Flames Project Players That Didn't Pan Out

Tofveve

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Mar 10, 2013
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I don't like bashing and it would suck to be one of these former Flames and seeing my name. But when you're a fan and attend games semi-regularly (which I did until 2 years ago when I moved to Ontario) and purchase merchandise and are just generally part of the support structure of the team, I think you're entitled to voicing displeasure in poor decisions by management.

Anyway, as far as I'm concerned the eighties are pretty much out of the conversation as we had a phenomenal team for most of the years. So for me the project sells became part of our narrative for the last 20 to 25 years or so. Now we're not alone in this, especially in this day and age with the number of teams and all, but still: it feels like we've had more than our fair share of project players.

I can think of a good ten or so whose tenures rustled my jimmies for how long we waited for them to develop while being gifted prime minutes and opportunity - often, and most annoyingly, at the expense of other prospects and legit NHLers.

But without further adieu, the first player I think of with some annoyance in this regard: Chuck Kobasew.

It felt like a lot longer, but from 2002 until 2007 it felt like we were constantly waiting for big things from Chuck (between and after stints in the AHL after a strong WHL career; was our first round pick, 14th overall in in the first round in 2001). Scoring 4 goals in 40 games in 2006/07 for the NHL club was finally the nail in the coffin (though he had scored 20 the year before in a full campaign) while getting ample PP and regular ice time to prove himself. Nice kid but he just didn't work out as the top 6 player that we were hoping for.

Ugh, I'm biting my tongue on a bunch of other names I'd like to list, but I'll nod if I see their names come up.

Are there any disappointing Flames "projects" that come to mind for you?
 
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Lunatik

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Kobasew should be way down the list.

Adam Pelech, Greg Nemisz, Chris Chucko, Leland Irving, Brent Krahn (due to injuries), Rico Fata, Daniel Tkaczuk (due to injuries)....etc would all be higher than Kobasew on that list and I only went back 20 years and only looked at first rounders.
 

Tofveve

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Kobasew should be way down the list.

Adam Pelech, Greg Nemisz, Chris Chucko, Leland Irving, Brent Krahn (due to injuries), Rico Fata, Daniel Tkaczuk (due to injuries)....etc would all be higher than Kobasew on that list and I only went back 20 years and only looked at first rounders.

It's not so much whether they were first rounders, but the expectation combined with what felt like endless grooming and giving opportunity.

Of your list, I agree with Krahn and Rico Fata; Daniel Tkaczuk too. I literally dont remember the first four names from your list as names getting much if any playing time with the big club. They sound mostly like career minor leaguers.

But probably the next person I'd have mentioned was Matthew Lombardi.

Also, right now one could argue Bennett earning himself a spot on the not panning out list from our current group - if he doesn't turn things around in the next year or two.

Poirier is probably in the same group as Daniel Tkazuck. Hopefully Jankowski delivers, doesn't end up there.
 
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Mitts

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Lombardi popped in my head right away. It's a difficult balance for sure, Jankowski is paying off, and looking great, I'm sure the club went into erring on the side of caution after losing Hull, St.Louis and Savard. Except regarding Baertschi, he was run out of town.
 

Lunatik

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I was surprised Dustin Boyd got as far as he did to be honest. I never thought much of him at all. A guy I was high on and may not fit the criteria, was Nigel Dawes; the Rangers put in most of the time developing him but he was then cut loose after one season.
 
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DFF

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Oleg saprykin

Sam bennett


Boyd was a 4th rounder; what do you expect? He was not a bust;ay be a disappointment cause of the hype
 
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Flames Fanatic

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One we picked up that played way too many minutes was Nigel Dawes.

Otherwise, overyhyped and busted due to injuries, Mitch Wahl.

Y'all nailed most of the ones that came to mind. Kobasew and Lombardi were my big ones. Irving to an extent.
 
