MatthewFlames
Registered User
After having no Day One picks last year, the Flames had their own in the 1st and 2nd rounders heading into draft day: picks 11 and 42.
We would have liked to add some blue-chip defenders to the prospect pool - that was a key goal - but this didn't turn out to be a strong draft for that - the defenders I liked were all in the 15-30 range.
I had a list of one for 11. A few weeks ago, that player seemed like a reach at 11.
But as draft guides and articles started coming out it became clear that he fit right in that 11-15 range.
As the draft approached, I started to get nervous he would jump into the top ten.
So, I made last-minute inquiries with the GM's ahead of me - about who they liked and I made plenty of trade offers to move up, just in case.
We had offers accepted for the 8th and 10th overall picks. Looking at the board, and knowing that Nick (@9) liked Jarvis but was leaning away from him - I skipped the trade up to 8, to keep my 2nd round pick in the top 50, risking that the Coyotes wouldn't take him at 8 with Raymond and Sanderson still there.
That trade would have been a swap of 11 and 8, and 46 and 57.
Patience paid off (doubly so as the 2nd round moves show).
At the ten pick, I was pretty sure that Douglas would not take Jarvis but because he was looking to move down I pulled the trigger on a deal to move up. I moved up a spot rather than risking another GM moving up and taking Jarvis right before me.
10th Overall - Seth Jarvis - Portland Winterhawks (WHL) - W
63 points in his final 26 regular-season games. 42 of his 98 points were goals. He had the highest points per 20 minutes* of any player in the CHL, at 1.94 (compared to Rossi at 1.90 and Byfield at 1.80). Best player in the WHL from Christmas on and that includes first-rounders from last year, players like Cozens, Krebs, Foote, Tracey etc.
He's quick, agile and physical for his size. He can forecheck and dig it out along the boards. He has vision and skill make the high-end pass, from Gretzky's office, the wing or on the rush. He has a wide range of different snipes and is dangerous from anywhere on the ice. Super high end compete and hockey IQ.
Could see him going in the top 10 of the NHL Draft or even falling to 20 or further but I was convinced. There was no other player I seriously considered and that's why I was so keen to move up to make sure I got him. It was Jarvis or bust for the Flames. If he had been taken early I would have traded down aggressively to try to pick up Schneider or O'Rourke and extra picks.
I had a definite favourite for 42 - which became the 46 after the trade up to 10 - but I had a list of three for players most likely to be there, Wiesblatt, Topi Niemela and Carter Savoie.
As the first round came to a close, I decided that I wanted Wiesblatt quite badly and decided that he was not likely to fall as far as 46 since he was rated an average of 35 in the most popular draft guides.
So, the Flames moved up to 33 from 46.
33rd Overall - Ozzy Wiesblatt - Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) - W
Ignoring his super cool bio, and his reputation for being an incredibly hard player to play against because of his aggressive compete and physical style, the real reason I was so keen on Wiesblatt was his prowess with the puck.
He's especially adept at making plays while moving his feet at high speed - which I think will help ease his transition into the pro-style game, which he'll have to do, as he can play a very junior hockey style game at times.
While Jarvis got all the key offensive ice time on his team, Wiesblatt actually played substantially fewer minutes a game, almost 3 minutes less per.
He scored 70 points and is more of a playmaker than Jarvis. His offensive skills are highly underrated. The rest of his skillset and ability is such that he has a high floor - he could be very effective bottom 6 forward as a pro.
Rated out in points per 20 minutes, Wiesblatt was 10th in the CHL (for draft-eligible players) at 1.35, a smidge behind Quinn but ahead of players like Mercer, Perreault, Grieg, Robins etc.
Could go late in the first but I think he's more of a 32-45 range player in the NHL Draft.
Things couldn't have worked out better, got the two players I wanted at the start of the day. But, as the 2nd round moved along, I couldn't stop thinking about Niemela and Savioe. If a pick became available late in the 2nd or early in the third, the Flames decided to try to get in and get one.
With a trade in place (pending on of those being available), I was disappointed to see Niemela go to the Canucks just before I could get back into the draft. But, as 62 arrived, Savoie was still there and I pulled the trigger on the trade.
62nd Overall - Carter Savoie - Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL) - W
The Flames are believers. While some scouts question his 'work ethic', watching the actual game footage and reading scouting reports from places like hockeyprospects, you see a player who hunts the puck when he doesn't have it, a player who works hard to get it back, and then is super quick to transition to the offensive game.
Craig Button thought that the fact he was too good for this level played into the fact that some didn't like what they saw.
He scored 50 in 50, an incredible feat even for this lower level of hockey. His shot is elite. He is also a more creative playmaker than he's given credit for.
He's heading to the NCAA's with Denver (perhaps after a season in the USHL). We're super excited to have got him this late even though there's no guarantee he's a 2nd rounder in the eventual NHL Draft.
