2025 NHL Draft Thread

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by looooob

possibly fair. I can't tell how their batting average in that regard compares to other teams. if you look at their ihdb draft page, there are several Center-ish or Center- adjacent picks (presumably part of that large group that always exists that played C either entirely or partially in Jr but were never destined to be NHL Cs- Dube, Granlund, Pospisil, Ruzicka and Kerins I suppose all listed as Cs- probably 3 of the 5 will hit 200 games


then there are the misses but I would guess most teams would have a list like this (and a few have asterisks of different types attached to them) Armstrong, Marvin, Carpentier (ok Flames were at a low point in drafting circa 2006 not gonna lie), Renaud (*), Nemisz (ugh), Grantham, Reinhart, Arnold, Lindstrom, Mattson, Joly, Roman, Petterson, Nikolaev, Francis, Ronni (*/ugh), Littler, Lipinski


ok that's an ugly lineup but less of them as time goes on and most of them are from the late round dregs


other than Ronni they haven't 'missed' (<200g) on a first or 2nd round C since Nemisz. they just haven't drafted enough of them, or drafted high enough. IMO anyways

Let's face it all of Ruzicka, Dube, Granlund, and Pospisil played as wingers in the NHL save a couple games. So I really don't count them. Even Zary looks like he'll be a winger. Nemisz I don't recall even playing center in junior.

The number of players that the Flames drafted and got 200 games out of is pretty small. Mid pack and being no worse than the other guys is not going to cut it for this team when it comes to drafting. That said more picks are needed and specifically in rounds 2 and 3 to take a few more shots.

[Paulie Walnuts]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Let's face it all of Ruzicka, Dube, Granlund, and Pospisil played as wingers in the NHL save a couple games. So I really don't count them. Even Zary looks like he'll be a winger. Nemisz I don't recall even playing center in junior.

The number of players that the Flames drafted and got 200 games out of is pretty small. Mid pack and being no worse than the other guys is not going to cut it for this team when it comes to drafting. That said more picks are needed and specifically in rounds 2 and 3 to take a few more shots.

Always thought it was Josh Bailey who centered Nemisz??

[Sylvanfan]

Originally Posted by Paulie Walnuts

Always thought it was Josh Bailey who centered Nemisz??

That team had Bailey and Henrique plus the late Renaud in his draft year. So it's pretty likely Nemisz was playing right wing from his age 17 season forward. When he played in the World Juniors he was a RW. I don't recall him playing in the AHL regularly as a center. But I'm far from a AHL expert as I watched exactly 0 AHL games during Nemisz career in that league.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Let's face it all of Ruzicka, Dube, Granlund, and Pospisil played as wingers in the NHL save a couple games. So I really don't count them. Even Zary looks like he'll be a winger. Nemisz I don't recall even playing center in junior.

The number of players that the Flames drafted and got 200 games out of is pretty small. Mid pack and being no worse than the other guys is not going to cut it for this team when it comes to drafting. That said more picks are needed and specifically in rounds 2 and 3 to take a few more shots.

yeah I don't think I'm disagreeing with you. they have drafted few real Centers. sure they could do better (or be luckier) beyond round 4 (where they have drafted gems at the other positions) but really they typically get 'NHLers' when they draft Cs in the 1st or 2nd rounds, they just haven't done it often enough

[Roof-Daddy]

Wrong draft but I just want to point out that Gavin McKenna has a 44 game point streak going, and in those 44 games he has 115 points. That's 2.6 points per game.

He turned 17 just over three months ago and this is his draft minus 1 season.

Also, just for comparing numbers, Connor Bedard in draft minus 1 season had 1.61 points per game. In his actual draft season he was 2.5 points per game.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by D as in David

The Flames probably aren't picking early enough to get Monahan and Tkachuk if they had picked Vasilevski. We're going to see that hypothetical scenario play out with Wolf, though.

Well, Vasilevskiy was selected in 2012, but didn't play an NHL game until the 2014-15 season. He played 16 games that year. The following season he played 24. He didn't become a starter until the 2016-17 season, so there was definitely some time there.


