2015 Development Camp

[LCP_STEVIEG]

For those that didn't get a chance to watch the matchup against the Jets, my review of each player in no particular order:

Sam Bennett #93: Used his speed, fought for pucks, won board battles. When provided with the opportunity to either shoot or pass, he chose to shoot mostly which is good to see. He was quite physical, the kid is one tough customer. You could tell that his effort level was at an 80% tonight (understandable because he would want to bring his A game to main camp).

 

Andrew Mangiapane #88 : I was pretty impressed. Admittedly, I didn't know much about his playing style so I assumed he was going to play an identical game to Gaudreau's. Instead, he showed that he fights hard in board battles and isn't afraid of contact. I wouldn't call him gritty but he can definitely play on a line with grinders. Would have liked to see more of his offensive creativity.

Bill Arnold #46: He was not as strong on face-offs as advertised. Also, I would have expected him to be a bit more physical. He wasn't too involved in the offensive zone either. His defensive game was rock solid though and him blocking a shot was a good example of it. I'm being mostly critical because I really felt like he was going to bring his A game to show he can be on the roster on opening night. 

Pavel Karnaukhov #89: Not much to report. Wasn't too noticeable on either end of the ice. His next year in junior is going to show what type of a player he really is.

 

Keegan Kanzig #73 : His skating is noticeably better than last years and his hands relatively quick considering his size. With that being said, he still loses foot races and on the Lemieux goal, he went for a hit instead of focusing on blocking the pass. His ceiling really is a 5/6 dman. If he continues to work on his skating and positioning and develops an NHL shot, then I can see him possibly making the team sometime in the future. 

 

Hunter Smith #71 : I liked the big hit he threw earlier in the game. He has a hard shot and his skating is decent for a guy of his size. He protects the puck well in the offensive zone. He did take a dumb hooking penalty when he lost a foot race. He needs to learn to keep skating to prevent penalties like that. He needs to take the puck to the net with more authority and be more of a net front presence. 

 

Brett Kulak #61 : He would be my second star of the game. I was very impressed. I was never sold on either him or Culkin since we drafted them. But both of them formed a solid number 1 pairing in this game. Kulak was moving the puck, playing physical, and skating the puck out of trouble. He even had himself a partial breakaway. This will be a big year for him in the A. 

 

Ryan Culkin #63 : Solid. Complemented Kulak pretty well. He wasn't as noticeable as Kulak but he didn't make any glaring mistakes. 

Austin Carroll #62 : Was physical all night. I was hoping his foot speed would be better this year but it looks more or less the same. He wasn't as offensively involved as I thought he was going to be. Plays quite a similar game to David Jones.

 

Oliver Kylington #58 : Barely played because he got injured early. But I still did notice a few things. He skated hard to provide a passing option to Bennett who was on a partial breakaway. Other than that, lots of improvement necessary. He had a couple of bad giveaways and he gets knocked down easily. I was hoping he'd at least get a chance to play to his strengths and skate the puck end to end a little bit, but again, he was injured early. A year in the dub would be very beneficial in my opinion. He can learn the basics of defense there and also gain some confidence. I think management should really take their time with him.

 

Rasmus Andersson #54 : I was very pleasantly surprised with his play. When he was drafted he was basically known as an out of shape offensive dman. Not a very good description in my opinion. But just in this summer alone it appears he's improved his conditioning. He is very confident when the puck is on his stick. And the best part is he plays with a chip on his shoulder. He reminds me of a physical Wideman. With improved foot speed I can definitely see him as an NHL defenseman.

Ryan Lomberg #56 : He played exactly how someone in his position should play if he wants to get noticed. Scored a goal with a quick wrister from a sharp angle. Used his speed to beat a dman to go on the breakaway where he was hauled down for a penalty shot. He was winning puck battles along the boards as well.

 

Kenny Agostino #51 : I always thought he was a longshot for the NHL. But he brought a gritty and speedy game tonight. He has an NHL shot too and isn't afraid to onetime the puck either. He was on the receiving end of a pretty massive hit so it was nice to see him bounce back up. He complemented the Bennett-Poirier line pretty well.

Emile Poirier #28 : I liked his overall game. Much like Bennett it seemed like he was playing with 80% effort tonight (though in his case, I'm not sure why because he is no lock for the roster). I was hoping to see more shots from him and maybe a breakaway or two. He was all up in Lemieux's face which was fun to see. I hope he can really put up some big points in the A this year. 

