I look at Dallas and see a significantly higher end mix of centres and wingers. They have a great mix of skilled youth already contributing at higher levels than our young players (at younger ages) and the older players are still contributing.
I think the big thing is you need to hit on your own Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz...which is easier said than done
I think the big thing is you need to hit on your own Wyatt Johnston and Roope Hintz...which is easier said than done
Calgary drafted Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson in those two drafts, and generally have done better than Dallas over the last decade. Dallas has just been building and developing longer than Calgary and hit heavy on the 2017 draft, which opened up their competitive window.
Over the last 10 years, Dallas has drafted (impact or potential impact players only):
Roope Hintz (15)
Miro Heiskanen (17)
Jake Oettinger (17)
Jason Robertson (17)
Thomas Harley (19)
Johnston (21)
Stankoven (21)
TBC on Lian Bischsel, Christian Kyrou and Emil Hemming. (their last three drafts have been weak).
Calgary has drafted:
Rasmus Andersson (15)
Magniapane (15)
Tkachuk (16)
Dube (16 Arguable on impact)
Fox (16)
Valimaki (17)
Pospisil (18)
Wolf (19)
Zary (20)
Coronato (21)
TBC on Honzek, Morin, Suniev, Stromgren, Sergeev, Poirier, Kerins, Solovyov and bascically the entire 2024 draft
I'd suggest with the picks both teams have had, Calgary's have been stronger -- especially over the last three years. We certainly have a much, much better system. Calgary just needs to be patient as it enters its competitive window over the next couple of years.
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I'd suggest with the picks both teams have had, Calgary's have been stronger -- especially over the last three years. We certainly have a much, much better system. Calgary just needs to be patient as it enters its competitive window over the next couple of years.
I'd actually agree.
The big thing I was flagging more is you need to find a way to get those top 6 centers in the draft without drafting top 5.
Dallas is one of the few teams that had success with that.
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Calgary drafted Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson in those two drafts, and generally have done better than Dallas over the last decade. Dallas has just been building and developing longer than Calgary and hit heavy on the 2017 draft, which opened up their competitive window.
Over the last 10 years, Dallas has drafted (impact or potential impact players only):
Roope Hintz (15)
Miro Heiskanen (17)
Jake Oettinger (17)
Jason Robertson (17)
Thomas Harley (19)
Johnston (21)
Stankoven (21)
TBC on Lian Bischsel, Christian Kyrou and Emil Hemming. (their last three drafts have been weak).
Calgary has drafted:
Rasmus Andersson (15)
Magniapane (15)
Tkachuk (16)
Dube (16 Arguable on impact)
Fox (16)
Valimaki (17)
Pospisil (18)
Wolf (19)
Zary (20)
Coronato (21)
TBC on Honzek, Morin, Suniev, Stromgren, Sergeev, Poirier, Kerins, Solovyov and bascically the entire 2024 draft
I'd suggest with the picks both teams have had, Calgary's have been stronger -- especially over the last three years. We certainly have a much, much better system. Calgary just needs to be patient as it enters its competitive window over the next couple of years.
Also Mavrik Bourque for Dallas looks to be a good player but hasn't established himself in the league yet.
If you look at quantity of NHLers than I believe Calgary has been solid drafting but we don't have a 2 time 40 goal scorer like they have in Robertson, a 21 year old centre on the verge of PPG in Johnston. It would all look a lot better if we had been able to keep Fox and Tkachuk of course as active roster players. Perhaps in 2 years Wolf will be an established top 5 like Oettinger and we'll have the impact defenseman in Parekh like Heiskinen, and maybe plauyers like Coronato and Zary to develop into 40 goal scorers and 70 point centres respectively but there's work to be done. I see your point and the comparison with some older contributing players like Kadri and Huberdeau certainly mimics Benn and Seguin in Dallas, we just need a few more hits in the coming years and patience is key here. Not much to complain about on Calgary's drafting, I just think when comparing to arguably the best drafting team in the last decade in Dallas it shows there is work to be done which I know you are acknowledging.
Also Mavrik Bourque for Dallas looks to be a good player but hasn't established himself in the league yet.
If you look at quantity of NHLers than I believe Calgary has been solid drafting but we don't have a 2 time 40 goal scorer like they have in Robertson, a 21 year old centre on the verge of PPG in Johnston. It would all look a lot better if we had been able to keep Fox and Tkachuk of course as active roster players. Perhaps in 2 years Wolf will be an established top 5 like Oettinger and we'll have the impact defenseman in Parekh like Heiskinen, and maybe plauyers like Coronato and Zary to develop into 40 goal scorers and 70 point centres respectively but there's work to be done. I see your point and the comparison with some older contributing players like Kadri and Huberdeau certainly mimics Benn and Seguin in Dallas, we just need a few more hits in the coming years and patience is key here. Not much to complain about on Calgary's drafting, I just think when comparing to arguably the best drafting team in the last decade in Dallas it shows there is work to be done which I know you are acknowledging.
