Who should the Flames draft in 2014?

[Yung Rotini]

If we can get 1st or 2nd overall, I'd go for Ekblad, since we don't have a elite defensive prospect in our system and.. freaking McDavid in 2015.
But then again, we could reunite the Reinhart brothers.. argh, I don't know!
Who do you think we should draft?

Also, where is Virtanen ranked in next years draft, I kind of want to know, since I don't watch the Hitmen too much.

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[Flames Fanatic]

This is waaaaay too early.

 

[WhereIsIt]

This is obviously was too early but I would always go with the top forward prospect over the top defensive prospect. Sam Reinhart is too good to pass up on.

 

[Yung Rotini]

This is waaaaay too early.

Yeah, I know, I'm bored.

 

[1989]

BPA could change in a year's time so whoever they are.

 

[Unkki]

Yeah, too early to say. But Flames's defensive prospect pool lacks more elite talent than their offense. So just because of that voted Ekblad.

 

[Gary83*]

They should draft bpa when it's our turn to pick at 30.

 

[Trae]

A lot can change in a year, but if I had to choose right now I'd lean toward Reinhart if we were drafting top 2. We are seeing more teams pass on defense prospects with those top picks in recent years, though I don't want to imitate the Oilers, I'd take Reinhart since there is no guarantee we get McDavid in 2015 and my number one priority is solidifying that Center depth. Monahan, Reinhart, Jankowski, Reinhart, knight, does that. If Jankowski pans out, then we move Reinhart to our other weakness, RW since he's a righty. We have better defensemen prospects in our system right now than Edmonton had when they started. Defense will come, and starting off with Brodie, Wotherspoon, and Sieloff is a good start. Not including any current roster players going forward:

Gaudreau - Monahan - Reinhart
Baertschi - Jankowski - Poirier
Klimchuk - Reinhart - Granlund
Bouma - Knight - Hanowski

Reinhart fills the number 1 Center slot if Jankowski doesn't fit.

 

[YMCMBYOLO]

I really like Ekblad, so him. But we have a whole year to see where the Flames end up and the rankings always change.

 

[mdexm]

I would love to grab Ekblad. Sure d-men can flop and take a long time to become game changers in the NHL, but I'll eat my shirt if he's not top 4 on the team that drafts him right out of the gate.

I like Sam but Defense is going to be our biggest need moving forward (until McDavid is available, always room for a generational talent).

 

[herashak]

right now its ekblad. 2015 draft has lots of elite forward prospects so im not way to worried if we draft around 3rd in 2015

 

[MonahanTheMan]

Ekblad. Please, God, don't draft any more centres unless they're named McDavid...

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Nylander

 

[InfinityIggy]

Well assuming we are a lottery team:

Ekblad, Reinhart, Nylander, Draisaitl (love this kids game), Virtanen.....

 

[Flames Fanatic]

Well assuming we are a lottery team:

Ekblad, Reinhart, Nylander, Draisaitl (love this kids game), Virtanen.....

Not a knock on you, but I'm curious as to when the term lottery team will disappear. It doesn't really apply anymore.

 

[InfinityIggy]

Not a knock on you, but I'm curious as to when the term lottery team will disappear. It doesn't really apply anymore.

I guess anyone out of the playoffs has a chance now but realistically only the bottom 5-6 have a chance year to year.

I guess Basement would be a better term.

 

[TylerSVT*]

I voted Ekblad but the more i think about it the more i would go Reinhart or Nylander depending on how the year goes.

Ekblad is a man among boys right now. Here he is at 17....

Dude looks like Weber already.

Makes me wonder how dominating he can be in the NHL as well.

I just think we need a solid D prospect outside of Wotherspoon and Seiloff.

 

[InfinityIggy]

I voted Ekblad but the more i think about it the more i would go Reinhart or Nylander depending on how the year goes.

Ekblad is a man among boys right now. Here he is at 17....

Dude looks like Weber already.

Makes me wonder how dominating he can be in the NHL as well.

I just think we need a solid D prospect outside of Wotherspoon and Seiloff.

Agreed. We need a #1 projected D prospect. We can always pick up another forward in 2015.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

Clearly we must draft him for his manly beard.

 

[theIceWookie]

Clearly we must draft him for his manly beard.

Fear the beard! Fear the beard...

 

[theIceWookie]

There's a lot to like next year at the top end. Lot's of talented pivots and power forwards. It's still early but I think top 3 will end up being a race between Nylander, Reinhart and Ekblad.

Ekblad could be the Flames version of Suter and the answer to our need for a number 1 dman.

Nylander or Reinhart could be the stud with Monahan to make a dominant top 2 center pairing.

Can't really go wrong.

 

[HoshiBlitz]

Vote for Nylander. It's just a bonus that is name is so awesome.

 

[QcFlames12]

I would have voted Nylander if he was available, Going to for sure be a 30 goal right wing Sniper in the NHL.

 

[MarkGio]

An impact defensemen. We drafted 3 forwards this year in the first round. Next year we might need to reverse roles and draft a defensemen early and forwards later.

 

[MC Ride]

Ekblad this year, McDavid next year. That's the dream