Calgarypuck Prospect Ranking 2017 - Round 3

[flame^thrower]

Tough call, especially since I don't get to see the prospects, but it's Andersson for me. Excited about this kid if he stays in shape.

[TheScorpion]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

I think there are three prospects on this team's roster on opening night:

Mark Jankowski
Spencer Foo
Brett Kulak

I don't think there's room for both Janko and Foo. The way I see it, here's the locked in NHL depth chart:

Gaudreau/Tkachuk/Versteeg/Lazar
Monahan/Backlund/Bennett/Stajan/Hamilton
Ferland/Frolik/Brouwer/unknown

I think the 'unknown' guy could either slot in the spot I've marked, or swap with Staj. But regardless, I think there's only one spot.

[dammage79]

Andersson and then I have to have a think.

[bigrangy]

Had Kylington at 1, I'll continue voting for him here.

He's succeeded at every level and has always played up. He wouldn't even be AHL eligible yet if he was a CHL player and despite that he still led the Heat in defensive scoring.

He will figure out his (overblown, but still real) problems and he will be a top 4 guy when he is ready. Andersson may be ready sooner but Kylington will be a better player in the NHL once they both make it.

[Roof-Daddy]

D is just stacked.

You look at the top 5 in the NHL all locked up for 3 years or more, then look at the depth of high end D prospects coming behind them.

Kylington - Andersson
Valimaki - Fox

Two high end LHD and two high end RHD.

Plus I'm personally still high on Kulak and expect him to graduate this coming season.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I don't think there's room for both Janko and Foo. The way I see it, here's the locked in NHL depth chart:

Gaudreau/Tkachuk/Versteeg/Lazar
Monahan/Backlund/Bennett/Stajan/Hamilton
Ferland/Frolik/Brouwer/unknown

I think the 'unknown' guy could either slot in the spot I've marked, or swap with Staj. But regardless, I think there's only one spot.

Unlikely we leave training camp without at least one injury up front.

[N26]

Originally Posted by Cali Panthers Fan

I made my case in the last round for Andersson. I think he's a year away from being a top 4 defenseman in the NHL. He's my pick.

And which team do you see him being a top 4 on?

I don't necessarily disagree with you but the current contract situation with the Fabulous Five, especially on the right side, suggests it will not be easy for him to get there.

Though, I suppose not one of those contracts will be hard to trade. Maybe Gio's will be in a couple of years.

As much as we, and I think the team, like the Following Five (Kulak, Andersson, Kylington, Fox & Välimäki) it could be for the next three years that there is only really one spot available unless a trade happens.

Hmmm...re-reading this I see that I have run-on sentences, answered my own question more or less and made up two bad nicknames. I wonder if this might be connected to the fact that I had my first alcoholic drink(s) in 4 months earlier this evening.

Whatever. I'm gonna post it and wait for the 'Thanks' to roll in.

[GranteedEV]

I can see an argument for quite a few guys but from the AHL Stockto games I watched last year...

Originally Posted by bigrangy

Had Kylington at 1, I'll continue voting for him here.

He's succeeded at every level and has always played up. He wouldn't even be AHL eligible yet if he was a CHL player and despite that he still led the Heat in defensive scoring.

He will figure out his (overblown, but still real) problems and he will be a top 4 guy when he is ready. Andersson may be ready sooner but Kylington will be a better player in the NHL once they both make it.

This so much.

[1991 Canadian]

It's interesting that this the first year that Andersson will be placed ahead of Kylington. I always found it odd that in both their draft year and draft year + 1, Flames fans put Kylington ahead of Andersson.

Maybe it's just me, but I have no problem with the out of shape guys. It seems like fitness is rarely something holding back the truly talented players. Both players have been trending in the right direction so I can make arguments for either one to be ahead, I just found it odd. Especially since the Flames drafted Andersson first.

With Jankowski off the board, that forward group is pretty thin. I'm curious if the Flames parlay one of their defensive prospects into a young player/prospect on the wings.

[flame^thrower]

Originally Posted by bigrangy

Had Kylington at 1, I'll continue voting for him here.

He's succeeded at every level and has always played up. He wouldn't even be AHL eligible yet if he was a CHL player and despite that he still led the Heat in defensive scoring.

He will figure out his (overblown, but still real) problems and he will be a top 4 guy when he is ready. Andersson may be ready sooner but Kylington will be a better player in the NHL once they both make it.

Your right, it's pretty easy to forget just how young he is.

[dammage79]

Yup, Kylington next. Even as a gushing fan of Kylington I too forget his age. I mean it's still like Xmas day to me that he's in this organization and they traded up for him.

[Makarov]

Kylington, Fox, and Parsons are really the only Flames prospects that seem to have (even if remote) elite potential.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Kylington, Fox, and Parsons are really the only Flames prospects that seem to have (even if remote) elite potential.

Valimaki?