I first saw Jarvis while he played on Byfield's wing for Team Canada - and then first watched him in earnest while checking out last years draft pick Reece Newkirk. It was there they also spotted and became determined to draft a Texan... Hanas was 2nd on the Flames list for day 2 (only Groshev was higher)....
106th Overall - Cross Hanas - Portland Winterhawks (WHL) - C/W
Andrei Svechnikov wasn't the only player to score two 'Michigan' goals last season - Cross Hanas did as well in the WHL. Hanas is a super skilled forward who played 2nd and 3rd line minutes for the Winterhawks and 2nd PP but still managed 49 points and is poised for a breakout in his D+1 year. He is a fantastic skater, playmaker and shooter. I only found these points per 20 minutes numbers after the draft but nice to see Hanas surprisingly high on the list - 23rd in the CHL for draft-eligible players - with 1.17.
5th on the Flames list for day 2 is a player they'd normally wait to pick in round seven but since this was the last pick they owned, they moved him up after Faber and Moore on the list (hoping to get at least one defensive prospect.)
121st Overall - Viktor Persson - Brynäs (SWE) - D
Persson has sort of come out of nowhere (unranked at midseason to EU44 by CSB) and suffered some injury problems in his draft year. He hasn't played internationally either and so perhaps that's why he's flying under the radar. First spotted him because he was high on the hockeyprospect list (rated 42nd for them) - although they were strangely critical of him in their review. Others were much more optimistic - I saw him pop up in some discussions of sleepers and late risers.
He's going to be NHL sized when he fills out (6'2", 200lbs+) - he's a good skater despite his upright stance and is known for his ability rushing the puck. He scored 18 points in 26 games in the SuperElit so there is some offensive talent there. A real long shot but I liked the sounds of him.
EDIT: He's going to play in the CHL this coming season!
OVERALL
Very, very happy. Even more than in most years because I got my first pick in round one and two of my top 3 in the 2nd. Plus, Hanas is a riser that I think will go earlier in the NHL Draft. I wanted defenseman but took smaller, skilled, high-scoring wingers instead.
I guess those are always valuable and I have centre depth all set for a decade and will really need 2nd line wingers in 3 or 4 years (with Larkin and Barzal at C, Svech and Pasto as top-line W) so this actually works out for when I move on from Lee etc.
This draft is, in most ways, really out of character for the types of players I normally draft early. I tend to veer away from smaller forwards high in the draft but I seem to have overcome that fear.
So, armed with three high scoring shrimps, I think this is the most skilled set of players that I've drafted in 20 years.
We would have liked to add some blue-chip defenders to the prospect pool - that was a key goal - but this didn't turn out to be a strong draft for that - the defenders I liked were all in the 15-30 range.
I had a list of one for 11. A few weeks ago, that player seemed like a reach at 11.
But as draft guides and articles started coming out it became clear that he fit right in that 11-15 range.
As the draft approached, I started to get nervous he would jump into the top ten.
So, I made last-minute inquiries with the GM's ahead of me - about who they liked and I made plenty of trade offers to move up, just in case.
We had offers accepted for the 8th and 10th overall picks. Looking at the board, and knowing that Nick (@9) liked Jarvis but was leaning away from him - I skipped the trade up to 8, to keep my 2nd round pick in the top 50, risking that the Coyotes wouldn't take him at 8 with Raymond and Sanderson still there.
That trade would have been a swap of 11 and 8, and 46 and 57.
Patience paid off (doubly so as the 2nd round moves show).
At the ten pick, I was pretty sure that Douglas would not take Jarvis but because he was looking to move down I pulled the trigger on a deal to move up. I moved up a spot rather than risking another GM moving up and taking Jarvis right before me.
10th Overall - Seth Jarvis - Portland Winterhawks (WHL) - W
63 points in his final 26 regular-season games. 42 of his 98 points were goals. He had the highest points per 20 minutes* of any player in the CHL, at 1.94 (compared to Rossi at 1.90 and Byfield at 1.80). Best player in the WHL from Christmas on and that includes first-rounders from last year, players like Cozens, Krebs, Foote, Tracey etc.
He's quick, agile and physical for his size. He can forecheck and dig it out along the boards. He has vision and skill make the high-end pass, from Gretzky's office, the wing or on the rush. He has a wide range of different snipes and is dangerous from anywhere on the ice. Super high end compete and hockey IQ.
Could see him going in the top 10 of the NHL Draft or even falling to 20 or further but I was convinced. There was no other player I seriously considered and that's why I was so keen to move up to make sure I got him. It was Jarvis or bust for the Flames. If he had been taken early I would have traded down aggressively to try to pick up Schneider or O'Rourke and extra picks.
I had a definite favourite for 42 - which became the 46 after the trade up to 10 - but I had a list of three for players most likely to be there, Wiesblatt, Topi Niemela and Carter Savoie.
As the first round came to a close, I decided that I wanted Wiesblatt quite badly and decided that he was not likely to fall as far as 46 since he was rated an average of 35 in the most popular draft guides.