 

Patrick Sieloff #50 : He played responsible hockey which was nice to see. He didn't go out of his way to throw a big hit. The kid has a rocket of shot, a puck took a funny bounce and slid right to him and he just leaned into it and if that puck entered the net, the bottle would have gone flying. He needs to have a solid, injury-free season in the A so he can settle down and really establish his game. I definitely see NHL potential.

 

Bryce Van Brabant #48 : After his short NHL stint, he sort of disappeared for a while. But boy is he back now. His goal was a laser wrist shot. But besides that, he was physical and was winning puck battles all night long. 

 

Tyson Baillie #47 : It looked to me like he wasn't as dialed in as his teammates to start the game. He wasn't moving his feet as well. But as the game rolled on he developed some good chemistry with Mangiapane as they cycled the puck down low (which was funny to see considering their sizes). 

 

Morgan Klimchuk #45 : As of now, I don't see 1st/2nd line potential in Klimmer. He needs to bring more in the offensive end. On the bright side, I see a VERY effective third liner. He has solid defensive instincts. If he can get his offense going on a consistent basis, then we can perhaps expected him to develop into a 2nd liner. 

 

Mason McDonald #72 : He sat on the bench really well, so that was great to see.

Jon Gillies #36 : Saved the best for last. My pick for 1st star. Extremely solid all night. He was positionally sound at all times and didn't exert more energy than he should've. Most importantly he made the big saves when they were needed the most which is a sign of a true #1 goalie. 

[Khrox]

Well LCP, we saw a few things differently. I know you wanted to see some more offensive creativity out of Mangiapane, but the guy had 2 assists (though later changed to 1 assist) and he was making a lot of pretty solid plays.

Arnold definitely had a rough night compared to his usual in the dot. As for the lack of physical play - he isn't overly physical. He'll back check and go to the corners, but he hasn't really ever been a guy to actively hit people or rough them up. He's got some solid offense but he does primarily focus on his defensive game (maybe Coach Bob should give him the same advice he gave Monahan when he focused solely on his defensive game).

 

And ya, Kanzig's skating is definitely a little under, but his positioning is usually pretty good, but if it comes to block a pass or hit the guy, he's going to go for the hit every time. What I think people under-rate from him (probably due to his size, and partially his speed) is that his passing skills are actually pretty good. He makes a good first pass and if he makes the NHL (as a 5th/6th D-man) he is going to definitely be a spark for offense on the bottom 6 forwards (knowing that he can make the passes rather consistently)

 

Gillies is definitely a beast, but he still has a few things to work on. His strength is good, but tonight he (uncharacteristically) had quite a few rebounds (which he doesn't usually give up). Not sure if it was his nerves (in his first game action since his contact) or not used to the skill jump (college is good, but a good chunk of these kids do have NHL level skill and shots, while in college not as many do, especially per team).

[kehatch]

Thanks for the write ups all. I saw the game too. I won't go through every player, but I will highlight my top 5. Keep in mind though, this is a preseason rookie tournament at the start of camp. Most of us were watching on a stream. Be careful not to jump to any conclusions.

Bennett didn't manage to finish, but he had more chances then any other player. He also looked bigger.

Poirier wasn't as dynamic as Bennett, but he also looked good.

Mangiapane looked really slick. He didn't look small out there. He created the chance that led to the first goal.

Kulak really put himself back on my radar. He was one of our best players all night.

Gilles looked good. The Flames weren't the better team in the second two periods. Gilles stood tall and kept us in.

[zima]

I ho-pe you guys don't mind but this guy really has a lot to say and it is pure knowledge from watching games and talking to the right ppl to get his prospective on these kids enjoy as usual http://www.flamesfrom80feet.ca/

[Frankieboi]

After a relatively disappointing first draft for Treliving; besides the obvious pick in sam bennet;( I really dont see hunter smith being an nhl player). He is just really big so maybe Burk just forced treliving to take him(just not someone to go after in round 2).

This year was much better taking Rasmus who looked great for 18. And the mangiapane kid also did not look out of place at camp(possible home run at the end of the draft). Karnaukhov could become something... And to make Burke happy again we used the 7 th round pick.

[robrob1974]

After a relatively disappointing first draft for Treliving; besides the obvious pick in sam bennet;( I really dont see hunter smith being an nhl player). He is just really big so maybe Burk just forced treliving to take him(just not someone to go after in round 2).

This year was much better taking Rasmus who looked great for 18. And the mangiapane kid also did not look out of place at camp(possible home run at the end of the draft). Karnaukhov could become something... And to make Burke happy again we used the 7 th round pick.

