Flames 2014 Training camp - rookies report Sept 11, main camp opens Sept 18

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Freeway

I'd rather Calgary get Noah Hanifin than Eichel or McDavid, because I think defensive depth is the team's biggest single issue going forward.

And the biggest barrier to being elite

[djsFlames]

Sven looked near the same stature and build as Backlund in the parade photos, and Backs is 6', 198lbs.

Sven isn't small, but he does need to learn to throw his weight around more to give less of that impression.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Freeway

I'd rather Calgary get Noah Hanifin than Eichel or McDavid, because I think defensive depth is the team's biggest single issue going forward.

I know that defensive depth is easily the biggest hole right now, but this is insane. If you have the chance, you take McDavid or Eichel. Lack of defencemen can be addressed in the later rounds or through a trade, since center depth would be pretty stacked at that point.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by djsFlames

Sven looked near the same stature and build as Backlund in the parade photos, and Backs is 6', 198lbs.

Sven isn't small, but he does need to learn to throw his weight around more to give less of that impression.

People keep saying that. Repeating it over and over doesn't make it true. He is 2+ inches shorter and 10ish pounds lighter than the average player was last year. Teams are trending bigger every year. That doesn't mean he won't be a good player, he just needs to use his skill better than he has been and hopefully they will surround him with some actual size.

Bennett is projecting to be an average size NHL player.

[RyZ]

Originally Posted by Zevo

People keep saying that. Repeating it over and over doesn't make it true. He is 2+ inches shorter and 10ish pounds lighter than the average player was last year. Teams are trending bigger every year. That doesn't mean he won't be a good player, he just needs to use his skill better than he has been and hopefully they will surround him with some actual size.

Bennett is projecting to be an average size NHL player.

The point is that he is not noticeably small. If 200lb is average, is this true?

190lb - small??
200lb - average
210lb - large??

Not at all IMO. Would you call a 210lb player a "large" player?

[Poe969]

what would you call big Buff or what would you have called wellwood????

[Freeway]

Originally Posted by codynw

I know that defensive depth is easily the biggest hole right now, but this is insane. If you have the chance, you take McDavid or Eichel. Lack of defencemen can be addressed in the later rounds or through a trade, since center depth would be pretty stacked at that point.

Hanifin is HUGE. He's 6'2", 200+ and turns 18 in January.

Compare that to McDavid (6'0", 180, also January) and Eichel (6'1", 190, 18 in October) and you can see why scouts are salivating over the kid.

If he continues his progression, this could be a 1A, 1B, 1C draft.

[mile]

Originally Posted by codynw

I know that defensive depth is easily the biggest hole right now, but this is insane. If you have the chance, you take McDavid or Eichel. Lack of defencemen can be addressed in the later rounds or through a trade, since center depth would be pretty stacked at that point.

I don't think the poster is saying they would outright take Hanifin over McDavid or Eichel.

I don't think we would be worse off though if the Flames had the 3rd pick and took Hanifin than if they had #1 and took McDavid. We would be addressing that need for a #1 defenseman and might quite possibly have the most complete collection of prospects in the league.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by RyZ

The point is that he is not noticeably small. If 200lb is average, is this true?

190lb - small??
200lb - average
210lb - large??

Not at all IMO. Would you call a 210lb player a "large" player?

If he he was 6'3"+ and 210+, yes I would say he has good size and is a big player. That is the equivalent amount above the average as Sven is below the average. Size isn't just weight, it's also reach(and leverage) or lack there of. Look what Colborne can do with his wing span. It's a huge advantage.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Originally Posted by codynw

I know that defensive depth is easily the biggest hole right now, but this is insane. If you have the chance, you take McDavid or Eichel. Lack of defencemen can be addressed in the later rounds or through a trade, since center depth would be pretty stacked at that point.

Imo, Hanifin is really competing for that #2 spot. I think both him and Eichel are of equal value. If we have the #2 pick in the draft, I might take a chance on Hanifin.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by codynw

I know that defensive depth is easily the biggest hole right now, but this is insane. If you have the chance, you take McDavid or Eichel. Lack of defencemen can be addressed in the later rounds or through a trade, since center depth would be pretty stacked at that point.

I hear what you're saying, but show me a Stanley Cup winner without a stud defenseman? Gio won't be it for long of he even continues his play. Brodie isn't likely to be it. Who is our Doughty, Lidstrom, Keith, etc? We need elite center depth and elite Defensive depth.