So, the Flames moved up to 33 from 46.
33rd Overall - Ozzy Wiesblatt - Prince Albert Raiders (WHL) - W
Ignoring his super cool bio, and his reputation for being an incredibly hard player to play against because of his aggressive compete and physical style, the real reason I was so keen on Wiesblatt was his prowess with the puck.
He's especially adept at making plays while moving his feet at high speed - which I think will help ease his transition into the pro-style game, which he'll have to do, as he can play a very junior hockey style game at times.
While Jarvis got all the key offensive ice time on his team, Wiesblatt actually played substantially fewer minutes a game, almost 3 minutes less per.
He scored 70 points and is more of a playmaker than Jarvis. His offensive skills are highly underrated. The rest of his skillset and ability is such that he has a high floor - he could be very effective bottom 6 forward as a pro.
Rated out in points per 20 minutes, Wiesblatt was 10th in the CHL (for draft-eligible players) at 1.35, a smidge behind Quinn but ahead of players like Mercer, Perreault, Grieg, Robins etc.
Could go late in the first but I think he's more of a 32-45 range player in the NHL Draft.
Things couldn't have worked out better, got the two players I wanted at the start of the day. But, as the 2nd round moved along, I couldn't stop thinking about Niemela and Savioe. If a pick became available late in the 2nd or early in the third, the Flames decided to try to get in and get one.
With a trade in place (pending on of those being available), I was disappointed to see Niemela go to the Canucks just before I could get back into the draft. But, as 62 arrived, Savoie was still there and I pulled the trigger on the trade.
62nd Overall - Carter Savoie - Sherwood Park Crusaders (AJHL) - W
The Flames are believers. While some scouts question his 'work ethic', watching the actual game footage and reading scouting reports from places like hockeyprospects, you see a player who hunts the puck when he doesn't have it, a player who works hard to get it back, and then is super quick to transition to the offensive game.
Craig Button thought that the fact he was too good for this level played into the fact that some didn't like what they saw.
He scored 50 in 50, an incredible feat even for this lower level of hockey. His shot is elite. He is also a more creative playmaker than he's given credit for.
He's heading to the NCAA's with Denver (perhaps after a season in the USHL). We're super excited to have got him this late even though there's no guarantee he's a 2nd rounder in the eventual NHL Draft.
I first saw Jarvis while he played on Byfield's wing for Team Canada - and then first watched him in earnest while checking out last years draft pick Reece Newkirk. It was there they also spotted and became determined to draft a Texan... Hanas was 2nd on the Flames list for day 2 (only Groshev was higher)....
106th Overall - Cross Hanas - Portland Winterhawks (WHL) - C/W
Andrei Svechnikov wasn't the only player to score two 'Michigan' goals last season - Cross Hanas did as well in the WHL. Hanas is a super skilled forward who played 2nd and 3rd line minutes for the Winterhawks and 2nd PP but still managed 49 points and is poised for a breakout in his D+1 year. He is a fantastic skater, playmaker and shooter. I only found these points per 20 minutes numbers after the draft but nice to see Hanas surprisingly high on the list - 23rd in the CHL for draft-eligible players - with 1.17.
5th on the Flames list for day 2 is a player they'd normally wait to pick in round seven but since this was the last pick they owned, they moved him up after Faber and Moore on the list (hoping to get at least one defensive prospect.)
121st Overall - Viktor Persson - Brynäs (SWE) - D
Persson has sort of come out of nowhere (unranked at midseason to EU44 by CSB) and suffered some injury problems in his draft year. He hasn't played internationally either and so perhaps that's why he's flying under the radar. First spotted him because he was high on the hockeyprospect list (rated 42nd for them) - although they were strangely critical of him in their review. Others were much more optimistic - I saw him pop up in some discussions of sleepers and late risers.
He's going to be NHL sized when he fills out (6'2", 200lbs+) - he's a good skater despite his upright stance and is known for his ability rushing the puck. He scored 18 points in 26 games in the SuperElit so there is some offensive talent there. A real long shot but I liked the sounds of him.
EDIT: He's going to play in the CHL this coming season!
OVERALL
Very, very happy. Even more than in most years because I got my first pick in round one and two of my top 3 in the 2nd. Plus, Hanas is a riser that I think will go earlier in the NHL Draft. I wanted defenseman but took smaller, skilled, high-scoring wingers instead.
I guess those are always valuable and I have centre depth all set for a decade and will really need 2nd line wingers in 3 or 4 years (with Larkin and Barzal at C, Svech and Pasto as top-line W) so this actually works out for when I move on from Lee etc.
This draft is, in most ways, really out of character for the types of players I normally draft early. I tend to veer away from smaller forwards high in the draft but I seem to have overcome that fear.
So, armed with three high scoring shrimps, I think this is the most skilled set of players that I've drafted in 20 years.
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