 

Ya, but we don't know what McDonald is going to be like. Hickey looks great in college and was awesome at Rookie camp. I think you're calling it out a tad too soon. We don't know what Mattsson or Carroll will do either. 

[kehatch]

Ya, but we don't know what McDonald is going to be like. Hickey looks great in college and was awesome at Rookie camp. I think you're calling it out a tad too soon. We don't know what Mattsson or Carroll will do either.

He sure is. Hickey looks great and is one of the Flames top prospects. Carroll was a late cut last season and was talked about much the same way people are talking about this seasons late picks. I actually really like Smith. McDonald is the leading guy for the WJ gig. There isn't a single prospect in last year's draft that doesn't still have a chance to make the dance.

Way way way to early to be make a judgement on last seasons (or this seasons) draft.

[travel_dude]

He sure is. Hickey looks great and is one of the Flames top prospects. Carroll was a late cut last season and was talked about much the same way people are talking about this seasons late picks. I actually really like Smith. McDonald is the leading guy for the WJ gig. There isn't a single prospect in last year's draft that doesn't still have a chance to make the dance.

Way way way to early to be make a judgement on last seasons (or this seasons) draft.

 

Agreed.

 

I liked our picks from last year, when looking at the player selected alone, not who we passed up.  We had very few mid-round picks, so if one of Carroll, Mattsson, or Hickey takes a big step this year, then the draft could be considered a success.

 

I also like Smith, but do hope he can improve his speed.  Carroll has better offensive number, so he may be able to translate to the AHL sooner.  McDonald is still very young, so I hope he just progresses at a steady rate.  Ollas-Mattsson  is still a dark horse, but if he never comes over to NA, it may not be that much of a loss; we have 2 other Swedes in the pipeline already here.

[cross16]

Always a poor idea to judge a draft less then 3 years in. Takes at least 3 and more likely 5 to actually reall grade a draft. Case in point, Remember how everyone raved about Feaster's drafts? well if you look back on 2011, outside of Gaudreau, its an OK but not spectacular draft.

 

I've been on this train for a while, but I think the drafting of the Flames has been judged way too harsly for too long. People have tried to make the case that Feaster and now Treliving have improved their draft record and while I agree to a point, I think the impact has been overstated by alot of fans. Sutter oversaw 8 drafts from 2003-2010 and during that time the Flames drafted in the top 60 9 times. In 5 drafts since, they've selected in the top 60 13 times. The Flames have always had good sc

 

The only draft class I really didn't like in the last 7 or 8 was 2011 and then save for the odd pick ehre and there I think the Flames have done a nice job at the draft. Hunter Smith wasn't a guy I would have targetted that high but I do like him if he can get a bit faster. Smith has the potetnial to be a beast on the forecheck. Look at what guys like DJ King and Kyle Clifford do for LA, and thats the type of impact I think Smith can have. Hard to find that.

[robrob1974]

Always a poor idea to judge a draft less then 3 years in. Takes at least 3 and more likely 5 to actually reall grade a draft. Case in point, Remember how everyone raved about Feaster's drafts? well if you look back on 2011, outside of Gaudreau, its an OK but not spectacular draft.

I've been on this train for a while, but I think the drafting of the Flames has been judged way too harsly for too long. People have tried to make the case that Feaster and now Treliving have improved their draft record and while I agree to a point, I think the impact has been overstated by alot of fans. Sutter oversaw 8 drafts from 2003-2010 and during that time the Flames drafted in the top 60 9 times. In 5 drafts since, they've selected in the top 60 13 times. The Flames have always had good sc

The only draft class I really didn't like in the last 7 or 8 was 2011 and then save for the odd pick ehre and there I think the Flames have done a nice job at the draft. Hunter Smith wasn't a guy I would have targetted that high but I do like him if he can get a bit faster. Smith has the potetnial to be a beast on the forecheck. Look at what guys like DJ King and Kyle Clifford do for LA, and thats the type of impact I think Smith can have. Hard to find that.

I agree. The 90s were a dark time for drafting and flames fans.

Sutter had a few gems and we are seeing them now.

Smith still has a lot of time to develop and the fact he had a huge growth spurt he could still be filling out his body and getting his footing balanced. Development is different for everyone. He could be a very long term project that we could reap rewards from in 4 years or so.

I like that we could be patient with prospects. We are calling for getting young guys in, but what happens when we have young in but all spots are full? It's exactly what we want and have worked for to develop long term success.