Having said that, you get a chance at McDavid and you take it. I kind of hope we end up with Hanifin if that makes any sense

[Vinny01]

I would rather trade Monahan or Bennett for a Dman than take Hanifin over McDavid. This is the most hyper prospect in a decade. He is a generational talent. If we pick 1st there is no doubt McDavid is our guy

[mile]

Nobody is saying take Hanifin over McDavid.....of course you pick McDavid in that scenario.

But getting 3rd or 4th overall would be another case where the Flames finish in the "right" spot (like the past two years), and their needs align with who is expected to go in that spot.

Getting Hanifin would be just as big a step forward (maybe even more) as getting McDavid would. The best teams in the league right now are the ones who are the most complete, not necessarily the teams that stack up stars in one position like Pittsburgh.

[CKPThunder]

Originally Posted by Street Pharmacist

I hear what you're saying, but show me a Stanley Cup winner without a stud defenseman? Gio won't be it for long of he even continues his play. Brodie isn't likely to be it. Who is our Doughty, Lidstrom, Keith, etc? We need elite center depth and elite Defensive depth.

Having said that, you get a chance at McDavid and you take it. I kind of hope we end up with Hanifin if that makes any sense

I agree with you but there are always exceptions. The most obvious would be Carolina in 2006. Depending on your definition of stud defensemen, you could also argue Pittsburgh in 2009, Tampa Bay in 2004 and Colorado in 2001.

[AcGold]

Anyone in our system that has potential to be our next Gio? I agree we need a top D-man to get a cup.

[RoughRiderRowdy]

Lets just get two things straight here. The perrennial contenders and the past 5 or so stanley cup winners have AT LEAST one totally stud defenceman. Defence really does win championships not only in football but hockey too. We need an "elite" defenceman somehow, whether that be drafting (hanifin) or via trade from the abundance of LW and C's as an example. This is what good drafting does for a team.

So in my opinion if we get 1st overall we take mcdavid, 2nd overall, eichel, and 3rd and lower we go all out for hanifin and/or a package to draft hanifin or kylington

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by BACKCHECK!!!

That is a very small top-6.

Too small to be a real contender, IMO. I don't see there being room for both Sven and Johnny on a team that wants to win the cup, unless we can add some real bruisers to the top-6. Guys in the Getzlaf, Kopitar, Lucic category.

Monahan and Bennett are big enough to take care of themselves, but are not going to turn the tide. In a real bloodbath playoff series against a big team, ^that^ top-6 is going to be "catching" rather than "pitching".

I think it was Burke who said that if you want to win the cup, you'll need the skill to beat a skilled team, the speed to beat a fast time, and the physicality to beat a physical team, because you'll usually have to do exactly that to win the cup.

I don't think the prospects currently in the system will have the size and/or physicality when they mature to take it to a team like LA or Boston in a 7 game series. Trades will have to be made.

Just my take.

I totally disagree, the size thing is way overblown. The most skilled teams win.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Freeway

I'd rather Calgary get Noah Hanifin than Eichel or McDavid, because I think defensive depth is the team's biggest single issue going forward.

Just insanity. Hanifin projects as a good d man but you would pass over a generational talent for him? Would you take Duncan Keith over Crosby and Malkin?

[Ashasx]

I think Hanifin would be a very good fit for the Flames, but you don't take him over the two centres.

I don't expect the Flames to pick top 2 anyway, but picking 3rd and taking whoever is leftover of the three would be a very good position for this team to be in next June.

[Caged Great]

If the Flames are picking 1/2, then I don't see how you take anyone besides McDavid/Eichel, no matter how badly you need defensemen and I like Kylington and Hanifin a lot. (If we pick 3/4, then we'll either get a faller from McDavid/Eichel, or one hell of a D-man, so it's all good). McDavid and Eichel look to be star players, as good if not better than guys like Hall/Seguin/RNH/Yakupov etc. They could even be as good as MacKinnon. We can definitely use that, even if it means we're still weak on D.

Trade Backlund/Sven/Gaudreau/Jankowski/Granlund/Poirier/Klimchuk for similar calibre D-men. Brayden McNabb went for a pair of seconds and he looks like a fairly good D prospect. I'm sure teams would line up to potentially snag a top 6 forward prospect for a top 4 D prospect as they usually are more difficult to find. We could also sign/trade for a good Veteran D-man like Chicago did with Brian Campbell when they were coming out of their rebuild.