Having risen from a lottery pick team for much of the season, Calgary was unable to hold onto the eighth and final seed in the competitive Western Conference. With an aging roster, highlighted by the likes of Jarome Iginla, Robyn Regehr and Jay Bouwmeester, General Manager, Jay Feaster, has an uphill climb ahead of him with little in the way of young talent in the cupboard; not to mention the hoard of immovable contracts. The few youngsters that Calgary
does have include the likes of Mikael Backlund, Tim Erixon and Greg Nemisz. So many holes await the Flames as they look to rebuild their once great franchise.
"With the thirteenth pick in the 201 NHL Entry Draft, Calgary selects, from Djurgården... Mika Zibanejad."
A true post-lockout power forward, Zibanejad brings size and skill to a team known for their physical presence over the past five decade. Standing at 6'2 and 192 lbs., Zibanejad is another Swedish born prospect with little in the form of a 'stereotypical' European player.
A guy more than willing to drive to the net, Zibanejad has the size and skating to lean into opponents and protect the puck. Not only willing to battle physically, Mika has shown an almost enjoyment for throwing his weight around, which bodes well for fan support.
A heavy shot highlights a package of promising skill. A forward who sees the ice pretty well, and has a good control over the puck, Zibanejad can set up and finish plays offensively.
In terms of his skating, Zibanejad is a strong skater yet lacks overall speed. This shouldn't be a problem long term, however.
A swagger accompanies Mika on the ice. There's no doubting the desire to win, and the enjoyment in the game when watching the Huddinge native.
While it's likely that this pivot is going to go slightly higher, Calgary would be insane to turn down a prospect like this at thirteen. Good upside, with very little in the way of risks have scouts drooling and I wouldn't be entirely shocked to see him go as high as tenth overall.
All in all, this group from eight through to fifteenth all carry legitimate promise and it could be rather impossible to predict where they would go.
Taken Previously...
1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins
2. Gabriel Landeskog
3. Jonathan Huberdeau
4. Dougie Hamilton
5. Adam Larsson
6. Sean Couturier
7. Ryan Strome
8. Ryan Murphy
9. Duncan Siemens
10. Mark McNeill
11. Nathan Beaulieu
12. Jamie Oleksiak
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