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I don't think there's room for both Janko and Foo. The way I see it, here's the locked in NHL depth chart:

Gaudreau/Tkachuk/Versteeg/Lazar
Monahan/Backlund/Bennett/Stajan/Hamilton
Ferland/Frolik/Brouwer/unknown

I think the 'unknown' guy could either slot in the spot I've marked, or swap with Staj. But regardless, I think there's only one spot.

Do you think Hamilton is a lock? I think he's still a tweener.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Tough round for sure. 3 defensive prospects I really like here and that everyone is arguing for.

I chose Kylington. I think his offensive ceiling is off the charts. Few defencemen in the NHL today can skate like him and create like he does. He also possesses such an underrated cannon from the point, as well as a really quick wrister.

You counter that with some deficiencies in his defensive game. That's fair. However, he is not undersized, and I do think that defence is much easier to teach than offence. He is just not 'offensive'. He is so dynamic in how he creates it. Sometimes pure speed around a player, sometimes a high-end toe drag (though he gets caught too much for my liking, but still!!!), sometimes unleashing his cannon (which is pretty damn accurate), sometimes a smart wrister, and often a hard and accurate pass. I just think he oozes offensive talent. I think the Flames will in time fix his defensive deficiencies, and he doesn't seem unwilling to learn either.

Ask me tomorrow who is ahead out of Kylington, Valimaki and Andersson, and I may have a different answer each day. I think it is that close.

Valimaki is such a strong 2 way guy. So smart in all areas of the ice. I think I have him ahead of Andersson by a hair, even if Andersson is ahead in development. I like how Valimaki is taller (it is an advantage) and is still rather frail - once he puts on some muscle (and he seems well-conditioned so I am assuming he is committed) he will be a beast.

Not much to dislike about Andersson either. If he is really committed to his conditioning, he may end up as the best guy out of the bunch yet. I like him just a little less than Valimaki, but again, ask me tomorrow and I may have these 3 ranked in a completely different order.

Kylington takes this round for me as I see him having a franchise-level type of offensive ceiling. I also trust that the Flames will work on his defensive side. I think it helps with how deep they are organizationally on defence. Kylington will see the more 'reliable' guys get trusted more, and it will further encourage him to pick his spots better. I don't think he will 'just' be a PP specialist. I think he will eventually be a highly offensive defencemen that can be trusted in his own zone. Perhaps not a defensive stalwart, but not a guy that makes you cringe when starting in the defensive zone.

Freak.. this is so tough picking from these 3.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I don't think there's room for both Janko and Foo. The way I see it, here's the locked in NHL depth chart:

Gaudreau/Tkachuk/Versteeg/Lazar
Monahan/Backlund/Bennett/Stajan/Hamilton
Ferland/Frolik/Brouwer/unknown

I think the 'unknown' guy could either slot in the spot I've marked, or swap with Staj. But regardless, I think there's only one spot.

I don't think Hamilton and Lazar are locks. In fact, I don't think they're even close to being locks. Hamilton was in and out of the lineup all last year, and Lazar has yet to prove himself a consistent NHLer.

Unless we pull off something major at RW, I'm predicting this for opening night:

Gaudreau Monahan Ferland
Tkachuk Backlund Frolik
Verseetg Bennett Brouwer
Stajan Jankowski Foo

- Bennett will finally get some regular linemates he can play with on the 3rd line.
- Stajan will be Jankowski's safety net for big draws like when they get stuck out there on an icing call, etc. He's also going to help with the D on that line, as I see Jankowski/Foo being a similar Monahan/Gaudreau dynamic (to a lesser extent). I believe Foo will be allowed to take chances like Johnny is (again, to a lesser extent), and Janko will have to balance being both a finisher and a backchecker, again with Stajan as his safety net.

I think that lineup allows us to roll four lines and have legitimate scoring threats on each one.

When you couple that with the offensive weapons we have on D, and a goalie that can reliably move the puck up the ice and hit a moving target on the fly...

Man, Pavlov would have tossed his bell in the garbage and just shown this lineup around instead.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Kylington, Fox, and Parsons are really the only Flames prospects that seem to have (even if remote) elite potential.

Jankowski, Gillies, Andersson and Valimaki say hello

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Flames Draft Watcher

Jankowski, Gillies, Andersson and Valimaki say hello

I think we all have different ideas of both elite and potential

[Love]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

- Bennett will finally get some regular linemates he can play with on the 3rd line.

Originally Posted by FanIn80

Verseetg Bennett Brouwer

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

I don't think there's room for both Janko and Foo. The way I see it, here's the locked in NHL depth chart:

Gaudreau/Tkachuk/Versteeg/Lazar
Monahan/Backlund/Bennett/Stajan/Hamilton
Ferland/Frolik/Brouwer/unknown

I think the 'unknown' guy could either slot in the spot I've marked, or swap with Staj. But regardless, I think there's only one spot.

There are 14 forward spots, not 13. So 2 spots available. I would also suggest that, if the kids earn it, the Flames wouldn't hesitate to send someone to Stockton.