that played for the Wildcats - the other 9 defencemen got 95 points TOTAL. Morin got 72. That's really remarkable. Not a single defencemen on the team last year managed at least 20 points last season except for Morin, who blew that out of the water with 72.



Moncton did acquire Boutin who is a 20 year old defencemen (Morin is 18), and he sits at 51GP and 32Pts - Morin has 41GP and 36pts, and is 2 years younger again. This year there are a total of 5 defencemen with at least 20pts thus far. That's quite the change. I imagine that it may not be a matter of Morin 'slowing down', as much as it is other players being given larger roles, especially as Morin has been injured at some point? There is only so much you can take into consideration from stat-watching, however.



I have Morin easily in the top 5 in my own ranking, but I also have Zary, Pospisil, and Pelletier graduated. I don't think that they will return to the AHL again. Brzustewicz I have lower, but not more than a couple of spots. I still think Morin is the better all-round defencmen who can lead a PP, be effective on the PK, and a ceiling to play top pairing minutes against the best competition - key-word is ceiling for me. There is nobody on the team to which I could compare him to, but if I have to, it would be a Hanifin, but more physical and a better shot, but probably not as good as carrying the puck up the ice. I think he has a fairly high floor too, and higher than Brzustewicz in that category.



As for Bell, I think he may be on that list, and I do think that he is better than Lipinski. However, Lipinski really surprised me - I thought he was a legitimately bad pick from everything I seen, and then I saw him play with the other prospects, and I thought he stood out in a really good way. I came away with the feeling that he not only exceeded my expectations, but that he was on a totally different planet as to what I thought of him. He is a legitimate prospect at this point, vs a kid that I thought the Flames just wasted a pick on.


I am not sure where I have Jurmo, but at this point, he is probably in my 20's if not lower. I would like him to go into the AHL next season. He seems to have plateaued where he is, and by all accounts, this is what most Canucks fans have been saying about him. Great size, amazing skater, but hasn't taken a step forward. I have no idea, but if that's true, then he should probably head on over to the AHL and see if he can change the directory of his career. Based on his stats (which are never a great tool to evaluate on its own), he is a dud - but there could be so many underlying reasons as to why it appears that way other than 'no toolbox', or 'has achieved his ceiling already'. Sometimes a change of scenery can get someone going again, so I would love to see him come over next year just to make sure that this 6'5" magnificent skater isn't a dud after all.


1) Wolf
2) Honzek
3) Morin
4) Coronato
5) Poirier


Wolf doesn't require an explanation. Honzek at #2 I see as a top-line catalyst who generates offence, and he has the size to really grow into a difficult player to defend against. Great motor, great shot, high IQ, great character, and he can make plays too.



I keep flip-flopping on Morin and Coronato. Morin is at 3 for me since I see his ceiling as a top pairing all-situation defencemen if things work out, while I see Coronato as a complimentary top-line winger, but probably better suited as a 2nd line scoring winger who might get 30 goals in a season.



Poirier comes in at #5, and that's because I worry about his floor. High offensive ability. At the draft, he supposedly had the '3rd best hands in the draft'.



We will see how this season plays out, but Brzustewicz might climb into my top 5, or even higher. It is very impressive what he is doing right now.



All I know is that this prospect ranking this upcoming off-season is going to be crazy difficult, resulting in a lot of heated (and wonderful) arguments. There are going to be so many new prospects to talk about.

[Nelson]

I’m excited Brzustewicz and Honzek will be eligible for the Wranglers next season. Hopefully, the Flames can sign Brzustewicz, and Brzustewicz and Honzek can play in Calgary next year.

[Canada 02]

Jets are #16

https://twitter.com/user/status/1758102321605578992

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Off into the wind Rikster goes until the Flames deal for another Canuck or ex-Canuck.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by Nelson

I’m excited Brzustewicz and Honzek will be eligible for the Wranglers next season. Hopefully, the Flames can sign Brzustewicz, and Brzustewicz and Honzek can play in Calgary next year.

Honzek may need another year in the WHL given how much time he missed this year.

[Rikster]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

Come on now, your entire posting history for the last 10 years (it’s not a big one) is attempts to pour water on former Canucks (Bruz, Tanev, Markstrom) and wish-they-were-Canucks (Tkachuk). That’s literally it. You don’t post in threads that don’t have some connection to the Canucks and in them you spend the entire time trying to undercut players you wish the Canucks had.

You said Tanev would become the Flames “Loui Erickson” LOL.

I don’t think anyone cares since you’re just going to vanish until the next time the Flames trade for or sign a Canuck, but do everyone a favour and don’t treat us like we’re too dumb to know your schtick.

Except I didn't so why misportray what I actually said?

I think you nailed the majority of Canuck fans feelings on the 2 players...

The guy I worry about is Tanev who could become the Flames version of Loui Eriksson especially when you consider a flat cap for maybe the next 2 or 3 years.

Canuck fans and management were overly concerned about Tanev's inability to stay in the lineup, 4 years later Tanev has shown that those concerns were misguided.


But since you took the time to go over my posting history, why not comment on some other posts I made at the time to see how they've aged?

I see them as overly dependent on Gaudreau who I think should be a finalist for the Hart Trophy if he continues to play at the level he is today...

He is the driver of his line and outside of him the team is pretty meh...

Bingo wrote: Calgary and Vancouver's cores are pretty similar in age, the Flames aren't doing a full rebuild any time soon.

Vancouver's playoff chances are slim to none...

To which I replied:

Since you brought it up, I wonder how many would take Calgary's core over Vancouver's?...

Unless everything we read and hear from Calgary media and radio is bull crap then there will be major changes next season which include the core group...

btw, congrats on beating that health scare you had last year...

You would know better than me but I don't see Monahan and Johnny being Sutter type players...

I spent some time reviewing your posting history and gotta say it’s pretty vanilla although I noticed this seems to be your posting style:

Just shut up about it and read the thread title you dorks.