MatthewFlames
Registered User
Picking at 11 is a difficult spot in most drafts. The elite blue chippers are gone by now and you start to see players with real flaws that hinder their route to the NHL. At the same time, you could still land an elite talent, if they develop. I find there is a lot more pressure here to get it right—and there are a lot more players to choose from than a top ten pick where there is more consensus.
This draft, with its big slate of skill players, lack of elite defenceman, and a lot of available players in the forward rank without NHL bodies, feels harder than most.
The Flamettes have picked four times in this range before and I’d say I’m 3 for 4 on those (Backlund at 10, Skinner at 11, Jarvis at 10, with Austin Watson over Tarasenko being the failure at 12, but he does have 500 NHL games, so….)
The Flames did try and make some moves. They made offers to move into the top 5 and also to drop back, considering offers as far as 19. They also tried to get back into day 1 to pick a goalie but the ones of interest went too soon.
11 - C - Nate Danielson - WHL
When I first started looking at this draft this was the first player that stood out to me in that 15-25 range. When the Flamettes folded and that pick got better I tried to really pull away from Nate into players with supposed ‘higher upside.’ In the end, he has all the pro attributes of an NHL Center - size and strength, tremendous skating and he's a developed two-way player, so it was an easy selection.
Playing on a bad team this year did two things: made him overplay and make a lot of mistakes and tempered his creative/offensive output. But he still scored 33 goals and 78 points without any really talented wingers or defenceman feeding him the puck and I think he can fix the flaws with his giveaways and mistakes.
So, when push came to shove, and despite the organizational need for a D, Danielson was the most appealing prospect and came in at #7 on my list. I wanted a top end D here but the forward group is just so much more talented in this draft than any of the top rated D.
Danielson’s also a player that NHL teams will covet and give a long runway too. There is always a need for centers. Always. I could see him going top 10 because of that. I could also see him slipping because of the perceived weaknesses but in the long run I think he’ll be a Mikael Backlund at worst or a Elias Lindholm at best. That’s a good range.
32 - D - Lukas Dragicevic - WHL
The 5th ranked D on my list, behind Wallinder, Simashev, Reinbacher, and Bonk. I really wanted Bonk at 31 and when he was gone I traded down to 42 knowing that I still wanted to move back into the next 5 picks to go for Dragicevic. That worked out and the slide was only 1 pick and in the end I got a 2nd next year in exchange for a 3 in ’26 for the efforts. I’ll take it.
Dragicevic had an offensive season to remember, one of the best ever for a draft eligible D out of the WHL. And he was worth every point, 75 points in 68 games and 4 more in the playoffs. His hockey IQ is fantastic, he has NHL size, the skating going forward is good enough and the puck skill is real.
So, why’s he not a top ten pick? Well, there’s that other part of playing a defensive position, it’s called defense and the lack of skating ability to do that, at the moment, is a real problem. He’s going to need a MOUNTAIN of continued development. The reason the Flames liked him was that there was improvement this season, from start to finish. And when he was playing internationally, he was given a lot of minutes despite his deficiencies (and maybe because that U-18 D for Canada was not very strong this year). At this range though, with this need for a defenseman with offensive talent in the system, and with the 2nd next year buffeting any busting, this was a pick I was happy to make. I think he’s a good one.
133 - C - Jake Fisher - Minn HS
Fisher was a player long on the Flames list as a 2nd day project worthy of a pick, a Mr. Hockey finalist, with NHL size, skating, decent offensive skills, and work ethic, even though he’s a little light on the combative competitiveness. He’s already a 200 ft player with great skills in those areas of the game that often come later, like face-offs etc. He’s also a true natural center and those with his size and skating are always important to have in the system.
He’s going to the University of Denver, probably in two years from now, with a year in the USHL to continue his development. This is the kind of player you love in the late rounds, identifiable NHL traits and a pathway to making to it.
185 - D - Vojtech Port - WHL
Port is a Czech import who has those attributes that make it easier to see him in the NHL if he develops. NHL size, skating, enough passing and puck handling skill to make it. But I think he also has tremendous upside as well. He’s really grown in confidence and is not afraid to jump into the rush, he has a confident one-timer from the point and sneaky strong passing skills.
Every time I adjusted my Day 2 list I kept moving him up over higher ranked players. Was just hoping here that his injury kept enough eyes off him to slip and thankfully that’s what happened. He’s also an August 2005 birthday so on the younger side of this group.
195 - C - Tommaso De Luca - WHL
This is another type of player that I’ve been drafting quite a lot of. Players who can really skate, who can handle the rough and tumble of the WHL, shifty and intelligent and have offensive creativity and just make things happen on the ice. He gets criticized for lack of consistency but I think the issue was more that he’s playing on a team that couldn’t score. He can skate, he’s got decent size, and his wildness can be a positive attribute. He’s going back to Switzerland next season and playing against men which should help him develop.
203 - G - Arno Tiefensee - DEL
Tiefensee is already 21, a triple (?) overage player from Germany who just had a breakout season in his first season in the top German league. He’s always been a player on the radar, with his 6’4”, 212 lb size, and was the starter for Germany in the World Juniors a couple years ago. At least, for the first two games where he got absolutely shelled. But he’s come a long way since and he’s got to be on the radar for NHL teams now as he has pushed his way into consideration for the German national team roster. This also fills an organizational gap for the Flames who haven’t drafted a goalie in the last few drafts and now with UPL and Tarasov entering the NHL, its time to start to re-stock.
