living in calgary, i can maybe provide some perspective as conveyed through the media at the time nystrom was drafted...
it is my understanding that the flames weren't quite sure what they were acquiring in nystrom, but were confident that he would fill one of two roles as determined by his development; these being:
*upside:gritty/scoring 2nd liner, profiecient along the boards and down low
*downside: character 3rd liner, able to contribute both offensively and defensively, with strong leadership capabilities
given the flames' history of poor showings in the 1st round (morris the exception), the thinking was that nystrom would be a safe pick - a legitimate NHLer and an important piece to the youth/building program.
when the selection was made, the media & organisation both worked the nystrom mystique, sort of insinuating to fans that he would help shape the character of the team in the future. it was my feeling that fans were divided on the selection; many citing semin, higgins, and eminger as potential misses.