Thank goodness they didn't draft Matt Finn. That guy is in bust territory. He isn't going to get a shot with Islanders before his contract is up.
I was hoping we would get Finn. Good thing I am not a scout, but good prospects bust regularly.
Is there a story behind his decline that you know of?
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From HFBoard oiler fan, in analyzing MacT's management:
O.K. there has been a lot of talk on whether or not MacTavish has actually done a good job for us, most fans on this board are very basic in their analysis and I feel would change their opinion entirely if the team was successful.
This season is going very well for Jankowski. He is over a ppg on the best team in the NCAA. Having a Kevin Hayes type senior year so far and he has been a very good NHLer. Feaster and Weisbroad loved this kid and hopefully they prove them right.
“The biggest growth I’ve seen is obviously his strength,” Ryan Jankowski said. “He’s 200 pounds now. He’s really starting to fill out. The part I like about that is he’s still only 200 pounds and there’s still a good frame to put on more weight. As much as that’s been so impressive in his game from two years ago to now, there’s still a lot of room for him to grow and put on strength and weight.”
I don't think Jankowski will ever turn into a big power-forward type that bowls people over. I do think he will be an incredibly difficult guy to contain when he reaches 220 or so. The Flames PP is sorely missing a guy who can go to the front of the net, screen the goalie, have the skill to make tips on shots, have the soft hands to grab a rebound and make the split-second decision shoot if space is available and to pass it back if not.
Flames desperately need size up front. Whether he plays wing or center for the Flames, I do think he will be a very important presence on the PP with his size. Hudler being the net-front presence - as admirable as Hudler is for going to those tough areas regularly - is just not physically capable of it.
I don't think Jankowski will ever turn into a big power-forward type that bowls people over. I do think he will be an incredibly difficult guy to contain when he reaches 220 or so. The Flames PP is sorely missing a guy who can go to the front of the net, screen the goalie, have the skill to make tips on shots, have the soft hands to grab a rebound and make the split-second decision shoot if space is available and to pass it back if not.
Flames desperately need size up front. Whether he plays wing or center for the Flames, I do think he will be a very important presence on the PP with his size. Hudler being the net-front presence - as admirable as Hudler is for going to those tough areas regularly - is just not physically capable of it.
Let's be honest. If Janko remotely even resembles Colborne as an NHL regular, I'll consider it a huge win. Anything over and above is complete gravy.
Most had Janko pegged as a complete bust from the moment he was drafted. There's no denying that Colborne has wicked hands, and can shield the puck well. He's a guy that certainly fills a huge need with possession, driving the play, a few goals/points, and huge in the shootout. I see many similarities between the two.
Janko imo has a higher upside, and a more visible flair for talent than Colby. He's also a better skater. At this point, I'd like to let Janko show us what he's got at the next level before classing him into the Thornton/Spezza categories.
Providence Friars again the #1 ranked team in the Nation, 5th week in a row.
Jankowski is their second-leading scorer with 8g 10a in 15 games. (1.20 ppg)
That the Friars are ranked #1 overall speaks to the depth of that team as they have 4 scorers in the top-80 in NCAA Div 1. Compared to say, No. 2 North Dakota who have 3 guys in the top-13, including the 3rd and 4th overall leading scorers, but no one else in the top-80.
Let's be honest. If Janko remotely even resembles Colborne as an NHL regular, I'll consider it a huge win. Anything over and above is complete gravy.
Most had Janko pegged as a complete bust from the moment he was drafted. There's no denying that Colborne has wicked hands, and can shield the puck well. He's a guy that certainly fills a huge need with possession, driving the play, a few goals/points, and huge in the shootout. I see many similarities between the two.
Janko imo has a higher upside, and a more visible flair for talent than Colby. He's also a better skater. At this point, I'd like to let Janko show us what he's got at the next level before classing him into the Thornton/Spezza categories.
You and a handful of others is not what 'most' means.
You and a handful of others is not what 'most' means.
If you feel like going on a journey through my posts, feel free to. You'll find I've been a Janko supporter since the beginning.
Most is exactly what it means. Most the hockey world, and the endless ongoing gripes through every prospect thread on CP that happens to turn into a Janko debate.
...unless of course you are blind and/or deaf. In that case, then thanks for coming out.
If you feel like going on a journey through my posts, feel free to. You'll find I've been a Janko supporter since the beginning.
