Calgarypuck Prospect Ranking 2016 - Round 5

[cannon7]

I see HIckey topping out as a reliable #3/4, plays a safe game. Andersson on the other hand could be a total game changer. Brodie-esque hockey sense with even more offensive upside. I think the conditioning is overblown, the guy already dominates the OHL, can you imagine what he can do when the Flames trainers get a few months with him? I don't think Rasmus is being stubborn, I think he is just naturally stocky. My only concern there is management making more out of it.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by MarkGio

What are these reports of Andersson being out of shape? Someone saw him at development camp breathing heavy? Sample size people. There's a lot of summer left in the year

Reports being comments directly from the Flames GM? Is that good enough? When the guy who makes decisions on the club is not happy, and points to two consecutive camps as support of his opinion, that is not a positive for the player. When he tells you that the player is expecting a conversation about this, that's a red flag that the club is not happy.

[cannon7]

Originally Posted by New Era

Reports being comments directly from the Flames GM? Is that good enough? When the guy who makes decisions on the club is not happy, and points to two consecutive camps as support of his opinion, that is not a positive for the player. When he tells you that the player is expecting a conversation about this, that's a red flag that the club is not happy.

Yet last camp Andersson was one of the last (if not the last) junior cuts and out lasted many of the Flames minor leaguers. Who was ahead of him last camp? Kulak? That's about it.

[N-E-B]

Went with Shinkaruk. Someone will need to explain the Hickey love to me. I'll admit my viewings of him have been limited but I haven't seen or heard much that would get me as excited about him as a lot of you are.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Called out by the GM for two straight years. That's a red flag. How deep a red is up to you. For me it is a dark Crimson.

I did not know that. That's pretty bad for sure if it's public like that

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

It is interesting that we are ranking many young D men over Wotherspoon. At one point he was one of our premier defensive prospects. He was qualified so the Flames haven't given up on him. Does this mean he is going to be an AHL lifer, or will he get a couple call ups this season as a last chance to prove his worth? I have never been terribly impressed by my albeit limited viewings of him. With other talent chomping at the bit, he may have been surpassed on the managements list as well.

Hartley wasn't a fan. But Wotherspoon is more NHL ready than Kulak IMO. And he is more reliable.

I am expecting him to get a real shot with a new coach and have a breakout year.

But...

if he doesn't make some serious strides this year, the young guys will pass him by next year.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by cannon7

Yet last camp Andersson was one of the last (if not the last) junior cuts and out lasted many of the Flames minor leaguers. Who was ahead of him last camp? Kulak? That's about it.

Relevance? Flames have been looking at the growth in the player and are disappointed in his lack of conditioning and perceived professionalism. What he did in camp last year is pretty well irre levant in that scenario.

[MarkGio]

Originally Posted by New Era

Relevance? Flames have been looking at the growth in the player and are disappointed in his lack of conditioning and perceived professionalism. What he did in camp last year is pretty well irre levant in that scenario.

Lots of NHLers have ongoing conditioning issues, such as Buff and Kessel. When you're constantly tinkering with PEDs, trying to gain mass, and constantly dropping weight, your metabolism slows down. Most athletes become fat really quickly during the training off-season.

This conditioning stuff is normal for a kid that age.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by N-E-B

Went with Shinkaruk. Someone will need to explain the Hickey love to me. I'll admit my viewings of him have been limited but I haven't seen or heard much that would get me as excited about him as a lot of you are.

Hickey's the sort of player who does a lot of little things really well; your stereotypical 'if you don't notice him, it's because he's doing his job' sort of player.

Why some of us are so high on him is simple. His skating is top notch. You'll never confuse him for Kylington, but it's very very good.

Very good awareness in the defensive zone - compound this with his skating and you have a player who is in the right place to make the right play an awful lot.

He's very tough on the puck along the boards, and it's very hard for players to get inside on him. He plays 2-on-1s better than any prospect in the system.

There's a composure to his game, as well. If he looks like he might get beat, he doesn't panic. He trusts his skating, holds his angle, and makes the right play.

He's not very aggressive offensively, but that's fine. He knows how to play with the puck on his stick, and his first pass is NHL ready now, IMO.

On top of everything, his stride and even his facial hair call to mind Drew Doughty. Take that for what it's worth.

TL;DR Brandon Hickey is really good, I promise.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814

Hickey's the sort of player who does a lot of little things really well; your stereotypical 'if you don't notice him, it's because he's doing his job' sort of player.

Why some of us are so high on him is simple. His skating is top notch. You'll never confuse him for Kylington, but it's very very good.

Very good awareness in the defensive zone - compound this with his skating and you have a player who is in the right place to make the right play an awful lot.

He's very tough on the puck along the boards, and it's very hard for players to get inside on him. He plays 2-on-1s better than any prospect in the system.

There's a composure to his game, as well. If he looks like he might get beat, he doesn't panic. He trusts his skating, holds his angle, and makes the right play.

He's not very aggressive offensively, but that's fine. He knows how to play with the puck on his stick, and his first pass is NHL ready now, IMO.

On top of everything, his stride and even his facial hair call to mind Drew Doughty. Take that for what it's worth.

TL;DR Brandon Hickey is really good, I promise.

Meh. I don't think he looks as good as Wotherspoon did at this stage of his career and as we have seen with Wotherspoon low upside offensive defensemen can go either way even if they do a lot of little things well. Kind of a joke he's voted ahead of Andersson who is a superior prospect but that's just my opinion.