I personally don't subscribe to the idea that because the Flames have Wolf, that a rebuild is out of the question and that it changes things towards having to compete right away. Wolf and Vladar have been great, but I still see it as a combination of factors - including their fantastic play - that have them in this position.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Let's face it all of Ruzicka, Dube, Granlund, and Pospisil played as wingers in the NHL save a couple games. So I really don't count them. Even Zary looks like he'll be a winger. Nemisz I don't recall even playing center in junior.

The number of players that the Flames drafted and got 200 games out of is pretty small. Mid pack and being no worse than the other guys is not going to cut it for this team when it comes to drafting. That said more picks are needed and specifically in rounds 2 and 3 to take a few more shots.

It is one thing that I noticed with Calgary. Is this a lack of patience in developing centers? Certainly Bennett made his own mistakes, but I also felt that he just wasn't given a long enough leash either. Flames invested huge in him - a 4th overall pick - but then kept moving him around the lineup. When he arrived in Florida, he was given the 2nd line center spot and he just went with it. I still think it was a mistake to not join him with Tkachuk and try to develop two scoring lines, and let them grow and gel together.


Jankowski did get 2 years, however, so that's something (however, it was definitely at the expense of Bennett at times). I do think that there is a certain amount of growing pains at the center position, and sometimes you just have to allow for that.



Backlund developed fairly well under Brent Sutter to start, and then Hartley. Hartley had his warts, unquestionably, but he was a great coach at developing players. So was it coaching, or was it the pressure to 'win now' that forced coaches to go with known and experienced quantities over young players who make more mistakes? With that in mind, are the Flames repeating the same mistakes with Zary, or is Zary a winger and not a center? I don't know. I honestly don't know.

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

It is one thing that I noticed with Calgary. Is this a lack of patience in developing centers? Certainly Bennett made his own mistakes, but I also felt that he just wasn't given a long enough leash either. Flames invested huge in him - a 4th overall pick - but then kept moving him around the lineup. When he arrived in Florida, he was given the 2nd line center spot and he just went with it. I still think it was a mistake to not join him with Tkachuk and try to develop two scoring lines, and let them grow and gel together.


Jankowski did get 2 years, however, so that's something (however, it was definitely at the expense of Bennett at times). I do think that there is a certain amount of growing pains at the center position, and sometimes you just have to allow for that.



Backlund developed fairly well under Brent Sutter to start, and then Hartley. Hartley had his warts, unquestionably, but he was a great coach at developing players. So was it coaching, or was it the pressure to 'win now' that forced coaches to go with known and experienced quantities over young players who make more mistakes? With that in mind, are the Flames repeating the same mistakes with Zary, or is Zary a winger and not a center? I don't know. I honestly don't know.

Great post. I also wonder the same thing with Zary. So many speak with absolute certainty that he’s a winger which I don’t understand. He has been developed in junior and in the AHL as a center. And, before his first injury this season, he was looking fantastic at center. Difficulties winning draws were his only problem which is completely normal for young centers in the NHL. I would really love to see him back at centre next year for extended periods of time. Would especially love to see him and Coronato on a line together.

[Sylvanfan]

Even Backlund struggled a fair bit early in his career during the Brent Sutter days. It was under Hartley when he found his game and started having better injury luck. So he was 24-25 when he really established himself in the NHL.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Wrong draft but I just want to point out that Gavin McKenna has a 44 game point streak going, and in those 44 games he has 115 points. That's 2.6 points per game.

He turned 17 just over three months ago and this is his draft minus 1 season.

Also, just for comparing numbers, Connor Bedard in draft minus 1 season had 1.61 points per game. In his actual draft season he was 2.5 points per game.

