Prospect Info: LW Matthew Tkachuk, 6th overall

[Volica]

Anaheim can get a taste of their own ****ing medicine

Good grief if Calgary in 2 years could dominate Anaheim like Perry/Getzlaf have been dummying us over the past decade... I'd be pretty happy.

 

[Anglesmith]

Anaheim can get a taste of their own ****ing medicine

Nice name, dude. You just need to update the user title to "20 years old" so everyone knows.


Also, I can see that, Volica. The odd thing to me is that when people talk about being the "third wheel," that usually denotes a player high on raw skills and attributes, but low on intelligence. The other players think the game while he plays a simple, predictable game as their foil. But that clashes with the fact that Tkachuk is supposed to be one of the smartest players in the draft in terms of hockey IQ.

So then maybe it comes down to him being a guy who doesn't like the puck on his stick. More of a finisher than a distributor? But he obviously exudes skill with the puck, so that kind of clashes, too.

All in all, I feel really good about this pick the more I think about it. Every question mark in his game appears to be addressed by his strengths at this point. Maybe he just doesn't play D.

 

[JurassicTunga]

I think his biggest weakness is his goaltending.

 

[King In The North]

I think his biggest weakness is his goaltending.

He's a perfect fit in Calgary then

 

[Demetric]

there are a lot of highlights where looks like he is playing the right side ... I likes

 

[Bounces R Way]

I had this guy as my #1 choice outside of the top three for the Flames. His skillset should translate to the NHL very well. Not a lot of junior players are so good with little space, and the pure skill guys often struggle to create space for themselves at this level. All the "little" things that high pick junior players sometimes struggle adapting to their game like board battles, cycling, driving the net, using their teammates efffectively, and physically competing I see Tkachuck doing very well already. Maybe his dad has guided in moulding his game for the NHL, or maybe that's just naturally how he plays. The only glaring deficiency I saw would be his defence, but when you play on that line on that team, defence isn't exactly your focus.

Tkachuk has got a high ceiling and a high floor IMO, somewhere between Wayne Simmonds and Corey Perry. If he pans out he's the perfect addition to our young forward group.

 

[BigRangy]

I haven't posted here regarding Tkachuk, so I might as well get this out here and hope I'm wrong for the future.

On Friday I was mad as all hell how the top 10 picks went down. The grease got our guy and the Flames got the guy who I least liked (aside from Juolevi anyways lolnucks). Tkachuk is definitely the prospect in the top 10 that I've seen the least of, because I thought he was a lock for 4. When you look through the stats and how he produced throughout his draft-1 and draft years, Tkachuk does not do much that encourages me. In those two years, he has played with two of the best prospects to come around recently, and barely put up the points an elite can't miss guy would. I know, you're not supposed to get can't miss guys at 6 or even 4, but still.

He's hasn't been the guy on his team (yes I know he doesn't need to be the guy on the Flames), which worries me.


However, Tkachuk had a killer OHL playoffs and mem cup. The Flames need guys who can step up when the pressure is highest.

I'll say right now that I prefer both Keller and Nylander over Tkachuk, but I really hope I'm wrong. I know that both of those players don't exactly fit what the Flames are trying to build, and I accept that. I just think that they will be much more impactful in the NHL.

I hope I'm wrong about him like I was wrong about Bennett. I hope they can pair up and be the Corey Perry-Rob Gronkowski pairing that hockey fans dream about.

 

[Deen]

Tkachuk is gonna be one of the best Flames players we have ever had the honour of watching. We need to make a list of the naysayers so that they can eat their words later.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I am not saying he will be as good as Perry, but boy does he ever remind me of him. Specifically his demeanor on the ice.

 

[JPeeper]

People call him the third wheel of the Dvorak-Marner line, yet he outproduced Dvorak in the OHL playoffs by 5 points and scored 2 goals in the memorial cup final (including OT winner). He also outproduced Dvorak in the World Juniors.


Come playoff time I think Tkachuk will be a more usefull player than Nylander or Keller, even if they picked up more points. Just his overall impact on the game will be greater. I've said before, but the more I think about the pick the more I like it. He adds a bigger dimension to our team than Nylander or Keller would, in my opinion of course.

 

[Deen]

People call him the third wheel of the Dvorak-Marner line, yet he outproduced Dvorak in the OHL playoffs by 5 points and scored 2 goals in the memorial cup final (including OT winner). He also outproduced Dvorak in the World Juniors.


Come playoff time I think Tkachuk will be a more usefull player than Nylander or Keller, even if they picked up more points. Just his overall impact on the game will be greater. I've said before, but the more I think about the pick the more I like it. He adds a bigger dimension to our team than Nylander or Keller would, in my opinion of course.

Someone needs to go into the corners and get Johnny the puck.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I am not saying he will be as good as Perry, but boy does he ever remind me of him. Specifically his demeanor on the ice.

I don't hate Tkachuk's face like I do, Perry's

 

[SmellOfVictory]

Tkachuk is gonna be one of the best Flames players we have ever had the honour of watching. We need to make a list of the naysayers so that they can eat their words later.

