So whats happening with Sven these days?

[Vulcan]

When I watched him a couple of weeks ago, he was coming back to help out in the defensive zone and he looked good when he got a chance to make plays. His problem was getting knocked off the puck along the boards. He needs to learn how to win the puck battles with guile instead of strength as he just isn't big enough for that style. My opinion anyways.

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

When I watched him a couple of weeks ago, he was coming back to help out in the defensive zone and he looked good when he got a chance to make plays. His problem was getting knocked off the puck along the boards. He needs to learn how to win the puck battles with guile instead of strength as he just isn't big enough for that style. My opinion anyways.

Perhaps if Sven isn't able to develop the "truculence" that Burke so desires, he can learn "tenacity", which in my opinion would be a much more desirable trait.

[Nehkara]

7g, 7a in 16 games for Sven since the start of February.

I have a lot of belief in him and I will be very excited when we see him up with the Flames again.

[nemanja2306]

How are Granlund and Ferland (?!) ahead of Sven on the depht chart? Along with Johnny, he's still our top prospect. Yeah, he needs to work on some things in the AHL, but that doesn't make him a lesser prospect than when we drafted him.

The Burke comments...think about it like this. When your parents ground you (or spank you for some), or yell at you, do they do it because they don't like you anymore or do they do it so you learn a lesson and help you become a better person? Same princple applies here I think.

Besides, if Burke had ANY intention of trading him, wouldn't he hype him up instead?
If Burke wants to trade Wideman for example, is he going to say he's a good pp option, or that he sucks in his own end?

Funny, he's getting more love on HF than here.

[dissentowner]

Burke said the same things about Kadri, it is his tough love approach in developing a player. I don't think he has any intention on trading Sven.

[Alberta_Beef]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

His offense has picked up dramatically, actually

Not at the time that article was published. So what is happening now is irrelevant to discussions of what was mean in the quotes from the article.

[Drury18]

Originally Posted by nemanja2306

How are Granlund and Ferland (?!) ahead of Sven on the depht chart? Along with Johnny, he's still our top prospect. Yeah, he needs to work on some things in the AHL, but that doesn't make him a lesser prospect than when we drafted him.

Granlund IS the Flames top prospect right now. It's not even close. He's miles ahead of Sven.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Drury18

Granlund IS the Flames top prospect right now. It's not even close. He's miles ahead of Sven.

I think it's Gaudreau. But having Granlund ahead of Sven is certainly easily defendable and I tend to agree with you that he's passed him.

[SeanCharles]

Our forward and goaltending prospects are pretty solid. We have some good top-6 and bottom-6 prospects moving forward. We also have a couple solid potential starting goalie prospects in Gillies and Ortio.

Sven, Gaudreau and Granlund are all pretty solid and when combined with Poirier, Monahan, Klimchuk and Knight etc. we have some good looking kids coming.

I still think Sven along with Gaudreau and Monahan have the highest ceilings. Even if Granlund and Poirier look like they are better than Sven right now doesn't mean we should trade him or consider him passed by... We don't have enough high end guys so I really hope we keep Sven and see how he develops..

We need to keep what prospects we have and at this draft swing some deal(s) to aquire some defensive prospects.

[Fire]

If I was Burke I would keep Sven down on the farm for the rest of season and playoffs. Let him gain some confidence so hopefully he comes back next season and forces the Flames to keep him up in the NHL.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Fire

If I was Burke I would keep Sven down on the farm for the rest of season and playoffs. Let him gain some confidence so hopefully he comes back next season and forces the Flames to keep him up in the NHL.

I'd like to see him get 2-3 more games in the NHL this season, just as a well done for improving all around and getting it back together offensive wise.

As for all the "best prospect" talk... don't really care about all that... but Sven, Gaudreau, Granlund and Wotherspoon... could be potentially one hell of a draft, that's a franchise turn around draft. We're still a some time away from knowing that obviously but it's great they're looking so good 3 years off the draft year.

[Muta]

Future lineup, just for fun:

Sven Baertschi - Sean Monahan - Jake Virtanen
Johnny Gaudreau - Mikael Backlund - Emile Poirier
Morgan Klimchuk - Mikael Granlund - Joe Colborne
Max Reinhart - Corban Knight - Lance Bouma

TJ Brodie - Kris Russell
Tyler Wotherspoon - Brett Kulak
Patrick Sieloff - ???

Jon Gillies
Joni Ortio

Interchangeable: Paul Byron / Mark Janknowski / Bill Arnold /Kenny Agostino / Ben Hanowski / Michael Ferland / Tim Harrison / Eric Roy

Bottom line: We need impact defensemen. That should be our priority. Upon thinking about it, we should explore opportunities to move up to get Ekblad. The above scenario has us taking Virtanen (as he's the only natural RW in the projected top ten for 2014, a position that we need), and IMO, we will finish around 6th overall. We should also take into consideration for next year, perhaps, the possibility of landing McDavid or Eichel.