Maybe leads more credence to speculation that he goes to the NCAA next year.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 26):

LD Josh McGregor (6'3",174lbs)
Swift Current (WHL): 63gp/ 4g/ 12a/ 16pts, -2, 30 PIM

D Josh McGregor (ranked # 111 NA Skaters) has taken a different path than his peers in this draft-class. He was never drafted into the WHL, instead winning his spot on the Broncos in training camp at the beginning of the season, making him a rookie, and incredibly- he was toiling in AAA just last year. McGregor has been used mostly on the bottom-pairing in a checking role for Swift Current, who finished the campaign in 14th-place out of 22 teams in the 'dub, and 12th in goals-scored, meaning that he had very few real opportunities to showcase his abilities in the offensive-third. Though his numbers are paltry, most of his 16 points were primary points, and to further the argument in his favor- he is still quite young and raw, with a June 9th birthday, and in need of a longer runway than most. McGregor is a solid, all-around, two-way defender with an aggressive mindset, and despite being cast in a supporting role on a less-than-stellar team, he shows an offensive inclination. It's a good bet that he plays somewhat sheltered minutes, but his tracking stats are impressive nonetheless; his numbers in transition and defense are near-elite.

McGregor is an excellent skater, especially for a player with his size, and can already win most races with his long, powerful stride. His mechanics are sound, and as he builds strength in his lower-body, his speed will become an even greater asset. He could use a bit more explosiveness, but he is agile on his edges through pivots and turns. A constant advantage-creator, he exhibits confidence with the puck and solid instincts, with an eye for offense that makes one wonder if he will pop numbers-wise in coming two years. He is highly active all over the ice, pinching into the play on the weak side frequently, and joining the rush on a regular basis- always looking to advance the play, skating into pass receptions with his head up to scan his surroundings. He gets pretty good power behind his shot, but he could add more accuracy and velocity to it with better shot-selection, and improved mechanics. McGregor is excellent against the rush, using a well-timed stick and solid gap-control- although he sometimes gives up far too much room. With concise angling ability, he closes quickly to force errors, turnovers, and dump-ins, and prevents entry with good frequency- guiding attackers to the wall to administer hits.

McGregor is a stable presence on the backend with good details and intelligent positioning to effectively take away the middle from attackers, get into lanes, and block shots; he is responsible and highly aware. He shuts down plays in-zone and exerts calmness and poise in shaking off pressure in retrievals, with good results when it comes to leading the breakout through controlled exits. In transition, he is highly effectual, with sharp vision in his passes through the neutral zone while looking to bait pressure to open space, push the play forward, and put his teammates in advantageous positions. His puck-skills could use a tune-up though, as could the accuracy of his feeds. McGregor is a physical player, but obviously pretty diciplined with only 30 penalty-minutes; he finishes his checks and uses his frame well in puck-battles, although he needs to bulk up considerably for the next level, and build strength. He is intelligent off-puck, and supports the play well in all three zones, with the ability to find open lanes to fill, and soft spots in coverage. He is still a bit raw, but has excellent tools to work with- I think he might go in the middle rounds, but he's an exciting prospect.

[The Fonz]

Reschny with 4 assists, 4 shots, and a +3 tonight as Vic wins the series. Brings his playoff stat line to:

5GP 5G 8A 13PTS +8

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 27):

RD Quinn Beauchesne (6'0",187lbs)
Guelph (OHL): 49gp/ 6g/ 18a/ 24pts, -10, 51 PIM

Most of us have probably heard the name Quinn Beauchesne (ranked # 84 NA Skaters, # 73 by McKenzie), seen his name in mocks, or watched him play in last summer's Hlinka-Gretzky Cup (3 points in 5 games)- where he got pretty decent reviews, but I didn't come away as a big fan of his. I've been more impressed with him in league play this season, and I thought he performed well at the OHL Top Prospects Game in January, as well as the CHL-USA Prospects Challenge in November- though he didn't get any points in either. Guelph finished the season 19th out of 20 teams, and 14th in goals-scored, so I think it's safe to say that he would have much more impressive stats on a better team. Beauchesne is a two-way defender, and a coveted righty, who plays with an edge, as a Jack-of-all-Trades/ Master-of-None type. He is always in perpetual motion, with above-average speed in a straight-line, but with exceptional lateral mobility to cut across the ice sharply to extinguish rushes. He could perhaps use a better first-step, and an increase in explosiveness is small-areas with cleaner mechanics, but he accelerates quickly to top speed.