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DomBarr

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I can see why Bennett's name comes up as he is not delivering up to his draft status right now however due to circumstances beyond his control the flames have had to try to develop him in the NHL as opposed to the standard development path of an additional year in junior and time in the AHL that other project picks get. Due to age and timing in the flames rebuild the only choice for the flames was to keep him in the NHL or to send him back to junior in his D plus 2. He legitimately made the flames as a winger that year however he would have been better off long term IF he could have been sent to the AHL for a season but that was not an option it was NHL or Junior only.

I am going with Leland Irving...he had all the skills and pedegree but the flames couldn;t get him to successfully transfer it to the level needed in the NHL.
 
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Tofveve

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Lombardi popped in my head right away. It's a difficult balance for sure, Jankowski is paying off, and looking great, I'm sure the club went into erring on the side of caution after losing Hull, St.Louis and Savard. Except regarding Baertschi, he was run out of town.

Definitely Lombardi for me too.

The kid had such wheels, but he had the short stick like Ovi- without the matching skills of course. But he just could never get to that next level. He was so frustrating to watch with his below average puck-handling skills while being quick as a deer.

On looking at his stats on hockey data-base, I think he might have been a longer experiment than anyone. The only difference for me was that Kobasew had more hype and playing time with Iginla on the PP etc.

But yeah, frustrating player to not see turn into anything.

Oh, and I agree with Baertschi. I was glad Vancouver finally took him off of our hands.
 
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Tofveve

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Oleg Saprykin & Jamie Lundmark both fit the bill.

I definitely agree with Saprykin - another name I thought of. High on the list. Strangely, both he and Baetschi seemed to demonstrate rebirth for short whiles in their new homes. But then, nope, they just didn't turn into anything. I suppose Sven is still trying to stick in Vancouver as a career NHLer.
 

Mobiandi

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Definitely thought Irving would make it. Lundmark put together a few string of games every now and then where he looked like a great middle 6er. I thought he looked poised to breakout but then he got traded shortly after, part of that Phaneuf trade I think

Edit: Misremembering I guess. He was picked up on waivers by the Leafs, not traded to them
 
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Tofveve

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I can see why Bennett's name comes up as he is not delivering up to his draft status right now however due to circumstances beyond his control the flames have had to try to develop him in the NHL as opposed to the standard development path of an additional year in junior and time in the AHL that other project picks get. Due to age and timing in the flames rebuild the only choice for the flames was to keep him in the NHL or to send him back to junior in his D plus 2. He legitimately made the flames as a winger that year however he would have been better off long term IF he could have been sent to the AHL for a season but that was not an option it was NHL or Junior only.

I am going with Leland Irving...he had all the skills and pedegree but the flames couldn;t get him to successfully transfer it to the level needed in the NHL.

I think for Sam it's as you say. It feels like a fair amount of time already because there was quite of drama around him in 2013/2014 already and him rather publicly almost sulking about returning to Juniors - which was more than a buzz topic on sports radio there. Compounding that all was his injury troubles then.

But regardless of past drama, he's had two full seasons now with Calgary. Last season seemed like a step back from his first campaign. And now this year looks like even a bigger step back, remarkably. So really, in the grand scheme of things we're seeing very much the pattern of not rounding into form - particularly for what was expected (by any stretch).

I'm still willing to give him this year and maybe even next. But if he doesn't start playing consistently well at some point he's an unfortunate bust for sure.
 
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DFF

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Problem with Bennett is that it seems he keeps getting worse

He maybe the first NHLer that peaked at 18.......

We all remember the 18 yrs old Sam Bennett hype
 
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DFF

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Nobody mentioned Tim Erixon

Tim Erixon - Granlund+Wotherspoon->Shinkaruk

All busts
 
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Tofveve

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Mar 10, 2013
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Problem with Bennett is that it seems he keeps getting worse

He maybe the first NHLer that peaked at 18.......

We all remember the 18 yrs old Sam Bennett hype

The only positive at the moment is fewer penalties this year - which, unfortunately, discounted a lot of his reduced production from last year because of the frequent bad penalties.
 
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