Summer 2015 Prospect Ranking - Round 18

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by 1991 Canadian

Sometimes you have to go with the mystery box.

[Fighting Banana Slug]

Originally Posted by jg13

Mangianpane should get some love soon.

finished 8th in scoring in the OHL and won't even crack our top 20 prospects. Absolutely insane how deep we've gotten in the last 2 years.

As should Seiloff, IMO. I went with Agostino and likely Kulak next, based on being a little closer to the NHL, but Seiloff is still a really interesting prospect. Big year for him, no doubt, but he is still a guy that could fit a real need for the Flames.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

I hear you, Cali. But I look at Kulak and Culkin and I see them standing behind:

Brodie
Hamilton
Wotherspoon
Morrison
Hickey,
and maybe even Rafikov.

And then Kylington and Andersson are almost certainly going to scream past them.

Just no chance of ever making the team, IMO.

And that's why I have a hard time voting for them.

I don't see them behind Wotherspoon, and you never know when a guy like Morrison or Hickey gets traded for whatever reason in a cap world. You never know when a player might have an injury that causes them to go into a big decline. Rank the prospects relative to each other, not relative to the main team depth.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I don't see them behind Wotherspoon, and you never know when a guy like Morrison or Hickey gets traded for whatever reason in a cap world. You never know when a player might have an injury that causes them to go into a big decline. Rank the prospects relative to each other, not relative to the main team depth.

How do you not see them behind Wotherspoon?

He was ahead of them on the depth chart in Adirondack

He has been called up to the big club several times (and they haven't, other than Kulak getting in that that one game where the Flames threw a bunch of kids on the ice in Winnipeg)

He has more pedigree - only one on the WJ team, drafted higher

Treliving came out and challenged Wotherspoon to be ready to fight for a job in September. I think it's pretty safe to say that no one expects either Culkin or Kulak to crack the lineup out of camp.

So you can say that you like them better, but to try and argue that they aren't behind Wotherspoon on the depth charts is simply ignoring the facts.

[FlameZilla]

Kulak
Agostino
Gilmour
Hathaway
Rafikov

For me, anyway.

[thymebalm]

I'd probably stop at top 25.

Carroll, Gilmour, Harrison, Hathaway, Kulak, Mangiapane, Rafikov are my guys to make the list.

Billins, Bruce, Deblouw, Elson, Grant, Kanzig, Karnaukhov, Mattson, Sieloff, Van Brabant and Wolf are all cellar dwellers this summer. I don't expect Billins, Deblouw, or Wolf to even be mentioned after this season.

Some of the other guys could rise up, such as Sieloff, Kanzig and Elson, but they don't rank for me this year.

It's a very deep top-20 compared to years past.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

How do you not see them behind Wotherspoon?

He was ahead of them on the depth chart in Adirondack

Well, yes, he has a year head start. Corey Potter was ahead of Wotherspoon on the depth chart in Adirondack too, but that doesn't mean he was ahead of Wotherspoon. And would you disagree that Culkin's pro rookie season was more impressive than Wotherspoon's pro rookie season?

He has been called up to the big club several times (and they haven't, other than Kulak getting in that that one game where the Flames threw a bunch of kids on the ice in Winnipeg)

This is true, but Treliving said something along the lines of Culkin's time coming up very soon as well, something to the tune of "whether that's next season or the season after". They also seem to fit Hartley's system a lot better purely based on style.

He has more pedigree - only one on the WJ team, drafted higher

I don't think the Flames are all too interested in pedigree. Sven Baertschi had more pedigree than Josh Jooris too.

Treliving came out and challenged Wotherspoon to be ready to fight for a job in September.

And you know he didn't challenge Culkin or anyone else the exact same way? Those guys didn't get season end interviews with media but that doesn't mean we can assume they weren't given similar exit interviews with coaching/management.

One thing Treliving did say though, that differentiates them from Wotherspoon, was year 1 was getting a feel for the pro game, but by year 3 you better be trying to take a spot away. He's saying that the pressure is on Spoon to win a spot. Kulak/Culkin are going into year 2 so there's no pressure on them, but that doesn't mean there's no opportunity for them.

I think it's pretty safe to say that no one expects either Culkin or Kulak to crack the lineup out of camp.

Nor Hickey, but I bet you Hickey's ahead of Wotherspoon too.

So you can say that you like them better, but to try and argue that they aren't behind Wotherspoon on the depth charts is simply ignoring the facts.

There is no "fact" only speculation. We don't know what their depth chart is. They might see Wotherspoon as merely a trade piece for all we know. Or maybe they've got Kanzig ahead of all these puck movers we love. That's something only they are privy too. And being more NHL-ready does not equate to being valued higher either.

The only thing we know definitively is that Wotherspoon is further along in his development. That does not make him a better prospect. Doesn't make him a worse prospect. Only makes him the prospect who's further along right now.

[cral12]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

Kulak for me. I like the way he took his demotion and worked on his game to get back as a top prospect and even get a game in the NHL.

Kulak for me as well, followed fairly closely by Rafikov.

[Bingo]

I've said it in other rounds ... Rafikov shouldn't be penalized in a prospect poll because he may not come over.

That's his issue.

Sieloff is coming off injuries.
Mangiapane has to prove he's big and strong enough
Hickey has to prove one year isn't a fluke
Kylington has to develop the mental side

Other than your top one, two, or three they all have issues that they need to skate through to make it. This is round 18.