Beauchesne is a precise distributor and a high-value puck-mover who specializes in making a sound first-pass, occasionally speeding up the breakout with a long-range outlet; he is constantly looking to create advantages, and tilt the ice in the right direction for his team. He's a standout in retrievals, pre-scanning for options and deftly dodging pressure with deceptive footwork and slick stickhandling maneuvers, and supports his partner well when are the one performing this duty. He is a transitional driver and a frequent participant in the rush, leading the attack up-ice and displaying an aggressive mindset. Beauchesne is blessed with a high hockey IQ and sound hockey sense at both ends, supporting the play in all areas off the puck; he is seemingly always in the thick of the action, but he isn't really a flashy player, and carries no truly dynamic qualities. Though he isn't perfect or mistake-free, he is highly attentive to his defensive duties, showing himself to be a proficient penalty-killer, and as in other areas- he is highly active and covers a ton of ice in each shift. Against the rush, he utilizes his smooth backwards skating and edgework, well-timed poke checks, clever angling, and tight gap control, but he will also step up at the blueline to dole out crushing hits. In the zone, he is physical along the boards and in front of the net (though he can be overpowered by larger opponents at times), and he's a willing shot-blocker. He gets into lanes and picks off passes, but he can lose his man in a crowd and occasionally misses secondary threats. In the other end, he activates into the play frequently, locating soft spots to move through, and will pinch in deep to the net, or to battle below the goal-line. He likes to streak up the wall to keep pucks alive in the zone, deliver a hit, or make a high-danger pass to the slot, and will jump in on the weak side to the hash-marks for a shot on goal. He has a decent shot, but seems to score his goals from below the dots, as opposed to the point.

Beauchesne is a hard-working player with good motor, who can play big minutes in all situations. He is quite physical and a bit mean, and can throw huge open-ice hits- which means he has to drop the gloves from time to time; he fought 6'3" Porter Martone at the OHL Top Prospects Game, and held his own. Going forward, he needs more polish in all areas, as his game looks messy at times, and often fraught with mental mistakes, miscues, throwaways, and uncontrolled play. He is confident enough to attempt riskier plays, but can get himself into trouble, and sometimes tries to do too much, or hangs on to the puck for too long- typical issues for most junior-aged puck-moving defenders. I look forward to seeing what he can do in the next few years. Look for him in the third-round.

[BrownDrake]

I know it’s a shame we are potentially losing our 1st rounder barring any lottery luck but I am sure pleased with the NJ and Florida underachievement this year. Those two picks could have been easily top 4 teams and both were highly touted as cup contenders and for sure divisional winners. Maybe we get some good karma here and end up picking 17th and 20th - that would be a great outcome all things considered.

[Groot]

Next year the hockey gods are going to finally reward the enduring pain that is Flames hockey while smiting the Golden Knights. Vegas will crash and burn next season finishing bottom-5. That pick will win the McKenna lottery and Calgary fans will rejoice.

[Jay Random]

Originally Posted by Groot

Next year the hockey gods are going to finally reward the enduring pain that is Flames hockey while smiting the Golden Knights.

If there were gods who cared about hockey, there wouldn't be a team called the Devils, and Gary Bettman wouldn't have been running the NHL for the past 30 years.

[Sandman]

Draft Thoughts (Hidden Gems Edition, Vol. 28):

LHC Carson Harmer (5'10",185lbs)
Saginaw (OHL): 68gp/ 23g/ 27a/ 50pts, +17, 39 PIM

Center Carson Harmer (ranked # 106 NA Skaters) is an OHL rookie, having played the previous season for the Stratford Warriors of the GOJHL, placing 4th in league scoring with 65 points in 46 games. His 50 points was good enough for second in scoring for freshmen this year, just 3 points ahead of teammate (and frequent linemate) RW Jacob Cloutier of the Saginaw Spirit- who finished 9th-overall in the standings, but scored the second-highest amount of goals in the league. It was a bit of an adjustment for Harmer at first, with only 7 points in his first 15 games, but he fit in to the lineup remarkably well. Harmer is a two-way pivot with playmaking ability, and some bite in his game. Though he can push pace, and seems to be everywhere all at once at times, he's not an especially potent skater and possesses average straight-line speed at best. He can beat a defender wide once in awhile, and is able to win puck-races on occasion with his will-power alone, but he has trouble separating in open ice- which is a big detriment for a player his size. He plays a rather straight-line game, with not much flash or dash, and no real dynamic traits, but he's a gamer and quite well-rounded.