This draft, with its big slate of skill players, lack of elite defenceman, and a lot of available players in the forward rank without NHL bodies, feels harder than most.
The Flamettes have picked four times in this range before and I’d say I’m 3 for 4 on those (Backlund at 10, Skinner at 11, Jarvis at 10, with Austin Watson over Tarasenko being the failure at 12, but he does have 500 NHL games, so….)
The Flames did try and make some moves. They made offers to move into the top 5 and also to drop back, considering offers as far as 19. They also tried to get back into day 1 to pick a goalie but the ones of interest went too soon.
11 - C - Nate Danielson - WHL
When I first started looking at this draft this was the first player that stood out to me in that 15-25 range. When the Flamettes folded and that pick got better I tried to really pull away from Nate into players with supposed ‘higher upside.’ In the end, he has all the pro attributes of an NHL Center - size and strength, tremendous skating and he's a developed two-way player, so it was an easy selection.
Playing on a bad team this year did two things: made him overplay and make a lot of mistakes and tempered his creative/offensive output. But he still scored 33 goals and 78 points without any really talented wingers or defenceman feeding him the puck and I think he can fix the flaws with his giveaways and mistakes.
So, when push came to shove, and despite the organizational need for a D, Danielson was the most appealing prospect and came in at #7 on my list. I wanted a top end D here but the forward group is just so much more talented in this draft than any of the top rated D.
Danielson’s also a player that NHL teams will covet and give a long runway too. There is always a need for centers. Always. I could see him going top 10 because of that. I could also see him slipping because of the perceived weaknesses but in the long run I think he’ll be a Mikael Backlund at worst or a Elias Lindholm at best. That’s a good range.
32 - D - Lukas Dragicevic - WHL
The 5th ranked D on my list, behind Wallinder, Simashev, Reinbacher, and Bonk. I really wanted Bonk at 31 and when he was gone I traded down to 42 knowing that I still wanted to move back into the next 5 picks to go for Dragicevic. That worked out and the slide was only 1 pick and in the end I got a 2nd next year in exchange for a 3 in ’26 for the efforts. I’ll take it.
Dragicevic had an offensive season to remember, one of the best ever for a draft eligible D out of the WHL. And he was worth every point, 75 points in 68 games and 4 more in the playoffs. His hockey IQ is fantastic, he has NHL size, the skating going forward is good enough and the puck skill is real.
So, why’s he not a top ten pick? Well, there’s that other part of playing a defensive position, it’s called defense and the lack of skating ability to do that, at the moment, is a real problem. He’s going to need a MOUNTAIN of continued development. The reason the Flames liked him was that there was improvement this season, from start to finish. And when he was playing internationally, he was given a lot of minutes despite his deficiencies (and maybe because that U-18 D for Canada was not very strong this year). At this range though, with this need for a defenseman with offensive talent in the system, and with the 2nd next year buffeting any busting, this was a pick I was happy to make. I think he’s a good one.
133 - C - Jake Fisher - Minn HS
Fisher was a player long on the Flames list as a 2nd day project worthy of a pick, a Mr. Hockey finalist, with NHL size, skating, decent offensive skills, and work ethic, even though he’s a little light on the combative competitiveness. He’s already a 200 ft player with great skills in those areas of the game that often come later, like face-offs etc. He’s also a true natural center and those with his size and skating are always important to have in the system.
He’s going to the University of Denver, probably in two years from now, with a year in the USHL to continue his development. This is the kind of player you love in the late rounds, identifiable NHL traits and a pathway to making to it.
185 - D - Vojtech Port - WHL
Port is a Czech import who has those attributes that make it easier to see him in the NHL if he develops. NHL size, skating, enough passing and puck handling skill to make it. But I think he also has tremendous upside as well. He’s really grown in confidence and is not afraid to jump into the rush, he has a confident one-timer from the point and sneaky strong passing skills.
Every time I adjusted my Day 2 list I kept moving him up over higher ranked players. Was just hoping here that his injury kept enough eyes off him to slip and thankfully that’s what happened. He’s also an August 2005 birthday so on the younger side of this group.
195 - C - Tommaso De Luca - WHL
This is another type of player that I’ve been drafting quite a lot of. Players who can really skate, who can handle the rough and tumble of the WHL, shifty and intelligent and have offensive creativity and just make things happen on the ice. He gets criticized for lack of consistency but I think the issue was more that he’s playing on a team that couldn’t score. He can skate, he’s got decent size, and his wildness can be a positive attribute. He’s going back to Switzerland next season and playing against men which should help him develop.
203 - G - Arno Tiefensee - DEL
Tiefensee is already 21, a triple (?) overage player from Germany who just had a breakout season in his first season in the top German league. He’s always been a player on the radar, with his 6’4”, 212 lb size, and was the starter for Germany in the World Juniors a couple years ago. At least, for the first two games where he got absolutely shelled. But he’s come a long way since and he’s got to be on the radar for NHL teams now as he has pushed his way into consideration for the German national team roster. This also fills an organizational gap for the Flames who haven’t drafted a goalie in the last few drafts and now with UPL and Tarasov entering the NHL, its time to start to re-stock.
