[News] With the 21st overall pick Flames select C Mark Jankowski

[Cali Panthers Fan]

Originally Posted by Bingo

I keep going back to this humours spectrum for the kid and wonder where he fits in ...

Otto |-------------------------------X-------------------------------------| Thornton

I keep moving that X to the right

Even if it's just Otto, I'd be super happy about that. Excellent defensive center that put up 0.54 points per game over a 13 year career. Yes please.

[Flashpoint]

"Just Otto"

LOL

He was the best defensive center in the league, and could shut down Lindros and Messier in their primes AND win faceoffs like nobody's business.

if Janko is a poor man's Otto he's a top pick from that draft and a huge success for us.

[Heavy Jack]

Originally Posted by Flashpoint

"Just Otto"

LOL

He was the best defensive center in the league, and could shut down Lindros and Messier in their primes AND win faceoffs like nobody's business.

if Janko is a poor man's Otto he's a top pick from that draft and a huge success for us.

Precisely Cali's point.

[bubbsy]

Comparisons are meaningless. 2 players who played in completely different eras.

Anyways, just wanted to comment that it is absolutely amazing that he had a great camp only to get sent down. You see any moping or woe is me, which I would have almost expected, nope. For him to just keep doing his thing is really commendable.

Can't wait to see him in the top 9 with the big club soon.

[Fan69]

Myself i was hoping they do what they did with Conroy. Offer him a high profile position with the team. Its obviouse his main contribution is character and I always have him on the out list when you look at best line up.

Jankowski. Lazar. Brouwer. Could be a really good line if Lazar shows some more of what he showed the other night.

Think it would show Brouwer lack of footspeed but just plant yourself in front of the net.

[868904]

Stajan should probably be thinking about his post playing career. I'd be shocked if he got anything more than a PTO next year. It might do him good to go down to Stockton as a player coach and get his second career started. It would give him some stability too (key for young families) as he could probably remain in the organization.

[Bingo]

Originally Posted by bubbsy

Comparisons are meaningless. 2 players who played in completely different eras.

Anyways, just wanted to comment that it is absolutely amazing that he had a great camp only to get sent down. You see any moping or woe is me, which I would have almost expected, nope. For him to just keep doing his thing is really commendable.

Can't wait to see him in the top 9 with the big club soon.

Think you guys are taking the comparison a little too literally.

3rd Line Center |------------------------------| Puck Distributing 1st Line Center

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by 868904

Stajan should probably be thinking about his post playing career. I'd be shocked if he got anything more than a PTO next year. It might do him good to go down to Stockton as a player coach and get his second career started. It would give him some stability too (key for young families) as he could probably remain in the organization.

You mean it would do you (and everyone else that wants to see Jankowski at any cost) some good to see Stajan go down. I'm sure that's every vets dream to spend possibly their last year in the AHL, especially when it could be the first(and last) time in his career to make some noise in the playoffs.

He made 12.5 million on his last contract. I think he's stable enough.

[Jore]

'Stephen Burtch‏ @SteveBurtch 16h16 hours ago
More
6 AHLers have 10+ shots through 2 gp. They all probably belong in the NHL:

S Theodore
T Chabot
T Pulkkinen
N Soshnikov
M Jankowski
K Connor'

at least the flames aren't the only ones to make a mess out of the roster/favour vets and force nhl level prospects (maybe with the exception of pulkkinen) to play in the ahl

[868904]

Originally Posted by Zevo

You mean it would do you (and everyone else that wants to see Jankowski at any cost) some good to see Stajan go down. I'm sure that's every vets dream to spend possibly their last year in the AHL, especially when it could be the first(and last) time in his career to make some noise in the playoffs.

He made 12.5 million on his last contract. I think he's stable enough.

By stable i mean having a second career in place and choosing to remain with the organization long term.

At some point this season, the Flames are going to have to make a difficult decision with Stajan I think. Brouwer can't be moved, Freddie is tied to Dougie. Lazar will be given a long leash. Stajan is the obvious one to be moved to make room for Jankowski.

