|
Top-10 Prospects : Flames (1-10) |
|
|
|
|
|
Calgary has been the butt of many jokes for a while now…sometimes unfairly...others…well we’ll let the individuals decide. Lately through this new rebuild there have been some head scratchers by the Flames core, but overall they have done a much better drafting than they ever have in the past…what, 10 years? 14? I think it is no coincidence that since Tod Button was removed as Director of Scouting and put back as the Director of Amateur Scouting for the organization that things have really improved. I hate to make it personal but the history is telling, since Button took over the Flames have been by far and away the worst drafting team in the NHL. 2011 was a major triumph and a real turning point, are they where they want to be? Not yet. Will they get there? Maybe…rebuilds are hard, especially ones that might become a retool instead of a real rebuild (ask TO fans who were ready for the real thing then the Kessel deal, they are moderately appeased now, but it is 4 years later). The Flames are likely in for a rough ride next season, but it’s all for the greater good.
The trend I’ve been seeing is that the Flames are drafting guys with amazing puck skills and hands these days. Even into the later parts of the draft.
As usual players over 50 games and players who played the majority of the shortened season and showed they were “legitimate NHLers” are excluded from the list.
1. Sean Monahan : Centre, 6th Overall, 2013, 18 years old, 6’2 196lbs, Ottawa 67's in the OHL
Looking back, I think 90% of the mock drafts had Monahan to the Flames…why? I don’t know really, I guess it seemed like a good fit. He’s a lot like Couturier; he’s got very strong offensive instincts, but also has a highly evolved defensive game. Both suffered from a set back to their next season, Couturier having mononucleosis, Monahan suffering from being on a crap team in the middle of a rebuild who traded near the start of the year the only two other guys that could contribute in Ceci and Graovac. His skating is not the best and it sticks out as a weakness, aside from that he is pretty well rounded. With the style he plays he is a safe player with some nice possible upside, he was easily the best OHL player in the draft (No offense to Domi, Nurse or Horvat). The Flames have always wanted a top-end centre, and they might have gotten it in Monahan. Next season he will either make the Flames or suit up for the 67’s for the final time and play for Canada at the U20’s.
Potential : First Line Two-Way Centre (60-75 points)
2. Sven Bärtschi : Left Wing, 13th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 5’11 190lbs, Abbotsford Heat in the AHL
Bärtschi is arguably the beginning of the new Flames. When he was drafted it seemed to show a shift in gear by the Flames. In the limited 25 games in the NHL he has played he has impressed, his skill level is excellent. Speed, amazing hands and offensive creativity are the main areas he excels at. He also has that Swiss quality of never giving up and playing with surprising grit for his build/style/skill. I really like his elite hands, those are the main area of focus, he can stick handle his way out of a lot of trouble. He still needs to continue to get bigger and continue the progress he has had in his own zone. Next season he will 99% be a part of the Flames as he’s earned his spot.
Potential : Top-Six Scorer (Could be a top-line winger)
3. Johnny Gaudreau : Left Wing, 104th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 5’9 178lbs, Boston College in the NCAA
Gaudreau is probably the highlight of Feaster’s regime so far…sure he’s had some nice picks in the first rounder early, but Gaudreau could be the definitive steal of 2010. Ultra skilled, with elite hockey sense, Gaudreau has taken the NCAA by storm and recently stole the show at the U20’s. He was the Hockey East Player of the Year, a finalist for the Hobey Baker award and made the First All-Star Teams at both Hockey East and the U20’s. He has the ability to be in the right place and make the right moves at all times in the offensive zone, playmaking or scoring. He’s evolving his game and has begun killing penalties as well, showing that anticipation and intelligence are key for causing turnovers. At the next level he will need to show that his size won’t be a detriment and that he can fight through the physicality. After a top-5 finish in NCAA scoring (the youngest of that group by far) expect him to improve on it and win the Hobey Baker…unless they give it to some 24 year old undrafted player to help get him signed. Next season he finishes his NCAA career with BC.
Potential : Top-Six Scorer
4. Morgan Klimchuk : Left Wing, 28th Overall, 2013, 18 years old, 5’11 184lbs, Regina Pats in the WHL
The 5’11 winger had a solid year for the Pats scoring 36 goals, doubling his rookie output. He’s shown internationally that he can be a major offensive contributor, having great showings at the U17 tournament last year and the U18’s this year on the top line. He has quick hands and feet that make him effectively on the rush. He’s a hard working winger who has some nice scoring upside. His passing is pretty underrated because most expect his shot, so it’s not hard to see why his excellent play on the PP is standing out, he can do it all in the scoring areas. He really needs to strengthen up though, because he’s very slim. A bunch of scouts were predicting that he might be the “Eberle” of the draft, underrated and underappreciated due to his size, but always having the offensive instincts and above all else, the magic quick hands. Next season he will play again for Regina.
Potential : Second Line Scorer
5. Mark Jankowski : Centre, 21st Overall, 2012, 18 years old, 6’3 187lbs, Providence College in the NCAA
Consistency is the issue with Jankowski…especially because he opted out of starting in the USHL and went straight to the NCAA. The leap from beer league to the NCAA was massive and while he wasn’t bad, people who follow the NCAA religiously noted that he was inconsistent in all aspects of the game, showing elite dominance to invisiblest (The best at being invisible!). That said it was to be expected, Jankowski is the rawest prospect in the game right now, at least in respect to his draft position, his age as a late birthday for 2012 and his actual game. He’s still extremely weak for his size which has hampered his greatest strength, his puck possession skills, the thing the Flames boasted of at the draft. It is so hard to predict him at this point, but it would be unwise to write him off like a lot of “The Janitor” fans have done. Next season he will play again for Providence and hopefully show some consistency…he’s also in the mix for the Canadian U20 team, so not all is grim Flames fans.