Yeah, Calgary's turned over its 2015-2018 draft picks, so they don't have that production yet, but this team is very strong in drafting and development. The issues they deal with have been player retention and trading away too many picks to win now.
Conroy and management have taken some positive steps on the retention/want to play here piece (the new stadium will be huge; Conroy going out of his way to pick up Farabee/Frost has sent a statement to the league; and there seems to be a genuinely more positive locker room; soon they'll be back in regular playoff contention and players want to play for winning clubs). This will all help.
And then the drafting is just making sure that they keep their picks so that they can both draft for need and draft for upside like they did in 2024.
I point out the Dallas comparison, because Calgary is very much on par (or better) with that club in drafting -- and if they continue to keep their picks, I have faith they'll build a pretty deep, competitive roster quickly.
Johnston was an amazing pick including because he didn't play in his draft year. His pre-draft year he had 30 points in the OHL and then in his D+1 year he jumped to 124 points.
Did Dallas take advantage of a covid year to pluck a player that they somehow knew more about that everyone else? Or was it luck? Probably a bit of both.
But he really came out of nowhere in that D+1 season.
In a re-draft he probably goes #1 overall. Him or Hughes.
Considering it was the Covid draft, that draft is looking pretty special: Johnston, Beniers, Hughes, Guenther, Power, Stankoven, McTvasih, Johnson, Eklund, Clarke, Knies, Coronato.
That's a pretty nice group right there. And then you have others like Sillinger, Evans, Edvinsson, Zellweger, Blake, Doan - it just goes on and on.
Not an elite guy at the top (though Hughes or Guenther could get there) but it is REALLY deep. Amazing given what the crop was dealing with.
Would be nice if Sromgren could pan out because the rest of the draft for the flames is ROUGH.
Last edited by Jiri Hrdina; 02-11-2025 at 08:39 PM.
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Calgary drafted Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson in those two drafts, and generally have done better than Dallas over the last decade. Dallas has just been building and developing longer than Calgary and hit heavy on the 2017 draft, which opened up their competitive window.
Over the last 10 years, Dallas has drafted (impact or potential impact players only):
Roope Hintz (15)
Miro Heiskanen (17)
Jake Oettinger (17)
Jason Robertson (17)
Thomas Harley (19)
Johnston (21)
Stankoven (21)
TBC on Lian Bischsel, Christian Kyrou and Emil Hemming. (their last three drafts have been weak).
Calgary has drafted:
Rasmus Andersson (15)
Magniapane (15)
Tkachuk (16)
Dube (16 Arguable on impact)
Fox (16)
Valimaki (17)
Pospisil (18)
Wolf (19)
Zary (20)
Coronato (21)
TBC on Honzek, Morin, Suniev, Stromgren, Sergeev, Poirier, Kerins, Solovyov and bascically the entire 2024 draft
I'd suggest with the picks both teams have had, Calgary's have been stronger -- especially over the last three years. We certainly have a much, much better system. Calgary just needs to be patient as it enters its competitive window over the next couple of years.
Unfortunately the two most important players Tkachuk and Fox are gone. Will the Flames be able to draft two similar players in the next few seasons? That will be extremely difficult.
Unfortunately the two most important players Tkachuk and Fox are gone. Will the Flames be able to draft two similar players in the next few seasons? That will be extremely difficult.
Why is it that players they've already drafted don't count?
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Why is it that players they've already drafted don't count?
Well if you're trying to argue that Calgary drafts just as well as Dallas without having top-5 picks, then the point stands with Tkachuk and Fox included.
But if you're trying to argue that we can build a team just like Dallas did, your point falters a bit because you've lost two of the highest impact players that you've drafted in the last 10 years, with not much in return to show for it.
Well if you're trying to argue that Calgary drafts just as well as Dallas without having top-5 picks, then the point stands with Tkachuk and Fox included.
But if you're trying to argue that we can build a team just like Dallas did, your point falters a bit because you've lost two of the highest impact players that you've drafted in the last 10 years, with not much in return to show for it.
It depends on what point you're trying to make.
I'm making the point that the Flames may already have drafted two players of the calibre Hackey wants them to draft. Their rebuild does not stand or fall purely by the next few drafts, but by drafts in the last few years as well.
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Why is it that players they've already drafted don't count?
Because drafting typically isn't consistent. Detroit was the gold standard. Tampa was the gold standard. Just because the Flames have made some solid picks in the past doesn't guarantee they will make them in the future. Especially when the high end players are the least likely.
