MatthewFlames
Registered User
The Flames only had a modest few draft picks heading into the 2022 draft. We’d traded our entire load of picks up until the late rounds. Anders Lee went for a late 2nd in a cap cutting move and that was the only Flames pick of day. 1.
The Flames traded down a few spots from 58 and added the 100th pick.
Because there were no standouts at every pick we defaulted to picking by physical abilities and the essential NHL elements: good size, skating, higher IQ, looking for players with upside that might be missed due to league, team concerns, injury, relative youth, playing behind more progressed players in strong systems.
Another note: Every player, except Oswald, is 6’2”. Oswald is the shortest - at 6’1”.
2: 62nd Overall F Reiger Lorenz - AJHL
The Flames have enjoyed success drafting from the AJHL, once their backyard. Carter Savoie is the most prominent of these but Cam Hughes and Brandon Biro have both had cups of coffee in the NHL despite being mid/late round picks out of that league.
Lorenz has been on the radar for a couple of years, due to his record-setting at the Edge prep school in Calgary. He has NHL size already and plays a pro-style game already. There are questions about his skill level and whether he has true top-6 potential but even without I think there’s more than enough there to take a flyer. Will go to the University of Denver which have done a tremendous recruiting job in the last decade.
Flames traded back into the 1st day to nab Orlov.
3: 86th Overall D Daniil Orlov - MHL
A player drafted purely for the potential - strong skating, puck handling, and a smattering of offensive abilities from the back end. Good size but with room to grow. Sounds like the prototypical modern 2-way defenseman that everybody searches for. Doesn’t have many warts but will still need to show the rounded-out package is NHL-worthy.
He played out in the middle of nowhere and has signed to play in the KHL for the next few seasons so may have been lightly scouted. While the joke exists about the Flames and Russians, some other mid-round Russian D picks are making progress so we have no fear there (see Zhuravlyov in Colorado.).
4. 100th Overall F Josh Filmon - WHL
Filmon really grew leaps and bounds this season (physically and with his play) but poor U-18 worlds dropped his stock. I think the problem was a stylistic one - he’s best when crashing and banging and making simple plays rather than in a more open passing-oriented attack. That said, he’s still adjusting to his new physicality and he’s shown a ton playing on a poor team in the Dub. Even though he fell in the NHL draft, I’d still take the same player in a redraft, when all is said and done.
Flames added a bunch of picks to go after players like Steele and Ascher but they were taken when the Flames picks came around. Still happy to have added the picks as I improved the depth of the prospect pool on D and took a couple of interesting flyers that intrigued me.
5. 147th Overall D Artem Barabosha - MHL
Another athletic Russian with a good transition game and some puck skills that help identify him as an NHL prospect. Unlike Orlov, Barabosha has another level of physicality in his game which we like, he’s made more than a few toe-curdling hits. Like every player the Flames drafted this year - it’s a long road of development ahead.
6. 172nd Overall D Frederic Brunet - QMJHL
The Flames don’t take many re-entries but Brunet improved enough and is another 6’2” defenseman. He’s a smooth player, both defensively and with the puck. He’s got more levels of offensive skill to come as well. Each of the Flames D taken have markedly different styles despite physical size similarities.
7. 219th Overall F Yaroslav Yapparov - MHL
An offensive player who scored 53 points in the MHL and had a brief VHL call-up. Good size, strength, and skating combo - it will be interesting to see if he’s one of the overlooked players in a very strong Russian crop that may have suffered from that factor.
7. 221st Overall F Veit Oswald - Germany
Thought this was the best German player in the U18s versus Canada. With a very late birth, there could be a lot of growth coming. Has signed with Red Bull and that will help his progression. Has a relentless motor and a good-looking skill set. Surprised he wasn’t drafted. Was a point-scoring demon at lower junior levels.
The Flames traded down a few spots from 58 and added the 100th pick.
Because there were no standouts at every pick we defaulted to picking by physical abilities and the essential NHL elements: good size, skating, higher IQ, looking for players with upside that might be missed due to league, team concerns, injury, relative youth, playing behind more progressed players in strong systems.
Another note: Every player, except Oswald, is 6’2”. Oswald is the shortest - at 6’1”.
2: 62nd Overall F Reiger Lorenz - AJHL
The Flames have enjoyed success drafting from the AJHL, once their backyard. Carter Savoie is the most prominent of these but Cam Hughes and Brandon Biro have both had cups of coffee in the NHL despite being mid/late round picks out of that league.
Lorenz has been on the radar for a couple of years, due to his record-setting at the Edge prep school in Calgary. He has NHL size already and plays a pro-style game already. There are questions about his skill level and whether he has true top-6 potential but even without I think there’s more than enough there to take a flyer. Will go to the University of Denver which have done a tremendous recruiting job in the last decade.
Flames traded back into the 1st day to nab Orlov.
3: 86th Overall D Daniil Orlov - MHL
A player drafted purely for the potential - strong skating, puck handling, and a smattering of offensive abilities from the back end. Good size but with room to grow. Sounds like the prototypical modern 2-way defenseman that everybody searches for. Doesn’t have many warts but will still need to show the rounded-out package is NHL-worthy.
He played out in the middle of nowhere and has signed to play in the KHL for the next few seasons so may have been lightly scouted. While the joke exists about the Flames and Russians, some other mid-round Russian D picks are making progress so we have no fear there (see Zhuravlyov in Colorado.).
4. 100th Overall F Josh Filmon - WHL
Filmon really grew leaps and bounds this season (physically and with his play) but poor U-18 worlds dropped his stock. I think the problem was a stylistic one - he’s best when crashing and banging and making simple plays rather than in a more open passing-oriented attack. That said, he’s still adjusting to his new physicality and he’s shown a ton playing on a poor team in the Dub. Even though he fell in the NHL draft, I’d still take the same player in a redraft, when all is said and done.
Flames added a bunch of picks to go after players like Steele and Ascher but they were taken when the Flames picks came around. Still happy to have added the picks as I improved the depth of the prospect pool on D and took a couple of interesting flyers that intrigued me.
5. 147th Overall D Artem Barabosha - MHL
Another athletic Russian with a good transition game and some puck skills that help identify him as an NHL prospect. Unlike Orlov, Barabosha has another level of physicality in his game which we like, he’s made more than a few toe-curdling hits. Like every player the Flames drafted this year - it’s a long road of development ahead.
6. 172nd Overall D Frederic Brunet - QMJHL
The Flames don’t take many re-entries but Brunet improved enough and is another 6’2” defenseman. He’s a smooth player, both defensively and with the puck. He’s got more levels of offensive skill to come as well. Each of the Flames D taken have markedly different styles despite physical size similarities.
7. 219th Overall F Yaroslav Yapparov - MHL
An offensive player who scored 53 points in the MHL and had a brief VHL call-up. Good size, strength, and skating combo - it will be interesting to see if he’s one of the overlooked players in a very strong Russian crop that may have suffered from that factor.
7. 221st Overall F Veit Oswald - Germany
Thought this was the best German player in the U18s versus Canada. With a very late birth, there could be a lot of growth coming. Has signed with Red Bull and that will help his progression. Has a relentless motor and a good-looking skill set. Surprised he wasn’t drafted. Was a point-scoring demon at lower junior levels.