Potential : Second Line Centre
6. Corban Knight : Centre, 135th Overall, 2009, 22 years old, 6’2 209lbs, University of North Dakota in the NCAA
Knight signed with the Flames after choosing not to sign with the Panthers who drafted him, similar to the situations of Justin Schultz and Blake Wheeler…though with the Panthers prospect pool so deep and Knight not being on those twos level, it isn’t as horrific a burn. Regardless the Flames did well in picking up a versatile young talent for free. He’s an excellent two-way centre who really excels in his own zone as a defensive specialist. His puck protection skills are amazing and once he gets on a cycle he’s hard to strip the puck off. His shot isn’t the best and most of his goals come around the net, usually he’s the playmaker of the group. A NCAA scout called him “The best two-way player in the league” so I think that speaks for itself. What is his offensive upside and can he improve his above-average skating? Those are the two questions that will be answered next season when he starts with the Flames.
Potential : 2nd/3rd Line Two-Way Centre
7. Émile Poirier : Right Wing, 22nd Overall, 2013, 18 years old, 6’1 178lbs, Gatineau Olympiques in the QMJHL
I think I was one of the few people who had him going in the 20-25 bracket (I had him at 25), he’s a safe player with a solid foundation, and honestly I was surprised at the pick coming from Calgary based on their recent picks in the first round. He doubled his goals to 32 and led the Olympiques showing his ability to score around the net and drive it hard. He’s physical and fights on the boards. He can play on the PK and is hard to play against. The two issues for him are that he still needs to improve his skating while also bulking up, because at 6’1 178lbs he needs a lot more muscle to play his style at the next level and be effective. Some feel that he has higher upside due to some underrated playmaking abilities, but the reality is he’s very safe as a player who plays the power game and works hard. His upside as a scorer is not as great as some others, but his simple approach to the game and his attitude could translate well at the next level. He will play another season, probably two, in the QMJHL before turning pro.
Potential : 3rd Line Power Forward
8. Jon Gillies : Goalie, 75th Overall, 2012, 19 years old, 6’5 229lbs, Providence College in the NCAA
Gillies was the backup for the Americans in their Gold winning team. He was the Hockey East Rookie of the Year and was named to the First All-Star Team after being arguably the best goalie in the NCAA at only 19. Like most goalies his size, he’s big and athletic with a few holes he will need to fill to go to the next level. He follows the butterfly religiously and is extremely hard to beat in the lower half of the net…like most butterfly goalies he does have a weakness over the shoulder. He’s still raw like literally every 6’4+ goalie at this age is, so he still needs time. Next season he will play again for Providence and barring some kind of change will be the Americans starter in the U20’s.
Potential : Starting Goalie
9. Tyler Wotherspoon : Defenseman, 57th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 6’1 203lbs, Portland Winterhawks in the WHL
With so many big names on defense playing for the Winterhawks, it isn’t exactly surprising that Wotherspoon has flown a little under the radar. His game however is tailored for that, because when you hear his name a lot, you know he’s having a rough game. He once again increased his offensive output a bit and even made Team Canada as a bottom-pairing shutdown defender. He’s a good skater and a smart player with few holes in his defensive awareness and play. He doesn’t get pushed around and plays hard. While he’s shown some glimpses of offense at the junior level, most don’t expect it to translate to the pro game. His upside is certainly not as high as some other players, nor does he have those qualities people pay to see the game for, but he’s steady and gets the job done and in the future he’s the kind of guy contender’s love. He’s going to play in the AHL next season.
Potential : 4-6 Shutdown Defenseman
10. Markus Granlund : Centre/Left Wing, 45th Overall, 2011, 20 years old, 5’11 175lbs, HIFK in the SM-liiga
Markus plays a very similar game to his brother, except that he is less talented, but slightly bigger. He has amazing hands in tight and people with memories of the past two WJC's will know that on the PP you aren't getting the puck from him when he's on the wall, I've seen him slip away from two defenders and pass it right on the tape to Armia like it was nothing. He's a strong playmaker and definitely looks for the pass before the shot. He's a plus skater and likes to come down the wings instead of up the centre, he is almost always the player carrying the puck. It will be interesting to see if he can make the transition to the North American game, his brother also struggled in the NHL after an injury. The one issue is that he likes to play the perimeter as a playmaker and perimeter playing isn't really an option in the NHL unless you're an elite talent. Next season Granlund is crossing to the AHL.
Potential : Second Line Playmaker
Notables : Max Reinhart (The eldest and least talented, though that isn’t a knock, of the Reinhart brothers is a really hard working player with a little bit of offensive flair, he had his first taste of the NHL and looked pretty good, could be a very good third liner down the road),
Patrick Sieloff (Physical defensive defender, had a solid season in the OHL and played an important part for the US on their bottom-pairing, expect little to no offense, but could be a decent 4-6 kind of guy),
Laurent Brossoit (One of the better goalies in the WHL, won the MVP of the playoffs in 2012, and has a reputation for elevating his game in pressure situations, has good size too, could be a sleeper as a starter),
Eric Roy (Raw defender who is big and has a massive shot, has major holes in his game and needs to work on his defensive coverage and decision making, very high risk high reward at this point),
Bill Arnold (Very solid two-way centre, has very little that stands out aside from work ethic and defensive smarts, could be a very good bottom-6 centre)
and Ben Hanowski (Acquired in the Iginla trade, has some strong offensive skills but isn’t a very good skater, not sure if it will translate beyond being a bottom-6 guy).
Thanks for reading. Ottawa up next.
Join the Discussion:
»