Good times ahead; the future of this club is starting to take an identity.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Like the fact that Monahan and Granlund both seem to be future long term NHL'ers. It eases up that center ice position considerably and will allow Jankowski to develop at his own pace without putting pressure on him to become that guy.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

Our forward and goaltending prospects are pretty solid. We have some good top-6 and bottom-6 prospects moving forward. We also have a couple solid potential starting goalie prospects in Gillies and Ortio.

Sven, Gaudreau and Granlund are all pretty solid and when combined with Poirier, Monahan, Klimchuk and Knight etc. we have some good looking kids coming.

I still think Sven along with Gaudreau and Monahan have the highest ceilings. Even if Granlund and Poirier look like they are better than Sven right now doesn't mean we should trade him or consider him passed by... We don't have enough high end guys so I really hope we keep Sven and see how he develops..

We need to keep what prospects we have and at this draft swing some deal(s) to aquire some defensive prospects.

The game of defensive prospects is different. It's much harder to predict, and they tend to emerge at random ages. Some defencemen don't emerge until 30, which is when many forwards on their downswing.

We have Russell, Brodie, and Wotherspoon. All very solid young d-men/prospects. Solid top 4 d-men are also much easier to acquire via free agency, as they are often just getting into their prime by the time they hit free agency.

The key will whether all or our players develop into consistent players. Lots of talent there at all positions.

[PeteMoss]

This is a key off-season for Sven. He isn't dumb. He may have disagreed with the demotion but I'm sure he's noticed guys like Colborne and Granlund moving up the depth chart while he's sitting in Abbotsford. A year ago at this time, Colborne, Knight, Monahan, Porier, Klimchuk weren't in the organization. Granlund was a giant question mark in Finland, Reinhart was struggling in the AHL, Agostino and Hanowski were still in college. There's a possibility he ends up being the forgotten man if he doesn't step up next year.

If he doesn't come back motivated next year and ready to step his game up, then we've got some concerns.

[djsFlames]

Granlund will be a winger in the NHL if he becomes a long term player.

Still need another solid piece for the future down the middle IMO, even if Backlund, Monahan and others continue to progress.

You didn't see Colorado last season already having 3 solid centers on their roster saying no, that they had enough there, and stock up somewhere else. They went right ahead and added MacKinnon to that pile. And look what they're doing now with that ton of depth. For forwards, you build from the center out. That's the position I'd like to see US in by the 2015 draft.

Anyways, back to Sven, as this is off topic..

[Rerun]

Originally Posted by PeteMoss

This is a key off-season for Sven. He isn't dumb. He may have disagreed with the demotion but I'm sure he's noticed guys like Colborne and Granlund moving up the depth chart while he's sitting in Abbotsford. A year ago at this time, Colborne, Knight, Monahan, Porier, Klimchuk weren't in the organization. Granlund was a giant question mark in Finland, Reinhart was struggling in the AHL, Agostino and Hanowski were still in college. There's a possibility he ends up being the forgotten man if he doesn't step up next year.

If he doesn't come back motivated next year and ready to step his game up, then we've got some concerns.

Yep, Sven has definitely put himself behind the 8-ball this year. Where once he was leading the pack, now he's playing catch-up. Hope Burke doesn't consider him too far behind the pack and not worth waiting for.

[nemanja2306]

Originally Posted by Drury18

Granlund IS the Flames top prospect right now. It's not even close. He's miles ahead of Sven.

How is he? Sven has shown he can produce in the NHL, Granlund has not. Sven was sent down to work on his defensive game. Talent and potential wise, Sven is miles ahead of Granlund, and looking strictly at offense, is NHL ready. However, other aspects of his game are lacking, hence why he's in the AHL.

However, Granlund's overall game, without the puck, is currently at a higher level. Also, Sven seems kind of weak mentally to me. Maybe it's just me, but that's the impression I get.

Granlund might be more ready for the NHL NOW, but Sven has the potential to be a much, much better player than Granlund. And IMO, is a much better prospect.

[clancy]

Originally Posted by nemanja2306

How is he? Sven has shown he can produce in the NHL, Granlund has not. Sven was sent down to work on his defensive game. Talent and potential wise, Sven is miles ahead of Granlund, and looking strictly at offense, is NHL ready. However, other aspects of his game are lacking, hence why he's in the AHL.

However, Granlund's overall game, without the puck, is currently at a higher level. Also, Sven seems kind of weak mentally to me. Maybe it's just me, but that's the impression I get.

Granlund might be more ready for the NHL NOW, but Sven has the potential to be a much, much better player than Granlund. And IMO, is a much better prospect.

I don't think Sven has shown he can produce in the NHL. He had a good week a couple of years ago.

[Fire in the disco]

Originally Posted by clancy

I don't think Sven has shown he can produce in the NHL. He had a good week a couple of years ago.

24 points in 51 career NHL games. basically a 40 point pace over 82 games.... Must have been some kind of week!

His 3 goals in his 5 game emergency call up where great, but he produced near that same level as he did in his "good week a couple years ago" everytime hes been given the chance.

He's our highest ceiling prospect not in the NHL at the moment based on what he's already proven. His defensive game sounds as though its improving, and writing him off is ridiculous considering his 1st line potential.