Stajan can either be a "company man" and pave the way for a second career with the organization in coaching, scouting, management or he can cut ties and explore waivers this season and UFA next season.

I don't think what I'm suggesting is particularly cold, it's just how business is run in the real world. Old veterans get pushed out by younger assets and the company man has a choice of staying in another capacity or exploring the uncertain. It's not unlike how Conroy's playing days ended.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by 868904

By stable i mean having a second career in place and choosing to remain with the organization long term.

At some point this season, the Flames are going to have to make a difficult decision with Stajan I think. Brouwer can't be moved, Freddie is tied to Dougie. Lazar will be given a long leash. Stajan is the obvious one to be moved to make room for Jankowski.

Stajan can either be a "company man" and pave the way for a second career with the organization in coaching, scouting, management or he can cut ties and explore waivers this season and UFA next season.

I don't think what I'm suggesting is particularly cold, it's just how business is run in the real world. Old veterans get pushed out by younger assets and the company man has a choice of staying in another capacity or exploring the uncertain. It's not unlike how Conroy's playing days ended.

I don't for the life of me understand this. Freddie Hamilton sucks. He had 2 points last year, both goals. He was 59 percent in the dot, 46 hits, had 3 takeaways, 8 PIMS, 2 giveaways, and 1 blocked shot. He played 26 games! You could not magic up a less impactful hockey player with a monkey's paw.

Dougie Hamilton cannot be so emotionally fragile that we need to keep his brother around as a paid best friend.

Tanner Glass, for comparison, got into 11 games for the Rangers. He also had 2 points, a goal and an assist. He had 37 hits! 4 blocks, 2 takeaways, no giveaways. Is Freddie better? Maybe? Imperceptibly? At least he can win faceoffs, but we have other people who can be passable in the dot while being better at every other element of playing hockey.

But they can't be Dougie Hamilton's best friend.

[JerryUnderscore]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

I don't for the life of me understand this. Freddie Hamilton sucks. He had 2 points last year, both goals. He was 59 percent in the dot, 46 hits, had 3 takeaways, 8 PIMS, 2 giveaways, and 1 blocked shot. He played 26 games! You could not magic up a less impactful hockey player with a monkey's paw.

Dougie Hamilton cannot be so emotionally fragile that we need to keep his brother around as a paid best friend.

Tanner Glass, for comparison, got into 11 games for the Rangers. He also had 2 points, a goal and an assist. He had 37 hits! 4 blocks, 2 takeaways, no giveaways. Is Freddie better? Maybe? Imperceptibly? At least he can win faceoffs, but we have other people who can be passable in the dot while being better at every other element of playing hockey.

But they can't be Dougie Hamilton's best friend.

As much as that's the narrative around CP, that Dougie can't live without his brother, I haven't read or heard anything that would suggest that's actually the case. After all, he was already a great player in Boston without Freddie. So I don't know if I buy the narrative that the only reason Freddie is with the big club is to keep Dougie happy.

However, with that being said... what if it's true? What if Dougie plays better with Freddie around? If the difference between a 50 point/season Dougie and a 25 point/season is that you keep Freddie around why wouldn't you do that? He costs $612,500/year and gets into maybe 25% of the games. Any and every GM would do that if they knew it would help one of their best defensemen.

Freddie Hamilton isn't the one keeping Jankowski in the AHL. If the options for Jankowski are between playing top line minutes in the AHL or sitting in the press box and getting into a quarter of the games in the NHL, I'll choose the AHL every time.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by JerryUnderscore

As much as that's the narrative around CP, that Dougie can't live without his brother, I haven't read or heard anything that would suggest that's actually the case. After all, he was already a great player in Boston without Freddie. So I don't know if I buy the narrative that the only reason Freddie is with the big club is to keep Dougie happy.