Haha from one extreme to the other. One of the how many best? There have been a lot of elite Flames.

 

[Sean Monahan]

yeah i firmly believe he'll train his butt off this offseason and make the team out of camp like Monahan did. He'll be perfect with Monahan, Bennett or Backlund. He's exactly the player we need and he'll become a fan favorite after one month on the big club

 

[Flames Fanatic]

yeah i firmly believe he'll train his butt off this offseason and make the team out of camp like Monahan did. He'll be perfect with Monahan, Bennett or Backlund. He's exactly the player we need and he'll become a fan favorite after one month on the big club

He certainly sounds motivated enough. I guess we'll see if it's just words come September.

I think at the very least he'll likely get 9 games if his preseason is good.

He's a very competitive player, so I like his chances.

 

[The Gnome]

It's easy to knock this for a lot of people, because he simply played on the best line in junior. But having seen him 11 times this year, he's a driver, we have ourselves another Bennett and this kid is NHL ready imo. His game should translate really well to next level and I see him somewhere in our top 9. I'd like him to start with Backlund if the chemistry is there. He'll learn the 200ft game from him...Hopefully his skating gets better, though I do not think it is a glaring weakness.

 

[InfinityIggy]

It's easy to knock this for a lot of people, because he simply played on the best line in junior. But having seen him 11 times this year, he's a driver, we have ourselves another Bennett and this kid is NHL ready imo. His game should translate really well to next level and I see him somewhere in our top 9. I'd like him to start with Backlund if the chemistry is there. He'll learn the 200ft game from him...Hopefully his skating gets better, though I do not think it is a glaring weakness.

I get the impression he has a decent chance of making the team out of camp. I hope if he does it's because he pulled a Monahan and they couldn't justify sending him back to junior, and not because of our huge deficiency on the wing.

 

[The Gnome]

I get the impression he has a decent chance of making the team out of camp. I hope if he does it's because he pulled a Monahan and they couldn't justify sending him back to junior, and not because of our huge deficiency on the wing.

Treliving doesn't strike me as the type to do something like that. But yes, I am betting on him making the team out of camp, the skill is there, and he is physically ready. Plus factor in we do have a wing spot open, not that he should be gifted it, but if he earns it no way is he going back.

 

[Slush]

I love it how people are saying Tkachuk is only good because of the players he played with in London. So people are saying he's not going to do just as good or even better with players like Monohan, Gaudreau and Bennett?

Tkachuck is going to be awesome guys. You'll see.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

I love it how people are saying Tkachuk is only good because of the players he played with in London. So people are saying he's not going to do just as good or even better with players like Monohan, Gaudreau and Bennett?

Tkachuck is going to be awesome guys. You'll see.

We remember Greg Nemisz. To not be cautious in our optimism is pragmatic.

 

[Slush]

We remember Greg Nemisz. To not be cautious in our optimism is pragmatic.

Nemisz was different though. He was not the son of a NHL superstar. Tkachuk will be a lot different since his dad was a NHL superstar and Matthew has a lot of the same talent/skill as his dad does.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I love it how people are saying Tkachuk is only good because of the players he played with in London. So people are saying he's not going to do just as good or even better with players like Monohan, Gaudreau and Bennett?

Tkachuck is going to be awesome guys. You'll see.

Yeah it's weird... He's basically a grittier wing version of Monahan. I saw him play around 8 games this year, more than any other prospect. And he dominated.

Who did you guys want? we got the guy that was a great fit in an organizational area of strength.

Brown, Keller, Nylander are good. But they are a level below Tkachuk IMO.

Deep down I really didn't want Nylander. I never said it but he just looks lackadaisical out there. I feel like he's just not what we needed. Pretty sure his dad didn't like Calgary if my memory serves me correct.

Brown was a risk. Keller would get pushed around by LA, St. Louis and Anaheim.

Tkachuk was BPA and filled our biggest need. What more could we ask for? Dubois or Pulju would have been good too though. We got one of the big 5 forwards. Be happy.

We would have picked Juolevi if the Nucks took Tkachuk anyway...

 

[Flames Fanatic]

We remember Greg Nemisz. To not be cautious in our optimism is pragmatic.

Voice of reason, thank you.

 

[Anglesmith]

I can understand saying he might not be as good as he looked because of the line he played on, that's fair. But saying he won't be as good as he looked because of the line he played on is as bad as ignoring the factor entirely. He played on a great line, but he excelled there. There's not much more you could ask for than >2ppg during the playoffs and Memorial Cup.

The factor of his line adds uncertainty, it doesn't diminish him. But uncertainty is where our scouts come in. I don't think that factor is lost on them.

 

[L13]

Nemisz was different though. He was not the son of a NHL superstar. Tkachuk will be a lot different since his dad was a NHL superstar and Matthew has a lot of the same talent/skill as his dad does.

Who his father is has nothing to do with how good at hockey Tkachuk is or will be. He's the one on the ice, not Keith. Ridiculous thinking.