Most is exactly what it means. Most the hockey world, and the endless ongoing gripes through every prospect thread on CP that happens to turn into a Janko debate.
...unless of course you are blind and/or deaf. In that case, then thanks for coming out.
Enoch is right though - most never proclaimed him to be a bust. Lots of people were saying the Flames selected him too high, or that perhaps it was too 'risky' to pick a project, but there weren't that many 'this kid is a bust' proclamations. Most of those came through a handful of very vociferous posters on here. Most of the 'hockey world' never made any proclamations of him busting post-draft. Heck, even Friedman gave him a shout-out on HNIC after his crazy good 2 goals early in his NCAA career.
As for proclaiming him to be the next Spezza or Thornton - yeah, that is premature. However, it is much preferable in having to read that than to read more "Jankowski is a bust" posts, no? Besides, he is looking more and more like a future NHL player than not, and with his strengths (especially his size, skating, skills and IQ), I don't see any issues with people perhaps overrating him a bit. Heck, who knows how good this kid will end up becoming? It isn't like we are watching a big, burly player trying to suddenly discover his offensive game. The kid had a very real ceiling pre-draft as a top-line center. Lots of kids have that as their ceiling in scouting reports, and few ever come close to achieving it. Will Jankowski? Only time will tell. We all saw his offensive abilities throughout his NCAA career, even if it was just 'flashes' of it now and then. It was and still is very much there. Doesn't mean he is a guaranteed future top line center, but that possibility is not out of the question either, however doubtful.
You know the Flames are still relatively desperate for size in their top 6. And as for Colborne - I love him, and though he did well as a scorer in the NCAA, he doesn't have Jankowski's passing ability and vision. He isn't terrible at it (and I think he is rather underrated on the Flames in that regard), but nobody will mistake him for a playmaker. Jankowski has that, and he also has a pretty good shot he can get off quickly and accurately. I wouldn't say it would be a 'win' if Jankowski ends up becoming the next Colborne, but it wouldn't be bad either. Would still be a very useful player for the Flames.
I think Jankowski's 'floor' is that of Colborne right now (butI expect Colborne to still be developing and getting better). My bet is that Jankowski at least becomes as solid bottom-six player who is great in all zones for the Flames. How much offence he will actually be providing (and thus, how far up the lineup he solidifies himself in time) is the question for me, but absolutely nothing would surprise me at this point.
Kid has legitimate top-end skill, so just enjoy the highlights:
Those two goals that Friedman gushed over
Jankowski goal and assist. Good hands on the goal to redirect it, but the assist is something else. Why? Look where he is on it. People always say he never goes to this area of the ice, but here is a good example of him going straight to the net and trying to jam-in the puck - and this was in 2013!
Last season highlight package. Not nearly as good as what we are used to from AC, but at least you can see the skill. Notice his shot, notice his passing ability, notice how many times he is right in front of the net on his goals (shows he is willing to go to the dirty areas) and has the skills and presence of mind to elevate the puck fairly consistently.
There are no guarantees in how good Jankowski will or will not become, but I would bet my own dollar that he makes the NHL, and becomes an important contributor for the team. Whether that is in the bottom six or the top 6. Whether as a winger or a center. Whether that is being great at generating offence, or great at defence. I would just bet he becomes a pretty good player for the Flames in the long run.
Last edited by Calgary4LIfe; 12-15-2015 at 02:25 AM.
Let's be honest. If Janko remotely even resembles Colborne as an NHL regular, I'll consider it a huge win. Anything over and above is complete gravy.
Most had Janko pegged as a complete bust from the moment he was drafted. There's no denying that Colborne has wicked hands, and can shield the puck well. He's a guy that certainly fills a huge need with possession, driving the play, a few goals/points, and huge in the shootout. I see many similarities between the two.
Janko imo has a higher upside, and a more visible flair for talent than Colby. He's also a better skater. At this point, I'd like to let Janko show us what he's got at the next level before classing him into the Thornton/Spezza categories.
To be a bust in the NHL you certainly need to meet the criteria of being touted to be a top end player by more then a blow hard assistant GM. An assistant GM that in this case was so smug he convinced himself he was pulling one over on the entire league and in the process set his first rounder up for failure.
I'll be the first to say I've been a critic of Jankowski since day one and it was not from thinking of him being a 'bust'. It was from the viewpoint of him being overvalued and selected too high from the start.
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I hate to tell you this, but I’ve just launched an air biscuit