However, with that being said... what if it's true? What if Dougie plays better with Freddie around? If the difference between a 50 point/season Dougie and a 25 point/season is that you keep Freddie around why wouldn't you do that? He costs $612,500/year and gets into maybe 25% of the games. Any and every GM would do that if they knew it would help one of their best defensemen.

Freddie Hamilton isn't the one keeping Jankowski in the AHL. If the options for Jankowski are between playing top line minutes in the AHL or sitting in the press box and getting into a quarter of the games in the NHL, I'll choose the AHL every time.

It's not like we're making it up out of thin air though - when Loubardias says on the radio 'Dougie and Freddie are as close as any two people you'll meet' and doesn't give other reasons why Freddie should be on the team, I question why one player is getting this sort of treatment.

And if Freddie was responsible for a 25 point swing in his brother's production, we should trade both of them tomorrow.

For what it's worth, I don't think Dougie is that frail - I think without Freddie, he'd be the exact same player.

[JerryUnderscore]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

It's not like we're making it up out of thin air though - when Loubardias says on the radio 'Dougie and Freddie are as close as any two people you'll meet' and doesn't give other reasons why Freddie should be on the team, I question why one player is getting this sort of treatment.

And if Freddie was responsible for a 25 point swing in his brother's production, we should trade both of them tomorrow.

For what it's worth, I don't think Dougie is that frail - I think without Freddie, he'd be the exact same player.

I completely agree. His stat line for the last three years has been:

2014-15 BOS 10-32-42 (72 GP) 0.58 PPG
2015-16 CGY 12-31-42 (82 GP) 0.52 PPG
2016-17 CGY 13-37-50 (81 GP) 0.62 PPG

His last year in Boston was just as good as his time in Calgary. Clearly Freddie isn't a major influence on his production.

So as much as Dougie and Freddie are thick as thieves, he's clearly not here just to be an emotional support for Dougie.

Maybe instead Freddie is good in practice and doesn't complain when he sitting in the press box most nights? I have no idea what goes into a good 13th forward but I'm guessing the team thinks Freddie has it?

Either way, I'm really okay with him taking up that 13th forward spot but I wouldn't think twice about it if he was sent down to the AHL. He's the last player I'm going to criticize when it comes to the success or failure of this team.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by JerryUnderscore

Freddie Hamilton isn't the one keeping Jankowski in the AHL. If the options for Jankowski are between playing top line minutes in the AHL or sitting in the press box and getting into a quarter of the games in the NHL, I'll choose the AHL every time.

Exactly. Freddie isn't taking NHL ice time away from anyone.

Unless there's a last-minute change to the roster, after tonight, three games into the season, Freddie will have played as many minutes in the NHL this season as Jankowski has.

[Fire]

Depends on the way you look at it. If Freddie was sent down like he really should have been, would Gulutzan have put Jankowski in the line-up over Stajan? I think the answer is yes or at least he would have given him a chance in one of the first two games.

[neo45]

Ya I think that is a bit of a myopic way to look at it. Gulutzan wasn't the one who sent him down and when he actually had the option to put Janko in the line up he gave him a lot of ice time.

[getbak]

Do you think Gulutzan has no input on who was sent to Stockton?

[Fire]

Originally Posted by getbak

Do you think Gulutzan has no input on who was sent to Stockton?

Of course he gives his opinion, but Treliving has the final word. I'm sure Trevliving told Gulutzan that Jankowski will be back up as soon as possible.

[JerryUnderscore]

Originally Posted by Fire

Depends on the way you look at it. If Freddie was sent down like he really should have been, would Gulutzan have put Jankowski in the line-up over Stajan? I think the answer is yes or at least he would have given him a chance in one of the first two games.

This is pure conjecture and can't be proven or disproven. We have no idea who would have ben scratched had Freddie been in Stockton and Jankowski while the big club.

I remember all the times in the past when Wotherspoon was up with the Flames and yet was a healthy scratch. It seems like most of CP wanted him to be sent back down in order to get playing time.