[zima]

It seems to me almost every  pick Sutter did failed except a very few most are playing else where or just not playing none of them have done anything of value that Im aware of Dion I guess tell me the rest Eric Lambardi a couple more I think Sutter is the reason it has been such a long road back to playoffs he traded away most of our picks for duds Oli Boewmister to name a few. Ok Beow was a third rounder and he did ok but not the force he was when we got him?

[Heartbreaker]

It seems to me almost every pick Sutter did failed except a very few most are playing else where or just not playing none of them have done anything of value that Im aware of Dion I guess tell me the rest Eric Lambardi a couple more I think Sutter is the reason it has been such a long road back to playoffs he traded away most of our picks for duds Oli Boewmister to name a few. Ok Beow was a third rounder and he did ok but not the force he was when we got him?

JBo wasn't a third rounder. He was third overall. Also, I think the problem was the way in which he was utilized. I'd bet he'd be great on our current roster.

Love.

[zima]

Sorry ment he cost us a third rounder just to get permission to ask him to play for us and we got him in hopes of producing points and he didn't then and with the blues he still isn't as far as a defensive defender he is good just not what we were hoping for at the time.

[robrob1974]

St Louis is a defense first team like when we had B. Sutter coaching. On our team numbers would inflate more and we saw the difference when Hartley coached Bouwmeester.

He would be great for this roster now, not then. Hartley opened up Gio and allowed Gio to be who he is today.

[cross16]

It seems to me almost every  pick Sutter did failed except a very few most are playing else where or just not playing none of them have done anything of value that Im aware of Dion I guess tell me the rest Eric Lambardi a couple more I think Sutter is the reason it has been such a long road back to playoffs he traded away most of our picks for duds Oli Boewmister to name a few. Ok Beow was a third rounder and he did ok but not the force he was when we got him?

 

Sutter didn't draft either Eric Nystorm or Mathew Lombardi. But you know who he did draft? Tj Brodie, Mikael Backlund, Michael Ferland, Joni Ortio, Lance Bouma, Brandon Prust, Bill Arnold etc.

 

also remember that while Sutter was the GM, Todd Button was the director of amateur scouting and still remains the director of amateur scouting. The scouting wasn't great under sutter for a copule reason but it wasn't horrible either.

[travel_dude]

Sutter didn't draft either Eric Nystorm or Mathew Lombardi. But you know who he did draft? Tj Brodie, Mikael Backlund, Michael Ferland, Joni Ortio, Lance Bouma, Brandon Prust, Bill Arnold etc.

 

also remember that while Sutter was the GM, Todd Button was the director of amateur scouting and still remains the director of amateur scouting. The scouting wasn't great under sutter for a copule reason but it wasn't horrible either.

 

Sutter supposedly had a lot of say in who the draft pick was going to be, but I believe some were Button picks.  Sutter picks would be WHL players, big beefy guys (Ferland, Bouma, Prust).  I don't think he liked US players, nor Swedes.  He may have liked Backlund because he was a center, though.

[cross16]

Sutter supposedly had a lot of say in who the draft pick was going to be, but I believe some were Button picks.  Sutter picks would be WHL players, big beefy guys (Ferland, Bouma, Prust).  I don't think he liked US players, nor Swedes.  He may have liked Backlund because he was a center, though.

 

He liked Swedes alot actually (drafted quite a few) and I remember after they picked Backlund Duthie asked him about that and he cut him off with a "oh i like the Swedes" line. It was funny so it sticks in my mind, but I seem to recall an interview or something where he said he likes Swedes because they are ususally really "solid" hockey players especially two ways.

 

Its always been suggested that during that time that the first round pick was all Sutter and then after the first round he turned it over to the scouts and Todd Button. I do know that after Sutter left the Flames did increase their scouting team and did start scouting other countries and the US more however. They weren't a large team under Sutter and i don't believe were cover the full "globe" sort to speak.

[travel_dude]

He liked Swedes alot actually (drafted quite a few) and I remember after they picked Backlund Duthie asked him about that and he cut him off with a "oh i like the Swedes" line. It was funny so it sticks in my mind, but I seem to recall an interview or something where he said he likes Swedes because they are ususally really "solid" hockey players especially two ways.

 

Its always been suggested that during that time that the first round pick was all Sutter and then after the first round he turned it over to the scouts and Todd Button. I do know that after Sutter left the Flames did increase their scouting team and did start scouting other countries and the US more however. They weren't a large team under Sutter and i don't believe were cover the full "globe" sort to speak.

 

I find that funny.  The only Swedes of note were Backlund and Erixon (if he is actually considered a Swede).  The rest were later rounds that never played a single NHL game, IIRC.

 

On the other hand, he seems to love Finns.