Flames top draft picks each draft

[kehatch]

Just for fun I took a look at the best Flame's draft pick each draft since 2007.  I also made an estimate of where I would rank them among their fellow draftees. 

 

2014: Bennett (4)

• I would have drafted him first overall.  I would probably still draft him there.  But Ekblad is making a case for being drafted first overall.

2013: Monahan (6)

• The three best players so far are Monahan, MacKinnon, and Jones.  I probably put MacKinnon ahead of Monahan.  But not by much.  

2012: Gilles (75)

• This is a really tough one because you are talking about a goal tending prospect.  But he is a good one and this is a weak draft.  I probably have him somewhere between 20 and 40.  Lets call him 30.  

2011: Gaudreau (104)

• This is a tough one.  There are some good players like Couturier, Landeskog, RNH, and Brodin.  There are also some guys with a lot of potential like Huberdeau.  But Gaudreau is having a ridiculous season and this is a relatively weak top end draft.  I put him first overall.  Though I don't take issue with putting Landeskog there instead.  

2010: Ferland (133)

• Before anyone gives me too hard of a time for being a homer, keep in mind that on average around 50 players from each draft go on to have meaningful NHL careers.  I have Ferland middle of the road in that pack as a number 27 draft pick.  He is big, fast, physical, mean, and he has some scoring upside.  

2009: Ortio (171)

• I hate ranking goal tending prospects.  Lets call him 50. 

2008: Brodie (114)

• This is a tough one. Especially considering the D involved.  Doughty, Stamkos, and Karlsson are probably your top 3 in this draft with Pietrangelo is your number 4.  After that it gets murky.  Brodie, Eberly, Carlson, Myers, Bogosian, Josi, Stepan, and a few others start slugging it out after that.  I will put Brodie at 10.  

2007: Backlund (24)

• This draft gave us Kane, Benn, McDonagh, and Subban.  I should probably have Pacioretty and Couture in there as well.  But it wasn't a tremendous draft. I will put Backlund at 20.  

Despite Calgary's poor reputation at drafting, that isn't bad.   That is also 3 guys I have top 3 and 4 top 4.  Which is really good considering our highest two picks were 4 and 6.