Harmer is blessed with a high hockey IQ, and is a smart playmaker with superb awareness; he makes quick reads and sound decisions to produce constant advantages for his teammates with his passes, although he isn't a high-end creator just yet. In the offensive zone, he funnels pucks to the middle on the cycle, makes high-danger feeds across the crease through bodies, slips short-passes under sticks, and connects with saucers through traffic. He seems to like making low-to-high plays from below the goal-line to the slot, and can push defenses back upon entry in order to make space for a drop-pass. In transition, he often finds open space to slow the play down, exhibiting patience to wait for the right play, drawing pressure to open passing seams, and finding teammates with short, quick feeds. He finds open lanes to relocate to, skates his routes with purpose, and has quick hands with a soft touch to catch smoothly at top-speed, then stickhandle through traffic with full control while evading pressure. He also owns outstanding protection skills, angling his body away from checkers, and handling outside of their range. Harmer can fire the puck off the catch, wielding a hard shot with a snappy release that can freeze goalies, and the precision to hit targets while in-motion. While he could definitely stand to shoot more, he gets most of his goals in-close with his quick hands to beat goalies, his hand-eye coordination, and his sharp timing; he's very inside-driven, and a regular fixture in the slot and in-front. He knows how to find soft spots around the net to sneak into, and times his attacks to the crease to be in good position to snag rebounds, or get his stick on a tip.

Despite not having ideal size, Harmer doesn't shy away from the rough stuff at all, and in fact- he throws hits, can crush opponents in open-ice, plays through contact, and will even drop the gloves when necessary. He asserts himself physically, winning board battles, competing hard down-low, fighting for positioning in front of the net, and will use the odd reverse-hit to make more room for himself. He does a fair amount of the dirty work for his line, in digging out pucks in the dirty areas. He is gritty, competitive, energetic, and employs a non-stop motor. Harmer exhibits off-puck smarts to support the play in all three zones, and to stay open and playable, but also to hound puck-carriers in all areas of the ice and get in his opponents' faces. He is pesky and disruptive in all three zones- stealing pucks, picking pockets, and forcing uncontrolled plays, but he also works to make room for teammates who are in possession of the puck. In his own zone, he performs very well- exerting smarts, solid positioning, and keen awareness to act proactively in setting picks, getting inside position on aggressors, and tying up sticks before the puck arrives. He is disruptive through the other teams' breakout, to their rush through the neutral zone by harassing puck-carriers with his stick and his physicality, to the set-up in his team's defensive zone. He will engage opponents with contact to separate man from puck, and dole out stiff hits to dislodge possession; he retrieves loose pucks, and finds outlets to instantly start the breakout going in the other direction. I like this player, and I believe he will be high up the OHL scoring list for the next few years. Going forward, skating and pace are his biggest weaknesses, which isn't ideal for a smaller player in the eyes of scouts- but he doesn't play small. Look for him in later rounds.

[1qqaaz]

I wouldn't be surprised if he has a strong D+1 year. Reminds me of Mangiapane in his draft year, in which he went undrafted, but probably should have been.

[Sandman]

Originally Posted by 1qqaaz

I wouldn't be surprised if he has a strong D+1 year. Reminds me of Mangiapane in his draft year, in which he went undrafted, but probably should have been.

Excellent comparison.

[Fan69]

Originally Posted by Sandman

Excellent comparison.

Except he is going to have a playing weight close to 200lbs. On a 5 10 frame he would be shaped like a fire hydrant.